Silencing the Yellow Ball

A bright yellow rubber ball sat motionless in the center of the woven hallway runner. I paced forward and lowered one front limb to test its heft. The rubber instantly collapsed with a shrill, piercing squeak. I stiffened, parted my jaws wide, and emitted an abrupt, guttural click at the noisy lump. It stayed dented for a heartbeat, then hissed faintly as air rushed back inside, rounding it out again. Intrigued by its defiance, I stepped squarely over it, driving two heavy limbs into its curved dome. Another muffled squeak wheezed out before choking into silence as I bore down, pinning the rubber flat against the coarse carpet weave.