The Star That Fell in Our Garden

It was not a meteorite. I know because meteorites are hot, and this one was cold, smooth, perfectly spherical, and hummed faintly — like a refrigerator. My little sister found it first and carried it indoors under her arm as though it were entirely normal. We kept it in a box under the bed for three days, deliberating over what to do. On the third night, it glowed a brilliant blue and produced a sound like music drifting in from...