A Shift in Balance

The overhead light buzzes faintly above. I test my right hand. The fingers tighten around the painted shaft of the small axe, gripping it with deliberate force. My left boot lifts, pressing into the dense fibers of the beige carpet below. A muted crunch answers underfoot. The room remains dim and still. I lower the axe head slightly until its corner taps against the woven pile, feeling the solid resistance beneath. Balance holds. Everything functions.