A Shift in the Shelf

I climbed down from the entryway bench to survey the lower shelf of the living room bookcase. An accordion-style paper receipt holder had tipped forward, its thick manila compartments spilling open like a fan across the polished pine. The jagged fold obstructed the clearance between two bookends. Direct force would crumple the pulp, so I braced my boots against the shelf rim and gripped the stiff exterior flap with both curved hands. Leaning my full weight backward, I pulled in a steady, deliberate arc. The thick pleats compressed one by one with a crisp, rhythmic rustle, tucking flush between the heavy bookends. The aisle is level again.