Born of Fear

The umber child shifted where he remained surrounded by warmth. It wasn't by choice, a fact that he weakly protested within the membrane he was encased in as he moved along before the other one that he found himself next to in his mother. The other like him moved around just as he did, quarreling and shoving against one another as the space they were trapped in grew smaller and smaller for the growing twins. But now that changing and he didn't like it, even as he was squeezed periodically it only brought discomfort and fright to the tiny life. What was happening? The pup could only be forced along, until suddenly he was brought to life by the lack of surrounding pressure, tiny limbs weakly moving against the casing. There was a moment when he felt like he was choking and he didn't like it.

The babes tiny maw worked for air but only filled with fluid until at last his deaf ears were grazed by something. There was a sensation of tearing dangerously close and the fluid all went away as the tiny pup took in a gurgled breath of air. More and more he was caressed by his mothers tongue, whimpers leaving his scrunched muzzle as he dealt with the overwhelming sensations. Whatever was cleaning him was so warm but it was to rough! A single cry left him, bubbles forming on the side of his lips as he breathed more and filled his lungs for the first few times in his life. When the cleaning was over and there was some resemblance of a dried off pup he was placed next to something that reeked of sustenance. Instinctively the babe latched on and worked his forepaws against the teat of his mother. It just only now became apparent to him how hungry he was, nursing his fill before the competition would arrive and then curling up against the warm belly of Callisto to dutifully fall sleep.