Awareness came slowly.

My first real glimpse of reality was to a world of color. My sluggish thoughts registered blues, greens, reds… hues at the time I had no name for, bled fiercely through the back of my closed eyelids.

"Beautiful"

I fought to open the offending objects clouding my vision, desperate to gain a true look at the world around me. A warm, cozy, confined world..

A returning wave of tiredness washed over me pulling me gently back into the blissful ignorance of slumber.

The second time I awoke my curiosity pushed beyond the swirling colors of my confinement. A black void lied directly outside the thin walls of warmth that made up my universe. Large shadows cut through the shimmering walls. Vibrations followed the grey blobs, sounds becoming more apparent as I grew more aware. With the little concentration I could summon I followed the pacing shadows between bouts of rest.

As time passed, the shadows began to grow impatient.

Feelings of unease, excitement, and encouragement pushed through me in every waking moment. A soft voice crooned words I didn't understand through the shell of my prison. Dozens of different images flashed through my head, pictures I had no name for. My favourite being a vast blue ceiling with puffs of white drifting overhead.

"Sky"

The warm voice returned and I twitched gleefully having understood that this was the word to my image. Humming contentedly I radiated happiness to the voice within the void. Throwing back the image of the warm shadow I waited in question.

"Mother" The voice instructed.

"Mother" I repeated back delightedly. The warm voice radiated approval, and more shadows gathered around my world.

"Would you come out little one?"

Confusion flashed through me. "Out? Out where? To the void surrounding me?"

I pressed my consciousness to the black nothingness around me, pushing as far as my confines allowed. Space.. So much space.

Squeaking I pulled my mind back and huddled closer to the warmth around me. Disappointment from beyond flooded through me.

"Perhaps not quite yet"

The voice grew dim as the shadow "Mother" retreated.

"No!"

Angrily I thrashed against the side of my prison.

Then my world was tilting.

Squeaking in fear I rolled around, and around, colors shining in a dizzy rainbow. I screwed my eyes shut as movement bounced me around. Finally I came to a stop.

Deep throated rumbles floated around me as the voices laughed. Mother grew closer amusement shining around her. Indignant I slashed the walls again.

"There!"

Brilliance suddenly blinded me through the small crack I had created, light shone brightly against the dimmer colors of my shell, and the cold foreign air hit me all at once.

Shivering I inhaled the scents of the outside, tasting the world with my tongue.

The first scent I instinctively connected to Mother, others following behind.

Cold, food, father? And ..something else.

Did I really want to leave? The confines were warm, safe...I stood undecidedly until the two shadows pushed feelings of encouragement.

Mother...Father.

Having decided I willed myself to gather strength for another thrust.

A terrible scream broke through the calm.

The scream was inhumane. It was the sound of something large and powerful dying in what could only be absolute agony. The shadows instantly fled from me roaring to meet the unknown intruder.

"Wait!"

I inhaled again deeply desperate to make sense of the feelings of pain, fear, and anger pouring in all around me. Father's voice screamed in rage.

"Eggbreakers! Murderers! Filth!"

The world shook around me as father launched himself at an unseen enemy. Mothers cries filled the space as the clashing grew to a close, and something heavy hit the floor. A new scent hit me, blood.

A foreign jibbering noise filled the cavern,

"Mother"? I chirped

I was ignored as the clashing suddenly returned anew. Other chirps I had acknowledged as constant background grew louder as the fight continued. The scent of blood grew bolder and finally the silence returned. Even the chirps had ceased.

"Mother?" I chirped again uncertainly. I thrashed through the small crack and finally opened my eyes to the world around me for the first time.

As my eyes adjusted, the sight of a monster greeted me. Pale skin stretched over sharp angles, pointed ears and narrowed glimmering eyes. The figure hefted a heavy pole with a sharp steel point decorated with runes. I froze blinking at the view behind it.

Dead littered the ground. The body that could have only been the warm voice of my mother glinted back at me. The larger second body unrecognizable as my father, lied near the bodies of my smaller siblings.

I screamed

The spear went down.