Spring Release

I hopped out of my leaf bed and spotted a compact silver-and-black pocket tape measure resting on the potting bench. Its tiny metal tab hooked neatly over the edge of a cedar plank. Gripping the cold brass lip with both gloved hands, I tugged it backward across the wood. The yellow steel blade smoothly extended with a gentle ratchet click, unrolling a ribbon of crisp black numbers across the timber grain. Once I backed up five paces to the rim of the table, I held the casing steady and flicked the release switch with my thumb. The coiled spring caught instantly, zipping the metal strip back inside with a buzzing whir and a satisfying snap.