Spring Deflection

A coiled steel spring doorstop projected from the baseboard beside the linen closet door. Unfamiliar perimeter obstacle. I moved in low across the polished timber. The rubber bumper cap sat level with my chest harness. I laid the rifle flat across the floorboards. With my gloved thumb, I pressed the bumper sideways, pulling the steel coil twenty degrees off-axis. High mechanical resistance. I released grip. The spring snapped back, wobbling in a rapid, metallic buzz that vibrated straight through the oak into my knees. Five seconds of kinetic oscillation before settling dead center. Substantial recoil. I flicked the rubber cap twice more to measure the return arc.