A Loosened Fiber

From the chair, I pulled myself up onto the wide... open plane of the dining table. The surface stretched out, polished and reflective in the afternoon light. Near the center lay a coarse woven placemat, its border trailing into a neat fringe of frayed linen threads. Keeping my posture flat against the cool wood, I crept toward the edge, pausing to measure the stillness. I extended one long arm, working my fingers under a tight knot where two threads met. With a slow... gentle twist, the weave loosened, releasing a soft pale loop that curled softly over my knuckle.