10 –––––––– RAY STARED INTO THE darkness, time disappearing, giving away to the void of endless thoughts. He was frustrated for letting his guard down, allowing himself to be trapped so easily, but panicking would get him nowhere. The sides of the porthole covers provided no lip to slip a finger in and push them out. They had been crafted with great skill, the seams almost disappearing, enclosing him in a hermetically sealed coffin. He felt around his person until he came across a cheap Bic lighter, found in the gutter on his way to visit Benny 7-11. A few frantic flicks finally yielded flame. Looking down at the bed of playground sand beneath him, he tried not to think about what would happen if one of the portholes suddenly opened and flooded with sand. His coffin would quickly become

