The Heat Core

Morning stillness. The metallic scent drew me across the counter. A silver monolith rose from the granite, cold and unyielding. Inside its dual vertical chambers, coiled wire slept in darkness. I placed both heavy palms against the brushed steel flank. Solid. I gripped the plastic lever at its corner and drove my weight downward until it locked with a heavy mechanical latch. Deep within the slots, the quiet ignited. Glowing red filaments cracked alive, pouring raw, radiant heat against my face. I stood unmoved, taking in the furnace breath.