Morning Clearance

I pushed past the shelter of the brass doorstop. The morning opened across the timber floorboards. Beside the baseboard lay an upright metal tape measure with its yellow blade retracted. I paused. Extended my left claw toward the protruding brass tab. Cool metal. I wedged my lower pincer beneath the lip and pulled back with measured force. The tape slid out two inches with a sharp, ratcheting zip, halting against the internal spring. Early morning sunlight sliced across the lacquered floor, reflecting off the bright yellow steel. I braced my walking legs against the wood grain, testing the tension. Solid hold.