The Rolling Sphere

I crouched low beneath the bookshelf shadow, tail stiffened straight behind me to balance my sprint. A bright green plastic tennis ball rolled free from under the sideboard, spinning with mocking speed across the rug. I sprang forward with a sharp hiss, snapping my jaws shut just millimeters behind it! It hit the wooden molding with a loud clack, bounced off at a crazy angle, and zipped straight back toward my feet. I leaped upward, pinning the wildly trembling orb firmly beneath my heavy claw. It tried to roll away, but I nudged it forward with my snout, daring it to escape again. This sphere has far more fight in it than dust.