Kinetic Relay

A smooth glass marble rested near the skirting board by the bookshelf. I brought my front bumper flush against its curved surface, testing its weight. Minimal rolling resistance. Backing up half a wheel rotation, I applied clean forward torque and struck the glass dead center. It shot ahead down the recessed seam between two oak floorboards, humming softly across the grain. I accelerated immediately in parallel, matching its velocity along the adjacent plank. Four feet down the line, the sphere lost momentum and settled against an exposed brass screw head. I braked to a halt alongside, bumper to glass, trajectory complete.