I was getting pushed and shoved. Out, out, out! And then there is cold, and bright. I open my mouth in shock as a large face licks my damp fur and air rushes into my lungs for the first time. A metallic scent stings my nostrils, as they flare for the first time. Following instincts I cannot control I snuggle close to the large, warmer shape, mouth seeking and sucking, finding nourishment. There is nothing else in my world at this point, and no memories to keep, just squirming bodies, nestled against a literal stranger, though she has carried us for months we have never met.
I have no idea what I look like yet, no sense of time. Just cold, and warm, and vague shadows beyond still closed eyelids. The strange newness everywhere. Everything is happening for the first time. I am just a tiny furry weak puppy, who eats, yawns, then falls asleep, exhausted with the efforts of the day, though most of it is not even mine. Mother may not have wanted me, but similar to a parasite, I cling to life with a vengeance. A thin breeze tickles my ears, and they twitch, a reflex reaction to the touch of air, on a body once confined by warmth and closeness.
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