"Come with me, where dreams are born and time is never planned."

Peter Pan

It's Delivery Day!

        I know this was the plan.

                     The time is overdue.

                               My own Prison Break!

But I didn't realise it was going to be so painful.

In theory, I knew that delivery was going to be a challenge with all the pushing and squeezing through a narrow canal. But somehow I thought it would be more painful for the mother than the baby.

I don't know how much pain she is in but this is a terrifying, painful, extraordinarily traumatic experience which looks like it might just end my life before it has even begun.

When the contractions began it wasn't particularly comfortable but not painful simple strong pushes down towards the exit. Only there isn't much of an exit there.

From that point onwards it ramped up.

The contractions started at 1 every ten minutes and only got stronger, longer and more often from there on.

It was at this point that I thought it might be better to sit this one out in my mind fortress.

I thought that,

right up until . . .

my clavicle fractured.

Yep, that's just how strong my mother is or rather how weak I am. I might technically have a Stat of 10 for my Strength and Endurance but it doesn't mean much in here. That or these are some ridiculously intense contractions.

On the other hand, it turns out that all that was needed for a Pain Resistance skill was a continual crushing force for a least an hour accompanied by the agonising pain shooting through my left shoulder.

Think my head is going to fracture next at this rate it is certainly being squeezed enough to reshape it. I have to push through or all that will come out will be my broken body.

I'm not exaggerating I can see my health points dipping with each injury I'm gaining as well as every minute of crushing force I am subjected to.

I started this with 160 health and I'm already down to 80 points. 1 point off for each minute and an extra 20 for the fractured clavicle. If a fractured skull is another 20 points then I only have another 60 minutes to get out and that's without any more injuries.

Also, that time is not taking into account the light-headedness I am getting from possibly being asphyxiated.

It is now or never.

Push.

Don't think normal babies can push.

But I'm spelunking my way out.

One wonders whether I really have to leave but I'm certainly not being allowed to stay in here alive.

The waves of contractions press down and forcibly force the top of my head down. I'm nearly there.

Crack!

Think that was my head fracturing.

I hope I'm nearly there. My secret status shows I'm down to 50 points. While my Tabula Rasa is now sitting at 0 health

Ding!

Suddenly I see,

Parental Override Allowed.

What?

All free points allocated to Vitality

Hang on a minute!

I've crowned.

I'm out.

Spluttering, spitting in relief, fear, anger, frustration and a whirlwind of emotions I manage to get rid of all the gunk in my mouth and scream.

Can't form any words, just a baby's wail. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

ALL MY FREE POINTS have been WHAT?

Allocated to vitality!

I dive into my status to check my Tabula Rasa.

Level: 1 Experience: (100/200)
Health: 90/200 Stamina: 9/100 Mana 100/100

Vitality: 20
Endurance: 10
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 10
Senses: 10
Mind: 10
Clarity: 10
Magic: 10

Free Points: 0

Combat experience: 200

Babies are born fighting for their lives here, I guess that counts as combat experience. I very nearly died and would have if my Tabula Rasa was my true Status. Could my mother somehow tell that I had hit 0 health on it? Is that why the system allowed a parental override?

What about my hidden status. I panic. Before diving down through the layers of my mind fortress my true status.

No!

I can't believe it!

Not only my 10 free points from above have been allocated . . . but . . . all of them including the ones I had tried to hide away.

Level: 8 Experience: 1210 / 51,200 Age: 0 hr 0 min
Health: 850/960 Stamina: 302/393 Mana 210/210

Vitality: 96
Endurance: 11
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 11
Senses: 26
Mind: 86
Clarity: 21
Magic: 21

Free Points: 0

Skills: Time sense (LV 11) Listening (LV 10) Meditation (LV 10) Sense Mana (LV 10) Swimming (LV 10) Eavesdrop (LV 10) Memorisation (LV 10) Echolocation (LV 10) Recall (Lv10) Composition (Lv 10) Mind fortress (Lv 10) Expel Mana (Lv 1) Absorb Mana (Lv 1) Mana Drain (Lv 1) Pain tolerance (Lv 1)

Skill experience: 200
Origin experience: 0
Combat experience: 200

I suppose I was close to running out of stamina as well as bottoming out my health. A little bit panicked at how close I came to death. If my mother hadn't been able to do that then I might not have made it.

. . .

I might not be here.

. . .

Looking around, I can see, I can breathe, I can move although only a little.

Ouch! That hasn't healed up then. Still in pain from the clavicle, head and general bruising all over.

Difficult not to wail when being handled. Think I'm doing a fantastic job of being a baby.

The air tastes so fantastic although cold. It feels surprisingly scary without the pressure all around me holding me, keeping me warm. I . . . miss . . . it?

Raising my senses might be a problem as the light is so bright and the sounds so loud. The air is almost biting my skin after the warm comfort of the womb.

But there’s so much to see!

I look around. I'm in the land of giants!

But I am so exhausted from my ordeal I can barely concentrate on what is happening around me. As I'm wrapped and passed from adult to adult. Happy to say that I seem to be human or at least my family is human.

That must be my mother, my father, a sister.

I'm back, curled up again, with my mother.

I'm out.

Wait!

Am I a boy . . . or . . . a girl?