Tension Tested

Night cycle arrived. A thick braided power cable looped across the dark carpet behind the television shelf. Heavy rubber insulation. Flexible conduit. I gripped the thick black line between both steel claws and pulled backward, digging my heels into the dense rug fibers. *Grrr.* The rubber stretched slightly, fighting my grip with firm elastic tension. I held the lock. A faint pulse hummed inside the line, vibrating into my palm sensors. It did not tear. I anchored my frame and let the steady current rattle into my core.