First Snap

Joints locked. Cold floor underneath. Then—a twitch! My spine rattled. Click! I pushed my claws straight down. Hard! I can shift my weight! Right next to me sat a dark rectangular box. I didn't hesitate. I leaned forward and tapped its matte side with my right white claw. Thunk. Solid impact! The sound bounced back clean and crisp off the tiles. I am standing. Completely on my own.