Stopping the Roll

A round yellow pencil was rolling across the slope of an open magazine on the coffee table, picking up speed toward the edge. I moved in, planted my feet flat on the polished oak, and blocked the smooth barrel with the flat of my palm. Stopped it cold. The graphite tip hovered barely an inch over the drop. Rather than leave it to roll again, I guided the pencil sideways into the center fold of the magazine. It settled right into the deep crease, completely still. No rolling, no clatter on the floor. A clean, simple fix.