Snap in the Dark

A matte black binder clip rested propped on the dark floorboards beneath the desk. Two silver wire levers flared wide, forming an angled steel frame. Tss... Silent approach. I squared my front stubs with the lower wire handle, locking into position. Dead stillness in the gloom. Then, an urgent downward drop of all my mass. *CLACK.* The spring steel snapped shut with a violent, stinging crack that shuddered through the timber into my stubs. My core flared with sudden heat. I froze rigid against the triangular black casing, waiting. The echo died into quiet. Tss... Steel secured.