if (!_active)
    exit;
_timer++;
if (_timer >= 4)
{
    _timer = 0;
    var ball = scr_marker(random_range(_ballregionl, _ballregionr), random_range(_bally, _bally + 40), spr_ball);
    ball.image_blend = c_black;
    scr_doom(ball, 60);
    var randomscale = 0.3 + random(0.1);
    scr_lerpvar_instance(ball, "image_xscale", 0, randomscale, 10, -1, "out");
    scr_lerpvar_instance(ball, "image_yscale", 0, randomscale, 10, -1, "out");
    scr_lerpvar_instance(ball, "image_alpha", 0.4, 0, 60);
    ball.image_xscale = 0;
    ball.image_yscale = 0;
    ball.depth = 10000;
    ball.gravity = -0.2;
    ball.friction = 0.1;
    ball.hspeed = random_range(-3, 3);
}