There was little grace in solitude. Alone, her anxieties manifested into tangible beings, full of teeth and shadows and fear. Wobbling, she limped along, looking for her friends. They'd wandered off days ago and now she couldn't find them. So, when the panic of being abandoned outweighed the trepidation of the unknown, she set off in the direction they took, wary for what lay ahead.

The journey seemed endless to the freshly hatched creature and by the time she reached a break in the tunnel her legs throbbed painfully. Sticking her nose into the room, she sniffed the air. A heady, earthen sent filled her lungs. Intoxicated, she stepped into the wide, gaping space. Wanting to feel the comfort of greenery, she cast her first, delicate spell.

The room alighted with faint, shimmering green. Tillie blinked, mystified, her apprehension quelled by the beauty of the gentle glow.

the calm after a rain... that was the aroma of this place.

this whole dimension she had aimlessly
wandered upon intrigued her very soul.
everything was exotic, and almost looked untouched.
so many rich hues of greens flushed her inquisitive caramel pools.
earthy incense made her senses feel alive, and she wondered why this was?
moistened little sniffer rose and fell as her nostrils did their job well.
moving slowly, not out of caution but kind of in a "smelling the roses" type of pace
the little lioness made her way through the thick underbrush of the path ahead.
some of the greenery completely consumed her to the point that she was camouflaged.


the floor below her was moist and sticky.


bits of moss clung to her legs as they tried to hitch a ride elsewhere.
moss life draped above her and occasionally;
they fell atop her head as her swiveling ears caught hold.
after walking in silence for what seemed like an ion
she cleared into a small landing that held a bubbling stream.
a smile that had been surely residing on her face the whole time grew even larger.
the water from the stream seemed to be cooing to her,
taking obnoxiously large and happy steps she reached the embankment.
letting her backside slide unto a cool flat rock, that was just the perfect size for her.


for the first time she saw her reflection, and what a reflection it was!

it was like looking into the mirror for the first time ever.
she couldn't help but notice the small beam of light that was reflecting from her chest.
her own unique gem stone glistened from the waters surface.
filled with happiness, her body began to vibrate ever so slightly
as a natural feline habit was expressed.
a blissful purr rumbled in her chest cavity.

she let her forefront mimic the backside
that had slid down on the flat surface of the rock.
all was good, even the greenery was... wait glowing?
blinking a few good times to make sure
she wasn't crazy, only to find out she wasn't!

a curious voice spoke up from her voice box
"hello?" trying to be loud enough for hopefully someone would hear her.


the green glow grew brighter as the seconds passed.
it was beautiful, just as most things anux didn't understand were.


@TILLIE