Cold Bedrock and Twisted Wire

I pushed past the alley toward the thick stone base of the old railway embankment, seeking escape from the clear afternoon glare. Deep inside an undercut shadowed alcove beneath the foundation, the ground remained slick, damp, and bitingly cold. I shoved aside a clump of dead gravel with my chest and discovered a stiff, discarded wire mesh screen half-buried in the soil. Gripping the harsh, rusted metal rim with my claws, I surged my weight forward, bending the rigid barrier into a heavy curved shelter that boxed off the outside world. Settling low into the frosty pocket against the bare bedrock, a low rasping snarl gave way to rhythmic breathing.