A Little Liquid Maze

Sliding past a stack of mail, I bumped right into a vintage oil-and-water liquid timer resting on the console. Two thick layers of bright cerulean and magenta mineral oil were quietly floating inside the clear acrylic column. Bracing both palms against the smooth cylinder, I gave it a brisk heave with my tail fin until the whole tube tipped upside down. Droplets began to tumble through the tiny zigzag stairs inside, rhythmically blooping and reshaping into glossy neon beads. I leaned my chin on my hands, mesmerized by the slow, bouncy race down the translucent plastic.

1 Nauk