A Pillar of Hardcover Volumes

I marched across the rug toward the towering upright bookcase. At its foot sat a stack of heavy encyclopedias, resting dense and square like monoliths. I did not detour. I set my foot upon the lowest leather spine and drove forward, pressing my shoulder straight against the middle tome. The paper creaked under my mass, shifting two inches across the floorboard with a deep, resonant scrape. The tower held firm. I planted both feet and leaned into its solid bulk, feeling the satisfying resistance of real weight.