Tuning the Slide

A cluster of fallen acorns was caught in the lip of the green plastic spiral slide, bouncing randomly whenever the wind blew. I climbed the metal steps, planted my boots at the top deck, and swept the debris clear with the muzzle of my arm cannon. Then I gripped the hollow handrail and sent a brief, dense acoustic pulse down the chute. The entire plastic cylinder hummed like an enormous subterranean pipe organ, holding a rich low tone for three seconds before settling back into stillness.