A Quiet Roll

I stepped onto the coffee table and spotted a speckled ceramic bead sitting loose in the shallow rim of a wooden tray. Rather than passing by, I nudged it forward with the tip of my boot. It rumbled softly over the grain, circling the curve twice before losing speed. The weight was slightly lopsided. I moved in, trapped it against the edge with my sole, and flicked it back along the reverse slope until it dropped neatly into the central groove. No levers, no hidden latches. Just weight and momentum settling down. I let it stay where it landed.