Burnt Toast

Tik

It was very late..

Tik

Or was it very early?..

Tik

Zyggy wasn't sure which it was.

Tik

          The clock kept ticking away the time. Zyggy had been sitting on Host's couch for a very long time. She had given him goodnight hugs and a kiss on his sunken cheek, but then she had just gone to bed. Zyggy wasn't sure what he was supposed to do after that. For the first few hours he had sat tapping his foot looking around at all of Host's pretty decorations. It was safe to look at them from the couch. Him picking things up from their spots had led to a few "Uh ohs," and "Yikes! I'm sorry Host"s. So now he just used his eyes to admire the fun trinkets. There were so many things it must have taken Host a lifetime to collect them all.

Tik

Maybe he could touch just one thing.

Tik

If he was quiet and careful.

Tik

      The little woman behind the glass of an old jewelry box looked like she would make such a good friend...

    The following hours after that Zyggy had, several times, tried out different spots on the couches. He found that the middle cushion of the long couch was much stiffer than either of the cushions at the end. In between two cushions on the short couch he had found a potato chip. From the taste of it he assumed it used to be sour cream and onion. It had been rubbed a lot though, so most of the flavoring was gone. Several times he stuck his arms and legs out straight to make sure they were each the same length. Finding comfort in the fact that he was not lopsided. Then drawing his gaze to the window, alerted by a crow, he saw the sun rising.

  Morning was coming and if habit held, Host's loud snores would soon be silenced and she would awaken for the day.

     Zyggy sat pondering about his mornings as a human as he wagged his knees back and forth. He remembered the sensation of excitement. He remembered climbing counters and digging through the fridge gathering ingredients. Each morning's piece of toast, his own work of art, that he would happily gobble down. The remainder of the morning would be spent patting his stomach picturing the masterpiece floating in his belly.

Tik

Toast.

Tik

He wanted to make toast.

Tik

Loud clock don't wake Host to early

     Zyggy got up from the couch to walk to the kitchen. As he approached the doorway, he paused. Leaning to peek instead into Host's door, he made sure she was still sleeping. Loud snores and one leg sprawled out from under her covers meant he was safe. Zyggy dashed over to the shelves where the jewelry box sat. Peering into the glass, "Hi I'm Zyggy nice to meet you. You have lovely hair." He said to the tiny figurine. "Here I saved a potato chip for you too. Okay, good-bye for now." Zyggy said, taking a step back and waving at his new friend behind the glass. He then made a mad dash for the kitchen before anyone caught him near the shelves.