Showdown in Lobster Town

The man with the marble carried his marble wherever he went. In times of stress, or boredom, he would reach into his pocket and swirl the marble between his fingers. The small glass orb, like a tiny planet, made him feel large for a change like he held whole earth in his hand.

The man knew he needed to keep the marble safe. It might look ordinary, but this small sphere of blue and green glass was the key to his quest. For years he had been searching, fruitlessly. Now, suddenly, he was back on track. Once he arrived, he only had to show the marble to

Nipsy McGee, treasurer of the Lower East Side Aggie Aficionados. Nipsy was only nineteen, but knew more about marbles than anyone on the Eastern Seaboard.

Folks roared when he entered the regionals in Narragansett, waving a bag of aggies & cat's eyes. "Marble King!" they cried. But not everyone was cheering Nipsy. Scowling in a dim corner was Annie Suzuki. Nipsy McGee had spurned her once—now she was going to take him down a notch.

Annie knocked an arrow and took aim. So arrogant, she thought looking at Nipsy’s silly bag of marbles with his ridiculous emblem (a rear end made of 2 marbles?!). She let loose her fury, pinning the bag to the wall. It wasn’t exactly long term thinking but Annie felt vindicated.

Nipsy, his empty hand still outstretched, looked back at his marble bag anchored to the wall. “I say, it appears I’ve lost my marbles,” said Nipsy. “And if you move to collect them they won’t be the only bag of balls pinned to the wall,” replied Annie, a fresh arrow at the ready.