Anchoring the Cable

A thick black cable curled across the timber floor like an unruly root. I halted before it, feeling the evening cool settle into the room. The cord was stiff and resisted my weight. Planting my sturdy legs wide, I brought my beak down deliberately against the rubber loop. It bowed, then flattened beneath slow pressure. Beside the heavy iron lamp base, a solid brass paperweight sat slightly adrift. I leaned my shoulder into it, nudging it millimeter by millimeter until it rested squarely over the loop. It holds. The ground is settled for the night.