A Short Run

I cleared a smooth patch on the low walnut coffee table to try something out. Inside an open wooden box, a handful of miniature domino tiles were tumbled together. I set my soda bottle upright near the edge to keep my hands free. Taking three black tiles, I balanced each one upright on its narrow edge, spacing them a knuckle apart in a tight arc. I tapped the first tile with my fingertip. They dropped in a rapid, muted clatter across the dark wood, landing in a neat overlapping stack. Simple chain reaction, but it hit just right.