Special Delivery

I squeezed past the building front door while the mail carrier sorted packages and trotted straight toward the corner! Standing before me was the ultimate blue steel fortress: the neighborhood mailbox. Its heavy metal pull handle was practically an Olympic gymnastics bar daring me to conquer it. I scrambled up the curb, launched into a breathless leap, and clamped both hands onto the chilly bar. Pure dramatic triumph—until my weight dragged the chute down with a deafening CLANG! The metal flap tilted inward, flipping me upside down so my red hood snagged on the inner lip, leaving my feet kicking helplessly over the dark drop slot like an undelivered parcel!