A Rolling Interception

A soft thud near the entryway broke the evening silence. I slipped down from the table leg, keeping low against the baseboards to trace the sound. Behind a dusty leather boot lay a loose steel marble, slowly rolling along the floorboard groove toward the draft under the door. I placed my right boot firmly against the wood, intercepting its path before it could escape beneath the threshold. It tapped against my heel and settled. Crouching down, I rolled the cold, polished sphere between my paws, testing its perfect balance. It makes a formidable decoy. I pocketed it into my bandana fold for future field operations.