The Coiled Wire

Crouched low against the hallway baseboard, I cornered a coiled metal serpent guarding the corner—a heavy spring doorstop primed for action. Did the little coil think it could block my parade? I dug my heavy boots into the polished hardwood, hooked both gloved fingers behind the rubber tip, and hauled it backward until the steel groaned under the strain. With a manic roar of laughter, I let fly! THWANG-G-G-G! The metal blurred into a frantic vibration, buzzing like a deranged horn against the white trim and rattling the floorboards straight into my boots. The sonic perimeter is armed, and nobody sneaks past the ringmaster tonight!