A Sudden Twang

I slipped out from the slick nylon folds of the umbrella, stepping onto the hallway floorboards. Right against the baseboard, a coiled wire doorstop jutted out, capped with a round rubber tip. I paused... holding my raspy breath to listen into the quiet morning. Cautiously, I reached out with both plush paws and bent the stiff metal tip sideways against the grain. It slipped free with an abrupt, stinging boing. The spring shuddered furiously, blurring in a buzzing arc that rattled against the wood. I held my ground, watching the metallic tremor slowly die down until the little coil stood completely still again.