Snippet
A slow dawn back into the world brought with it the primal need for water, a gasp catching in dry, harsh airways. Heavily lashed eyes open under winged brows set in discomfort and confusion, open but are blind to this realm for a few heartbeats more. The soft light of morning clears away the darkness, the smooth, grey walls of the cave snap into focus too abruptly, mind taking a stutterstep into the now. Morning? Water. Tongue feeling over large and foreign, snakes out over a full, cracked bottom lip, the dried blood only adding to the rough texture, taste not even registering.
All at once full awareness shrieks itself into joints and muscles left too long unused, eliciting another raspy breath. Strong, even teeth bite down, reopening split, tender skin though no blood seeps into the world, perhaps none remains to spare. The feeling of countless stinging barbs pierce every inch of flesh, seemingly to the bone, as blood sluggishly returns to limbs. Hearing the sound of some wounded beast gives pause before the realization that the sound eminates from herself. Brittle charcoal from a long dead fire crumbles under palms, splintering under knees, agony contorts the usually lithe, even sensuous, body into a shaking and stiffened atrocity. Feeling like wet leathers left to dry into frozen disarray, determination flares in the depths of darkest blue now fully aware of just how close to catastrophe was tred.