CHAPTER THREE
Interlude

All had been calm, and not worrying until the urge began. The urge to strike, to hit. Hit at the other, the confining other, the hard, confining other. Turning, turning, until it felt right, and then hitting, hitting. Hit after hit, and then the universe changed.
Light, bright light, where there had been comforting dull light, or duller darkness. Light and… air. And still the urge to hit, hit… and another growing urge.
Soon, tho time had no meaning, soon the hole was big enough to make the other urge the priority… movement. Movement… out. Out, out, toward the blinding light and the smell of the water. Movement at first frustrated, and alternating with hitting, but then, finally, some limbs fought free, and then others and the, pieces of egg sticking ludicrously to the tail, movement, movement toward the water.
The first shock of the first wave. Tumbling over and over and them moving, a different movement with violent actions of the tail and then, darkness: cool darkness.
The urge toward movement continued even as another urge began; an urge, like the others, without a name. An urge that sent the eyes moving, and the nose tasting, tasting the water until, finally, a small creature came near and the mouth opened, the tail lashed, the mouth closed… pleasure. A totally new pleasure, and one that was desired to be repeated.