Inverted Amber

A clear glass marble rested in the groove of the wooden windowsill, holding the wet amber smear of a distant streetlamp inside its curve. I stepped onto the sill without a sound, crouching low until my gaze leveled with the sphere. Outside, rain tapped against the dark glass in quiet, irregular bursts. Extending one cord-wrapped finger, I applied measured pressure against the marble's side. It rolled an inch along the white-painted grain, shifting the refracted streetlight upside down across its surface. I let it come to a gentle stop against the window latch, watching the light settle.