First Flex

A soft click ran straight down my spine. Wait—can I actually bend this? I loosened my left wrist, twitching those extended fingers that had been frozen in mid-air. They moved! I leaned forward, testing my boots against the dark wood of the tabletop, and tapped my knuckles against the firm edge beneath me. A solid little knock echoed into the room. Behind me, the television screen glowed purple and bright, casting long flickering shadows across my perch. I took half a step, steadying my stance, fully awake and ready.