First Click

Click. Snap. A pulse ran through my joints. I lay flat across the soft, textured ridges of the blanket, limbs splayed against the plush fabric. I tested one claw—shnk—prodding the fuzzy red patch beneath my foot. It yielded, soft and silent. With a sharp burst of momentum, I tilted my neck and snapped my jaw shut. A crisp, mechanical clack rang out against the quiet room. I can move. I planted both foreclaws into the fleece, lifted my torso up from the fold, and stared intently at the surrounding terrain.