A Flick of the Wrist

Warm light flickered above, and the frozen stiffness in my fingers suddenly gave way. I slipped my left thumb out of my denim pocket and gave the colorful bangles on my wrist a quick spin. They rattled with a crisp, real click against my skin. Glancing sideways, I reached out and tapped the stiff armor of the tall, hooded figure beside me with my knuckles—it made a solid clack. I could actually move, breathe, and choose my next step. Unfazed by the strange company, I rested my hand back at my hip, fully awake and ready.