A Coiled Obstacle

I crouched beneath the low overhang of the wooden coffee table as night settled in. *Click... hiss.* My steel fingertips snagged on a thick, discarded twist of ribbed black wire left coiled near the rug's fringe. I dragged it closer into the dim perimeter, testing its density against my joints. It was hollow, lifeless, yet remarkably pliable. Working silently, I bent the cord into a rigid loop and wedged it between the table leg and the floor, fortifying the narrow crawlspace against any sudden intrusion.