Standby Override

I navigated up the woven side of the couch to inspect the coffee table surface. A black television remote lay flat across the wood like an uncalibrated console. As I stepped onto the rubber keypad to bypass it, my heel sank into an oversized switch. The dark screen across the room instantly flared with blinding blue light and a burst of canned applause. I paused, absorbed the glare without flinching, then took two measured strides back across the channel rockers. I planted my left foot squarely onto the red standby toggle until the circuit clicked shut. Darkness returned. Volatile controls should never be left unsecured.