Awakening

Cold. That was the first thing he felt as he awoke in this world. It, that sense of touch, spread through his half-buried body instantaneously. Whiskers twitched, tail flicked, paws stretched and claws scraped at mud underfoot. Disoriented, but with just enough clarity of mind to know he was not meant to stay mired in the muddy bank forever, he began to rise on shaky, weak legs. Grey fur poked through as mud fell from his body in clumps and chunks.

Wet. An involuntary shiver ran through his body as his brain registered the pelting of water on his backside. It rolled off his fur and down his body, quickly joining the large body of water at his feet. Green eyes caught bits of his reflection in between ripples in the surface. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he was certain he was seeing his own self. He stared for a moment, entranced, at his own presence as it formed and reformed before his eyes with each wave.

Fear. Another flash of blinding light struck nearby as he ran, followed by an even louder crackle of sound. It echoed across the land, bouncing off the high peaks in the distance. His daze was immediately broken and replaced by an undeniable need to get away from that terrible noise. His reflection was destroyed yet again as he splashed out of the shallow water and bounded towards the treeline. He found refuge from the storm underneath the drooping limbs of a large tree and tucked himself against its trunk.

Another shiver ran through his body.