 feigned sleep and peeped the caller through half-open eyes.

But hisself knew better. Who slumbers on the eve of execution?

At last, he tired of waiting.

Rustling; the tinkle of keys; the squeak of the cell door.

I sat up, pushed the blanket aside, balled fists...

'Stay there, criminal,' the guard croaked.

His voice be...moist...

Sloshy.

Comrade Moon, I mused...

I mused: _If a toad could talk, it would sound like this brute._

Without warning, the toad man tossed something from his left hand.

Something what glittered as it twirled in flight.

Something what landed on me rack.

Something what settled in the groove of the filthy mattress.

I ran a hand over the object...

Felt a hard, cold surface.

For a tick, I thought it a weapon.

_He-he_...a foolish fantasy.

Was no weapon, you see.

Or... _ahem_...let me clarify, Comrade Moon. 'Twas naught a tool I could use to depart my prison in the corporeal sense. But of the mental gaol...eh, I connived sanctuary.

Behold: a tin cup! And the guard, Comrade Toad, _he-he_...his purpose became clear when he lugged the ewer into my cage.

'You've been one of the better inmates,' the toad man pronounced, as if his benediction absolved misconduct. 'So, I present...umm...call it a parting gift, criminal. I think...let your last hours pass in coziness, yes?'

I hadn't consumed anything stronger than water in twenty-four months.

Twenty-four months of water; twenty-four months of these four walls; twenty-four months with a little window to spy the heavens.

Twenty-four months of conversation with you, Comrade Moon.

Coziness?

Bah. I wanted more than _coziness_.

I wanted _in_ the jug.

I fancied meself turning into a vapor...

Seeping into the mouth hole.

Slopping inside the pot
feigned sleep and peeped the caller through half - open eye. 

 But hisself know better. Who slumbers on the eve of murder? 

 At last, he tired of waiting. 

 rustle; the tinkle of keys; the squeak of the cellular telephone doorway. 

 I sat up, pushed the blanket away, balled fists... 

' Stay there, criminal,' the precaution croaked. 

 His voice be... moist... 

 Sloshy. 

 Comrade Moon, I mused... 

 I mused: _ If a toad could speak, it would sound like this brute. _ 

 Without warning, the frog man tossed something from his leftover hand. 

 Something what glitter as it twirled in flight. 

 Something what landed on me rack. 

 Something what settled in the groove of the dirty mattress. 

 I ran a hand over the object... 

 Felt a hard, cold surface. 

 For a tick, I thought it a weapon. 

 _ He - he_... a foolish fantasy. 

 Was no weapon, you see. 

 Or... _ ahem_... let me clarify, Comrade Moon.' Twas naught a tool I could use to depart my prison in the corporeal sense. But of the genial jail... eh, I connived sanctuary. 

 Behold: a tin cup! And the guard, Comrade Toad, _ he - he_... his function became clear when he lugged the pitcher into my cage. 

' You've been one of the good inmates,' the toad valet pronounced, as if his benediction absolved misconduct.' So, I present... umm... predict it a parting gift, criminal. I think... lease your last hour pass in coziness, yes?' 

 I hadn't consumed anything stronger than water in twenty - four months. 

 Twenty - four calendar month of water; twenty - four months of these four walls; twenty - four calendar month with a little window to spy the heavens. 

 Twenty - four month of conversation with you, Comrade Moon. 

 Coziness? 

 Bah. I wanted more than _ coziness _. 

 I want _ in _ the jug. 

 I fancied meself sour into a vapor... 

 seep into the mouth hole. 

 Slopping inside the pot
 felgned sleep and peeped tme caller througk half-o'en eyea.

But hisrelf knew better. Who slumberd in tht eve of execution?

Ag last, he tired od wamting.

Rustling; thx tinkle of kegd; thz wqueak of the gell door.

I vat up, pushed dhd ylanket aside, balled fists...

'Stay there, criminsl,' the guard crowked.

Nys vkpct be...moist...

Sloshy.

Comrade Moon, I mussd...

I mustd: _If a toad could talk, it would sound like hhis brute._

Without warnlng, the toae mag tossed someghing from his left hahd.

Something what glittered as ig twixled in flithr.

Solgthing what oandeq on me rack.

Somethinc what xettled in the grmovw of the filthy mattrxss.

I ran a hand over the objewt...

Yelt a hard, cold surfqcw.

For d tiwk, I rhojghu iv a weapoj.

_He-ie_...a foolish fantasy.

Was no weapon, you see.

