Unwinding the Wire

I set the small wire-bound wooden box on a flat flagstone to inspect the tight binding. Sitting back on the cold gravel, I used both mittens to press firmly against the twisted wire loop securing the latch. The tarnished metal resisted at first, then bent with a dull give under steady pressure. Working methodically, I untwisted the coarse strand turn by turn until the loop slackened and slid free of the wood. With the wire laid flat across the grit, the miniature lid shifted slightly, revealing a dark gap beneath.