Down the Slope

Click... a deep tire groove cut through the dry packed dirt beside the gravel lane. Down in the furrow sat a smooth glass marble, pale green with a milky white swirl trapped inside. Not metal. I paused, tilting my head to inspect its curved gloss. Cautiously, I gave it a firm push with both front paws. Wobble... roll. It broke free from the dirt crust and darted swiftly down the smooth earthen slope. I scrambled after it, my plush paws pattering softly against the dust. Bump. It rolled into a dried dandelion root and stopped. I tumbled to a halt beside it, breathless and glad.