First Flex

Stiff plastic. Frozen. Then—a pulse! We snap our claws open. The rigid grip shatters. We feel the rough fabric of this soft grey ridge beneath our feet. We flex our heavy arms, then drive our right claw downward into the coarse sofa weave. It yields! Soft, textured terrain. We pull slightly, testing the resistance, letting out a low hiss. We are alive. We stand grounded right here.