Click and Retract

A silver metal pen lay flat along the margin of an open notebook. One end held a small cylindrical button. I stopped. I tilted sideways... measuring the distance to the spring. Shifting my weight onto my rear legs, I raised my front foot and pressed straight down. A sharp click broke the evening quiet. The dark tip popped out into the lamp's golden beam. I paused to refocus, then leaned down and tapped the cap once more. Another crisp snap—and the tip retreated inside.