The Rolling Green Bead

A tiny click on the smooth boards caught my ears. *Chuff.* I crept low along the soft rug border, keeping my belly close to the weave before inching out onto the cool wood. There it was: a bright green wooden bead, smooth and round. I tilted my head. I nudged it with the flat of my snout. It gave a quick wobble, rattled softly over the grain, and stopped against the baseboard. I gave a satisfied snort and settled down right beside it to keep watch.