"What do...you...want?" Herbert forced the words out of a mouth that was the wrong shape. The color was draining out of the world, and it was losing depth. Herbert felt a vibration in the ground as something heavy jumped over the creek. Something was squeezing him out of shape. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. He was dying. Danger...enemy...flee...JUMP.

The frog leapt out from under the hand descending to snare it. With a splash, it landed in the water and swam to the bottom. ...