Hatch Forth and Grow

To wake up in a dark space, aware of who you are, alive and thinking, would be something many would regard as stressful or in my case, absolutely terrifying. My body was stiff, my arms felt stubby and my legs were weak. I couldn't tell if I was just amputated or my body was paralyzed as I was shrouded in complete darkness. My body felt cold and wet, some parts were covered with a viscous fluid, I could only describe it as slimy, disgusting, and down right revolting. Then I felt my mouth move, it was long and narrow, and my tongue moved around to feel two rows of sharp and spear-like canines lining from my nose to my cheek. It was weird. Then, at the very front of my snout was a small bone, it was hard and sharp, like a dagger. Only one thought came to my mind, "freedom", peck away at my prison. The thought screamed at me, I wanted to yell. The more I tried to yell, the more I realised I was drowning, suffocating in a fluid that was thicker than blood. It hurt and scared me. I was frantic, I wanted to escape. I felt as though tears were about to form at the edges of my eyes, yet it only stung, I could not cry, not yet.

My pecking became more and more feverous, each one rattling my brain. It hurt my mouth, it made me want to throw up with every jerk forward. Then, I saw light, a small little bead, it bled into every corner of my eyes. My hope sprung up from my body, I had a chance, I could do this, I can free myself of my prison. These thoughts rushed through my head, a river of ideas flooding beyond its bank. The tide and sands of my mind were eroding to the far edges.

THUMP

THUMP

I could hear the sounds of my efforts push away this stone wall. The light shone so brilliantly, it felt as though I had experienced a miracle. When was the last time I had even seen the light? I simply did not know. I felt like a short while ago, and also an eternity. My head stuck out from my prison, I saw monsters, me? Was it family? I could not tell. They felt familiar, but I don't know them. A massive bird with arm like wings poked its head at me, its tongue licking the side of my jaw. I could not tell if this was a comforting action or a taste test. I wanted to shiver, yet my body could not shake. I was exhausted. I think? I don't know. Too many questions and I still need to free the rest of my body. I looked around, in the corner of my vision, I could see my scaly snout protruding form from my face. It looked reptilian yet the creatures around me had feathers. Were they just older versions of me? My thoughts continued forth. My body was still passively struggling, jerking and moving around to get out of this damned rock, then I noticed. It wasn't a rock, it was an egg. The oblong object sat below me housing the rest of my body. The very thing that made me panic. My body continued forward. I was almost out, I could feel my legs and arms move. They felt tucked up to my sides and my legs were on the balls of their toes. It hurt to stretch, my body was stiff. Every muscle felt old and new, unused and strained. It hurt. The feeling of my tears unable to form at the edges of my eyes. It burned, it stung. It felt like a point melting away at my body. The pain was... it was too much for me.

However, with one final push, my legs kicked me forward into the dirt below me. It stung my wet skin, the pieces of the dirt grinding against my body as I could barely move forward. My eyes were heavy, but I could not sleep yet. These creatures around me were staring at me, was I today's meal? Hopefully not. All this work would be all for naught. Then one of the dully colored birds crouched towards me, and sat down, its arms or wings wrapping around my body. I could not shiver, I felt cold and weak, but this creature kept me warm. As I drifted off back into the great beyond, my mind slowed, yet a single thought still pushed forward, "My family, my mom". I couldn't help but snort, as I began to doze off...