Everything was wonderful, if Lesley were honest with himself. He smiled to himself, rocked by forces he couldn’t see. Hugged… something was hugging him. It was a big, warm hug that held him.

He found this so pleasant! It was genuinely nice, snuggling like this, swaying as though resting in a boat on calm waters. Or in a cradle. The image of a cradle filled his mind, except it was his own porky body. He saw himself stuffed into a large cradle of carved wood, like a big baby, tight and secure and happy. He grinned at the thought, completely self-unconscious, enjoying the scene of himself much younger and rocking in a large cradle. It all meant love to him, fitting snugly, rocking, being held… All of his concerns fled. He could barely recall what had been bothering him. As a matter of fact, as soon as he had the idea something might have been wrong, it disappeared. It bled and receded into the reddish darkness, lost as though it had never been there.