The Glass Marble Run

I scrambled toward the lower shelf of the TV stand and spotted a wooden desk organizer angled like a ramp. Right at the top rested a heavy blue marble on a narrow grooved track. Bracing my hind feet against a stack of magazines, I threw my front paws forward and gave the sphere a sharp shove. Clack-rattle! It sped down the slanted timber channel, spun inside a shallow copper coaster at the bottom, and came to an abrupt halt with a deep, ringing chime. The vibrations buzzed right into the wooden floor, and my ears twitched eagerly as I scampered down to set it up again.