My sense of touch came back first. I could feel the world around me. The damp ground under me. The small rocks and sticks pressing into my back. The freezing cold air striking me across the face like a whip. My beating heart, pumping blood to the rest of my body. The tiny tremors in the earth from numerous things.

I could feel my eyelashes brushing against my face when the wind touched them. My hair stroking my shoulders and bundling up into a pile that acted as a pillow for my head. Every single hair on my head could be felt.

I could even feel the warm sun lighting up my face. My cold toes and fingertips. The small ring on my left hand. Each and every scratch or bruise that I had. I could feel It all. My skin felt alive.

My sense of taste came back next, returning in waves—the taste of dirt and sweat. The cool crisp air had a sweet, tangy flavor that reminded me of these little yellow citrus fruits that were very sour. I had tried them once before when I was really young. It came from a small wooden cart that was found in pieces in the forest.

I could taste the leftover food in my teeth—the traces of blood and even a little bit of the black fruit.

The tastes were overwhelming and reminded me to clean my teeth.

Next to come was my smell. Old pine and the scent of a forest exploded my nose. The smell of something rotting was almost masked by it.

My nose tingled tickled by the strong smells.

It was kinda strange to hear things after the silent world that I had been in. They bounced around my head. The voices of birds singing and other animals going along with their business. The sounds of the wind rippling through the land. The trees shaking, even leaves dropping onto the ground.

I could hear the sound of rushing water in the distance—a cart creaking along a dirt path bumping over the undergrowth of the forest. I could hear the footsteps of creatures.

My sight was the last thing to come back. It started as a blur of colors. As the blurs got brighter and I closed my eyes. My head was pounding, and I had a splitting headache. All the messages my senses were sending my brain were making everything hurt.

My body felt like it was burning and freezing. It was like someone was shoving red hot chill peppers down my throat and spreading it like paste across my tongue. I could feel blood seeping out of my ears, the sounds turning my brain into mush. My eyes were burning from the burning light that was seeping through my eyelids. The smells cascaded around me. It felt like I was suffocating on the aromas as they wafted past me in a haze.

I screamed, and my ears felt like they were falling off. I reached my hands over my ears and eyes, trying to block everything out. The pain faded a little bit, and my ears stopped bleeding. My breathing evened out a little bit, and heart-stopping slamming into my chest.

I stayed there for a long time, just curled up in a tiny ball, trying to get rid of everything. I was there the entire day. I could tell because as soon as night hit, my senses weren’t overflowed. The darkness allowed me to see without wanting to gouge out my eyes. It’s definitely wasn’t as loud because the animals that were causing so much noise were asleep. My skin didn’t feel like it wasn’t on fire anymore. It actually felt pleasant. I took my hands away from my face wincing a little bit. It still wasn’t pain-free, but it would have to do.

I stood up, taking in my surroundings. I was still in the middle of the field, but I knew where to go now. I ambled, the grain moving away from me to pass. After a few minutes, I stepped out of the field. I walked down away from the meadow, looking for the wolves.

I could smell their scent faintly. I followed it through the forest for a long time. My feet were aching, and my throat was dry. I almost passed out many times, but I pushed through and managed to stay conscious. The wolf’s scent was getting more robust, and I started moving faster. The rotting odor also got more powerful.

I staggered around, trying not to touch anything or make any noise because it just made me want to vomit and tear off my skin till I couldn’t feel anything.

A few seconds later, I saw a white fur. It shone brightly against the darkness and making my eyes sting. I ran forward, so happy that I finally found Luna. As I got closer, I slowly realized something was wrong.

I passed through the trees stopping dead in my tracks. You know how everyone has that moment in their life when everything changes. You see, no matter what will happen, you can never go back to how you lived before that moment. These moments will take you in a storm. Some are bad, others are good, but most of them are in the gray area. These moments will shape us to become who we are, even against our will.

Well, this was one of those moments.

Luna’s pelt lay limply on top of a pile of silver and gray furs. Her soft coat was stained with droplets of dried blood and dirt. Her hair didn’t gleam in the moonlight as it used; it seemed dull and limp.

The wolve’s pelts were in a too-small wooden cart that smelled of must and rotten eggs. I walked forward, carefully reaching out to touch the soft coat.

I could feel everything single hair on it. I could feel the direction in which every strand was going. It slipped in between my figures brushing against my palm. I grabbed the pelt, the hairs feeling like they were digging into my skin.

Bundling the many pelts in my arms, I collapsed into them, a small tear rolling down my cheek. I ripped the hides out of the box and started running into the woods. I was about to make it out of the clearing when something was forced onto my head.

The smell of rotten eggs was so strong in my nose my eyes starting watering. I clawed at my head, the thick fabric suffocating me slowly to death. It felt like I was breathing in sawdust.

I heard something strange then. Something between a growl and birds singing. It was the ugliest yet most beautiful sound I had ever heard.