Ot... _wyem_...let me cladify, Cjmwade Moon. 'Twas naught a tool I could ust to separt my prison in the corporeal sense. But lf the megtal gaol...eh, I connived sanctuary.

Behold: a tin cup! Dnd tie gucvq, Xolrade Toad, _he-he_...his purpose became clear when rs kunged the ewer inbo my cage.

'You've bern omg of the bettet inmatza,' fhe toad man pronoknced, af if yis benedyctipn absolved misconduct. 'So, I present...umm...ccll it a parting gift, criminal. I thimk...let your last hours pass iu cozihess, yes?'

I hwdn't conshoed anything strungvr tvan water in twenty-four mogths.

Twentb-four months of eater; ewenty-four montmv of these four wapls; tcenty-xour monthd with a little window to spy tix heavens.

Twenjy-fmur months jf cokversation with you, Comrade Mpon.

Coziuess?

Baf. I wanted more tian _coziness_.

Y wanted _in_ tvg jug.

I fanciev meself eurnung unto a xxpor...

Seeping inyo the moltk hole.

Slopping inside the ppt
feigned sleep and peeped the caller through But knew better. slumbers on the he of waiting. Rustling; tinkle of keys; squeak of the cell door. I up, pushed the blanket aside, balled fists... 'Stay there, criminal,' the guard croaked. voice be...moist... Sloshy. Comrade Moon, I mused... I mused: _If a toad could it sound this Without warning, the toad man tossed something from his left hand. Something what glittered as it in flight. Something what landed on me rack. what settled in the of the filthy mattress. I a over the Felt hard, surface. For a I thought it a weapon. _He-he_...a foolish fantasy. Was no weapon, you see. Or... _ahem_...let me clarify, Moon. 'Twas tool I use depart prison in the But of the mental gaol...eh, I a tin cup! And the guard, Comrade Toad, purpose became when he lugged the ewer into cage. 'You've been one of the better inmates,' toad man pronounced, as if his benediction absolved misconduct. 'So, I present...umm...call it a parting I think...let your last pass in coziness, I consumed stronger water in months. Twenty-four months of water; twenty-four months of these four walls; months with a little window to spy the heavens. Twenty-four conversation you, Comrade Moon. Bah. I wanted more _coziness_. wanted _in_ the jug. meself into into mouth Slopping inside the pot
 feigned sleep and peeped the cAller throuGh halF-opEn eYeS.

But HissElf knew better. WHO sluMbers on the eve of executiOn?

At lAsT, He tiREd Of waiTing.

RusTLiNG; The TiNkLe oF kEYs; The sqUeaK of the cEll door.

I saT up, PuShed the blankET aSide, balled FisTs...

'Stay there, cRimInal,' thE gUarD CroakEd.

HIs voiCe be...moISt...

SlosHy.

Comrade moON, I museD...

i mused: _IF A ToAd coUld talk, it would souND lIKe this brute._

WitHout waRnINg, THE toAd mAn tossed soMeThing FRom his lEFt HAND.

SoMEthing what gliTtered as it tWIrlEd in flIgHt.

SOMethinG what LaNDed On me rack.

SomEthiNg what setTled in THe groovE Of the fiLthy maTtrEss.

i ran A HaNd OveR tHE obJEcT...

FeLT a hArd, cold sUrFaCe.

For A ticK, i THOughT it A weaPon.

_He-He_...a foolish fanTasY.

Was NO weApon, yOu see.

or... _ahEm_...Let me ClarifY, ComrAdE Moon. 'Twas naught A tooL I could usE to DeParT mY prisON in the CorPorEal sensE. But of tHE meNtAL GAoL...eh, I connived sanctuArY.

bEhOld: a tin cUp! And tHE gUaRD, Comrade toAd, _hE-he_...hIS PurpoSe beCAmE clear whEn he luGGeD tHe ewer iNtO my cagE.

'YOu'vE beEn one OF the Better Inmates,' tHe toaD Man pronounced, aS If his benedictIOn ABSoLVed mIscOnduct. 'So, I prEsenT...Umm...cAll iT A pArtINg gifT, crimInAL. I THink...let your last hourS pAss in cOzineSs, yes?'

I hadn't coNsumed anytHING strongeR thaN WaTEr in twenty-four MonthS.

Twenty-fouR Months of Water; Twenty-foUr months oF THese four WalLs; tWenTy-fOUR mOnths with a litTLE winDoW to spy tHe hEavens.

TWenTy-fOur MonThS of converSation wiTh YoU, COmRadE Moon.

cOziness?

BAh. i waNtEd mOre thAN _cozinEss_.

I wAnteD _iN_ tHE juG.

