diff --git a/src/grome/matrix.zig b/src/grome/matrix.zig
index 2ee7588..f0915c7 100644
--- a/src/grome/matrix.zig
+++ b/src/grome/matrix.zig
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ pub const Point = struct {
     pub fn index(self: *const Point, width: usize) usize {
         return (self.y * width) + self.x;
     }
+
+    pub fn bottom_right(self: *const Point, area: Rect) Point {
+        return .{
+            .x = self.x + area.width,
+            .y = self.y + area.height,
+        };
+    }
 };
 
 /// Rect is a rectangle
@@ -69,8 +76,8 @@ pub fn Matrix(comptime T: type) type {
         }
 
         /// submatrix returns a [SubMatrix]
-        pub fn submatrix(self: *@This(), gpa: Allocator, loc: Point, area: Rect) !SubMatrix(T) {
-            return SubMatrix(T).init(gpa, self, loc, area);
+        pub fn submatrix(self: *@This(), loc: Point, area: Rect) SubMatrix(T) {
+            return SubMatrix(T).init(self, loc, area);
         }
     };
 }
@@ -135,37 +142,35 @@ test "TestRowIterator" {
 pub fn SubMatrix(comptime T: type) type {
     return struct {
         // Data is made up of different sections of the
-        _data: [][]T,
+        _m: *Matrix(T),
+        // the width of the submatrix
+        _width: usize,
+        // _index defines where we are in the byte slice
+        _index: usize,
+        // Where we stop iterating
+        _endingIndex: usize,
 
         /// init takes the underlying data from the upstream matrix and creates
         /// a submatrix of it
-        pub fn init(gpa: Allocator, m: *Matrix(T), loc: Point, size: Rect) !@This() {
-            var subData = try gpa.alloc([]T, size.height);
-            var index = loc.index(m.size.width);
+        pub fn init(m: *Matrix(T), loc: Point, size: Rect) @This() {
+            return .{ ._m = m, ._index = loc.index(m.size.width), ._endingIndex = loc.bottom_right(size).index(m.size.width), ._width = size.width };
+        }
 
-            for (0..size.height) |x| {
-                const ending_index = index + size.width;
-                subData[x] = m.data[index..ending_index];
-                index += m.size.width;
+        // jump moves the pointer forward
+        pub fn skip(self: *@This(), rows: usize) void {
+            self._index += self._m.size.width * rows;
+        }
+
+        pub fn next(self: *@This()) ?[]T {
+            if (self._endingIndex <= self._index) {
+                return null;
             }
 
-            return .{
-                ._data = subData,
-            };
-        }
+            defer {
+                self._index += self._m.size.width;
+            }
 
-        pub fn deinit(self: *@This(), gpa: Allocator) void {
-            gpa.free(self._data);
-        }
-
-        /// get returns the type in the specified point
-        pub fn get(self: *const @This(), loc: Point) T {
-            return self._data[loc.y][loc.x];
-        }
-
-        /// set sets the value of the specified point
-        pub fn set(self: *@This(), loc: Point, val: T) void {
-            self._data[loc.y][loc.x] = val;
+            return self._m.data[self._index .. self._index + self._width];
         }
     };
 }
@@ -174,15 +179,15 @@ test "SubMatrix" {
     const testing = std.testing;
 
     // create our matrix and submatrix
-    var m = try Matrix(u64).initZero(testing.allocator, .{ .height = 10, .width = 10 });
+    var m = try Matrix(u8).initZero(testing.allocator, .{ .height = 10, .width = 10 });
     defer m.deinit(testing.allocator);
-    var sub = try m.submatrix(testing.allocator, .{ .x = 4, .y = 4 }, .{ .height = 5, .width = 5 });
-    defer sub.deinit(testing.allocator);
+    var sub = m.submatrix(.{ .x = 4, .y = 4 }, .{ .height = 5, .width = 5 });
 
     // set the value
-    sub.set(.{ .x = 0, .y = 0 }, 100);
+    if (sub.next()) |row| {
+        row[0] = 'a';
+    }
 
-    // it should be set in both locations
-    try testing.expectEqual(100, sub.get(.{ .x = 0, .y = 0 }));
-    try testing.expectEqual(100, m.get(.{ .x = 4, .y = 4 }));
+    // we should see the value updated in the Matrix
+    try testing.expectEqual('a', m.get(.{ .x = 4, .y = 4 }));
 }