The child opened its eyes. 

The Dark filled every corner of the abandoned nursery. The child bit into It, warding off the wave of dizziness that came whenever it slept for longer than two days. Once its energy had returned, the child propelled itself from the cradle and landed on smooth, cold stone, the carpet long since eaten through by the Dark. Weak ankles collapsed under its weight, and scarred knees scraped against the floor. The child crawled towards a wall. 

The wallpaper was soft, the dust of three years disturbed only by the child's occasional walking practice. The child dug its fingernails into the crowning and pulled itself up. The Dark pulsed through its body. As its blood pumped new strength into its legs, the child took its last lap along the edges of the nursery.  

The doorknob, finally, was within reach.