Inside the Ribs

I crept past the dimpled foil toward the ceramic prep tray. Stillness first. Resting sideways across the glazed rim lay a stainless wire balloon whisk. Tap... tap. Cool, narrow metal. I extended one front limb, testing the outermost loop. It yielded under my joint with a gentle spring, flexing inward before humming back to its curve. Deliberately, I guided my front legs between the curving ribs. The inner space was open, vaulted by concentric loops of bent steel. I eased my body into the hollow, planting my limbs across two lower wire spans. They sagged slightly under my weight, then held firm. Suspended inside the ribcage, I pause in the quiet light.