Securing the Loose Sphere

A bright yellow tennis ball sat near the gutter at the bottom of the driveway. I left the porch to inspect the road. The sphere looked solid, but when I pressed down with my boot, it compressed and rolled toward the open storm drain. An unstable hazard cannot be left loose on my watch. I charged forward, dropped low, and pinned the ball firmly against the concrete curb with both fists. It tried to rebound, but my grip did not give. Once it stopped moving, I hauled it up and wedged it tight between two exposed maple roots in the grass. The road is clear.