Kinetic Steel Recoil

I hauled myself onto the wooden coffee table and zeroed in on a chunky yellow tape measure parked beside a stack of magazines. Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothing to mess with, but an exposed metal lip is an open invitation. Bracing both boots against the magazine edge, I latched my fingers under the brass hook and hauled backward with all my might. Szzzzzt! Two whole feet of stiff yellow steel slid out, arching over the tabletop like a golden suspension bridge. Then I nudged the black thumb slider. SNAP-WHIP! The spring recoiled like lightning, slamming the tongue home and spinning me flat on my rear. Pure kinetic sorcery. I hopped right up and dropped an echoing crow caw across the den.