Big Bang Theory

Author : Dawn Napier

Six year old Jacob found the marble under his bed, behind a grey bin filled with army vehicles. It was bright blue and glowed faintly in the dusty darkness.

Jacob picked up the marble—then dropped it again. It was hot, so hot that it burned his hand. He stuck his fingers in his mouth, and the pain faded. The blue glow flared a little brighter as it bounced on the carpet.

He inched forward until his nose was almost touching it. It glowed, but there was no heat coming off it. To the tip of his nose it could be any of the marbles decorating the bottom of his toy chest. There were little while specks and streaks moving around in there. He wanted to touch it again. He didn’t want to be burned again. He put his hand out—then withdrew. But his curiosity deepened until it was a burning itch in the back of his head. He picked it up again.

This time the marble was pleasantly warm. He squeezed it in his fist and took it downstairs to show his mother.

“What’s that, punk?” Mom asked. She looked up from her laptop.

“Gotta marble.” Jacob held it up, but not too close. He didn’t want his mother to touch it. He was still a little afraid of it.

Mom peered at it. “I don’t remember buying you any marbles that color. The house’s old owners must have left it.”

“Where’s Dad? I wanna show him.”

“He’s still at work. He’ll be back for dinner.” Mom was typing at her laptop again.

“I wanna show him this marble. I think it’s a universe.”

Mom closed the laptop very hard and looked at Jacob. “What did you say?”

“I think it’s a universe. Dad told me the whole entire universe was big as a marble, then God made the Big Bang happen and it all exploded everywhere.”

“Some say that God did it.” Mom made a funny frown. “Nobody knows for sure, though.”

“Well that’s Dad’s hypo-fesis. That God did it.”

Mom laughed and hugged him. “You sure are a smart cookie.”

“I’m not a cookie!” Jacob squirmed away and ran back upstairs. When he reached the top of the staircase, he threw the marble down the steps and yelled, “Big bang!”

“Jacob please don’t throw—”

The universe exploded.