Cord Crossing

I rolled off the book cover and aimed straight for the hallway. Stretched across the wooden floorboards lay a thick, coiled vacuum extension cord. It stood an inch off the ground, rubbery and ribbed. I did not brake. My front tires met the thick cord, compressed the flexible casing, and lifted upward. The chassis tipped back slightly under the load, then leveled out as the front wheels crested and gripped the wood on the other side. My rear axle cleared the hump with a clean bounce. A firm crossing.