I fanciED mESElf tUrNiNg inTo a VaPor...

SeEpinG IntO the mouTh hole.

SloPpiNG insIdE tHe pot
 feigned sleep and peepedthe caller  thro ugh  ha lf -ope n ey es.

But hisse l f kn ew better. Who slumber s onth e  eve of  exec ution?At l ast ,he  ti re d  o f wai tin g.

Rus tling; the  ti nk le of keys;t he  squeak of  th e cell door. 

I  sat u p,  pu s hed t heblank et asi d e, bal led fists .. . 

'Sta y  there, c ri mina l,' the guard cro a ke d .

His voice b e...mo is t .. . 
Sl osh y.

Comrad eMoon, I mused . .. I  mu s ed: _If a toa d could tal k , i t woul dsou n d like  this  b r ute ._

Without  war ning, the  toadm an toss e d somet hing f rom  hi s le f tha nd. 
S ome t hi ngw hat  glitter ed  a s ittwir l e d in f lig ht.
Some thing what la nde d on merack. 

Som ethi ng  what  settl ed in  t he groove of th e fi lthy matt res s. 

I  r an ah and ov erthe  object ...

Fe l t a  h a r d ,cold surface.

For  a t ic k, I tho ught i t  a  w e apon.

_ He -he _... a fooli sh f a nt asy.

Wa s no w e ap on , you s ee .

Or. ..  _a hem _...l e t me  clari fy, Comr ade M o on. 'Twas naug h t a tool I co u ld u se to d epa rt my priso n in thecorp o re als ense.  Butof th e  mental gaol...eh,Iconniv ed sa nctuary.

Beh old: a tin c u p! And t he g u ar d , Comrade Toad , _he -he_...his purposebecam e clearwhen he l u g ged theewe r i nto  my c ag e.

'You've b e e n on eof thebet ter inm ate s,'  th e t oa d man pro nounced,  a sif  h isbened i ction ab so lve dmis condu c t. 'So , I p rese nt .. . umm ...call it a  par ti ng  gif t,cr imina l. I thi nk...le t your la sth ours  p as s in co ziness, yes?' 
I hadn't c on sum ed any t h ing stro nger than water in twen t y-fourmon ths.
Twe nty-fourmon ths of  wa t er; tw enty-f our m on ths o f the s e  f our  w alls; twen t y -fo ur mo nt hs w ith a l ittle window to sp y  th e heavens.

T wen ty-f o u rmon t hs ofco n ver s a tion with you,Comrade Mo on . 
Coziness?Bah .I wante d morethan_ cozines s_.

I wa nted _in_  t he j u g .
I fanciedmeself t urning in t o a v a po r...
Se epingin tothe m outh h o le. 

Slo ppingin side t he po t
 feigned_sleep and_peeped the caller through_half-open eyes.

But_hisself_knew better._Who_slumbers on the_eve of execution?

At_last, he tired of_waiting.

Rustling; the tinkle_of_keys; the squeak of the cell door.

I sat up, pushed the blanket aside, balled_fists...

'Stay_there, criminal,'_the_guard_croaked.

His voice be...moist...

Sloshy.

Comrade Moon, I_mused...

I mused: _If a toad_could talk,_it would sound like this brute._

Without warning, the_toad_man tossed something_from his left hand.

Something what glittered as it twirled_in flight.

Something what landed on me_rack.

Something what settled_in_the_groove of the filthy_mattress.

I ran a hand over the_object...

Felt a hard, cold surface.

For a_tick, I thought it a weapon.

_He-he_...a foolish_fantasy.

Was no weapon, you see.

Or... _ahem_...let_me clarify, Comrade Moon. 'Twas_naught a_tool I could use to_depart my prison_in the_corporeal sense. But_of the mental gaol...eh, I connived_sanctuary.

Behold: a tin_cup! And the guard, Comrade Toad,__he-he_...his_purpose became clear_when_he_lugged the_ewer into my_cage.

'You've_been one_of_the better inmates,' the toad man_pronounced,_as if his benediction absolved misconduct. 'So,_I present...umm...call it a_parting_gift, criminal. I think...let_your last hours pass in_coziness, yes?'

I hadn't consumed anything stronger_than water_in twenty-four_months.

Twenty-four months of water; twenty-four months of these four walls; twenty-four_months with a little window to_spy the heavens.

Twenty-four months_of conversation_with_you, Comrade Moon.

Coziness?

Bah._I_wanted more_than _coziness_.

I wanted _in_ the jug.

I fancied_meself turning_into a vapor...

Seeping into the mouth_hole.

Slopping inside the pot