I awoke, but all I saw was darkness. I felt around with my hooves, yet they could barely move, like something was pushing against them, though I think ‘felt’ isn’t the best word to describe it. I ‘felt’ nothing. No temperature, no bed beneath me, not even my own skin. In a moment of panic, I began to thrash about, getting very claustrophobic. I flailed my hooves as far as they could go, and soon began to notice that I was breaking through whatever I was trapped in. With one final push, one hoof broke free, jolting up into the open space, and a wave of relief washed over me.
I began to uncover more and more of myself, and, eventually, pushed my upper body upright. A dim, blue light became visible, and I could now see the clumps of dirt falling away from my form. I shook off what remained and looked around to get my bearings. It was the middle of the night, Luna’s full moon shining brightly against the speckled night sky. I was lying in an open field, mildly spotted with trees, with stones rising up from the ground in an organized fashion. They were all identical, rectangular slabs stood upright with rounded tops. Beyond them, I could see a single, small building sitting by itself upon a hill, a lantern burning by the door.
I stood up on all four of my hooves, and promptly fell flat on my face. I prodded the ground with my front legs, trying to get a footing, before I got a glance at what kind of condition they were in. Where there should have been a lush coat there was only exposed meat, and, in some places, bone. I jumped back in shock, as if I expected the diseased flesh to lash out and bite me, and landed on my back. Looking down over the rest of my body, I saw the true extent of the damage; I was frig