Starglow Basin sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations

Through half-lidded eyes, he'd seen the blur of greens and sandy hues, felt the wind through his fur as if he was flying, and being taken to some better place.

But he wasn't. He was still here. Wherever here was. 

Though his body clung stubbornly to life, his mind was quiet. It was slipping, ebbing away into the cold, painless embrace of oblivion. 

And then a claw would prod him awake. Back to Earth. Back to the body that ached and stung and burned. He let out a whine as the sensations of his reality washed back over him. His ears only barely registering the question—refreshingly, one he could understand, at least. Despite this, there was no room for rational thought, only the very same frantic fear that had motivated him to run in the first place. He tried hastily stand, to run again—though his leg would fail him far quicker this time. The boy would merely slump back to the dirt with a soft yelp. The most he could summon from his throat was a defeated expression of all that had happened.

nn..h..urts..