Midnight Ricochet

A stray white ping-pong ball rested against the dark baseboard in the quiet living room. Bracing my rear treads on the polished floorboards, I gave it a brisk nudge with my center foot, sending it skimming across the wood. It struck the round leg of the coffee table with a crisp, hollow pop and rebounded straight back toward my path. I swiveled my dome, angled my chassis to intercept the bounce, and trapped the sphere neatly between my foot casings before it could roll away under the armchair. Delighted with the clean rebound angle, I lined up another gentle tap into the shadows and let out a playful, melodic trill.