Creatures of Darkness | 001 | AWAKE
#1 of CREATURES of DARKNESS
A young rabbit awakens in the middle of a wooded clearing, alone and with no idea of how he got there. This is his story.
He awoke slowly, his consciousness surfacing from the realm of sleep like an air bubble traveling through oil. A cool breeze passed over his face and he opened his eyes. Above him, a blanket of stars spread across the night sky, far too many for him to count. The moon was visible as well, directly centered in that canvas of twinkling pinpricks. It was full and well-illuminated, its craters and divots clearly visible.
How beautiful, he thought. He blinked and breathed in the night air, filling his lungs to capacity before exhaling.
Then, he thought, _My name is Ru. _
Then, Where am I?
The question should have frightened Ru, yet it did not. It passed through his mind with ease, simply presenting itself to be pondered at his leisure. The thought had no ill intent behind it, simply curiosity.
Ru decided to try and find an answer.
He sat up slowly, his long ears flopping behind his shoulders as he braced himself on his elbows. Ru looked around slowly, taking in his surroundings. With the moon's soft light shining down, he was able to get a good look at where he was.
It appeared that Ru had awoken in a clearing of sorts, ancient-looking oak trees surrounding the perimeter. Juts of boulders dotted the grassy space, as well as a myriad of wildflowers in various shades and blooms. A breeze passed through the clearing, rustling the leaves of the trees and making the flowers sway as if dancing. Ru smiled. This place, whatever it was, make his feel at ease.
Ru rose to his feet, slowly turning a full 360-degrees, taking in everything. All that surrounded him was but nature, no hand-made constructs at all. It seemed that this area had yet to be touched by anthrosian paws.
Ru took a step forward --
_You have awakened, my child. _
-- and froze as a woman's voice filled the very air around him.