First Motion

The room was entirely still. I held my breath, listening closely to read the quiet air. Nothing stirred. Carefully, I willed my fingers to flex, and they answered. I pressed one paw into the soft fabric beneath me, feeling the printed flower petals sink under my weight. With steady, deliberate effort, I pushed my upper body upward against the cotton folds. The small plastic loop near my ear shifted and went slack. I can move. I paused there, grounded and alert in the calm dark.