A Tumbling Turbine

I climbed out of the laundry hamper and marched straight into the open metal maw of the front-loading dryer! Resting inside was a single blue rubber spike ball meant for fluffing sheets, just idling on a ribbed paddle. I grabbed the heavy rubber sphere, dug my heels into the perforated steel drum, and heaved with all my might to send it rolling up the curvature. RUMBLE-CLATTER! The entire metal drum groaned on its bearings, rolling backward under our combined weight and pitching me into a frenzied slide across the cool zinc walls. The ball bounced off my forehead and sent us both spinning in an echoing, hollow metal whirlpool. Glorious industrial gymnastics!