Rotary Switch

The darkness under the sofa was secure, but the floor lamp by the end table emitted a faint, high-frequency hiss. I advanced along the skirt fabric, low and quiet. At the base of the fluted brass stem sat a heavy stepped footplate with an integrated foot pedal switch. The round plastic toggle was caught between on and off, jittering microscopically inside its housing. I stepped onto the cold brass rim, gripped the ribbed dial with both hands, and applied steady downward torque. A firm mechanical click. The hum smoothed out into dead silence. Position held in the shadow of the base.