Waking the Brass Needle

I hopped off the workbench right into the shadowy belly behind the iron boiler! Bolted to a flanged water pipe was a heavy round pressure gauge framed in tarnished brass. Ha! A dial with a twitchy red needle glaring through foggy glass! I planted my clawed feet on the valve neck, hoisted my trusty kitchen knife, and gave the brass casing a sharp, ringing crack with the handle—CLANG! The strike shuddered through the cast iron, making that stubborn red needle kick three notches upward with an angry rattle! Snicker! I raked my blade flat across the brass rim, leaving a bright streak in the grime. Now that ticking eyeball reads strictly under my command!