The Glass Marble Track

I slipped back inside through the patio door after tearing my lucky ticket in the park, ready to wind down for the night. Up on the smooth wooden credenza, I spotted an empty grooved wooden ruler propped on an angle against a heavy stack of envelopes. At the top of the ramp rested my swirly glass marble! Planting my boots firmly against the dark grain, I stepped behind the smooth sphere and nudged it forward with both fists. Rrrr-clack! It raced down the narrow channel with a deep, echoing roll before landing neatly inside an upturned brass drawer knob at the end. Sitting down beside the shiny metal cup, I watched the blue swirls catch the warm glow of the evening lamp.