First Tension

Silence first. Then weight. I found my jaw clenched around cold molded cord. I pushed against the restraint, testing its grip. A subtle shift occurred. The elastic band behind me pulled taut, vibrating faintly against the metal display hook behind my head. It hummed into the hollow core of my shell. I stopped. The vibration settled into stillness. I remain upright, suspended firmly in place against the perforated metal wall.