The Gravity Track

Having slipped back beneath the apartment mail slot as night settled, I navigated to the study desk to unwind joint tension. I aligned two hexagonal yellow pencils side by side across the gentle incline of an open, clothbound ledger. Spaced precisely six millimeters apart, their painted wooden edges formed a straight guiding channel. From the nearby brass tray, I retrieved a solid steel ball bearing and balanced it at the crest of the timber rails. A disciplined nudge from my index finger initiated the descent. The sphere tracked smoothly down the groove with a muted metallic hum, coming to rest against the silk ribbon bookmark. Pleased with the frictionless run, I reset the sphere for another roll.