Stone Circle I love you, you idiot

darkness had been all that he had known. the comfort and warmth of it had granted him peace while he had developed and grown into the tiny shape that he was. it was only the beginning, though. to start small and in the darkness was the beginning for most all living things. for young louie, it would be said that this was where he had always belonged – in the sweet embrace of shadow. even as he was released from his mother’s womb and into the shimmering world, he knew only the inky blindness of his unopened eyes.
 
charles squalled and mewed. riley cried out before finding his place to suckle. the dark shape of louie did not seem to make a sound. his weak limbs quivered from the effort that it took to wiggle closer to the warmth of his mother’s stomach. his quietness was eerie, but he did not seem as though he had been harmed in the early birthing. he was thin and frail, but he was still very much alive.
 
seeking out his mother’s milk, the boy instinctively latched onto her and began to drink his fill. even in eating, louie was quiet. when he had finished – his belly round and extended – he sought the warmth of her pelt. weakly, the child inched forward and found a nook where he tucked himself against the body heat of laurel and drifted into a deep sleep.