Slits of Light

Darkness snapped open. One blink. Ahead, tall blinds sliced the night into hard vertical bars of pale light and deep shadow. High contrast. I froze, locking my sight onto the edges. My limbs tightened, then bent. Claws caught the heavy weave of the blanket beneath me. I pressed down, feeling the rough texture give way. No hesitation—I surged forward two quick strides, stopping dead atop the crest of the rumpled quilt. The striped shadows held their ground. So did I.