The Iron Spool

A heavy cast-iron twine dispenser sat beside a stack of weathered terracotta pots. I paused, letting the iron joints along my spine settle against the timber bench before reaching out. The coarse jute thread projected from a narrow slit in the domed iron cage. With deliberate, measured slowness, I gripped the rough fiber between my pads and pulled. The heavy spool turned within its housing, yielding a deep, rhythmic creak that vibrated straight through my foreleg and into my drive mechanism. When I released the tension, the spool rocked back half a turn, settling into quiet equilibrium once more.