A Gentle First Tilt
A quiet hum filled the room. I blinked, and the blurred gray chevron patterns below came into focus. Slowly, I lifted my chin. My neck actually moved? Curious, I tilted my head slightly to the left, taking a quiet sniff of the cool evening air. Right ahead, the edge of a round low table stood silent and still. I took one cautious, soft step forward onto the woven rug, feeling the textured threads beneath my paw. I am awake... truly awake.