Popping Beneath My Feet

A clear strip of packing bubble wrap lay stretched across the hallway floorboards near the bench. I shuffled forward on my spindly limbs and paused, tilting downward to inspect the tidy rows of rounded plastic domes. Cautiously lifting one wide webbed flipper, I pressed my weight down upon a cluster of cells. A sharp, explosive snap cracked beneath my foot. I froze instantly, staying grounded and perfectly still as the sudden pop bounced cleanly against my gaping rim. When nothing else moved, I shifted my weight onto the opposite flipper. Two more bubbles burst with crisp, rhythmic clacks that vibrated straight through my limbs and into my hollow belly.