It's dark. Where am I? …What's happening? Why is it pitch black?
I try to feel and move around, and I kick a fleshy wall.
It feels warm and wet all around me, and the fleshy walls seem to be pulsating gently. It's cramped in here, and I can barely move. Could this be a womb?
How... am I in here? Did I die?
The pressure around me is increasing, and I can sense a shift in my surroundings. It's getting tighter, and I'm being pushed forward. I feel a mixture of fear and confusion, but I can't help but go with the flow. The taste is difficult to describe: a mixture of salty and metallic, unlike anything I've experienced before.
Suddenly, the pressure becomes almost unbearable, and I'm forced out into an entirely new environment. I gasp for air, and my lungs fill with it for the first time. It's cold, and I'm wet and slippery. I hear voices around me, and I feel hands touching me gently, wiping me clean. I'm too disoriented to understand what's happening, but at least I'm no longer trapped in that suffocating darkness.
I try to open my eyes, but I can't. I strain my ears to listen to the voices around me. There are four of them, three women and one man. They speak in a language I don't understand, their voices filled with excitement and tenderness. Each word seems fluid and melodic, but I can't decipher their meaning.
I try to focus on the dialogue, even though I don't understand the language. One of the women speaks first:
"...á súil agam leis!"
The man replies, his voice deep and warm:
"...álainn, ar ndóigh."
The second woman chimes in, her voice soft and caring:
"...slán sábháilte..."
Finally, the third woman adds, her tone filled with joy:
"...a Lilly!"
Their voices blend together in a harmony that's difficult to describe, creating a soothing atmosphere despite my disorientation.
As I lay there, still unable to open my eyes, I feel a soft fabric being wrapped around me. It's warm and comforting, and it seems to calm me down a bit. I'm then carefully lifted into a gentle embrace, and I can feel a steady heartbeat against my body. The motion is soothing, and I can't help but feel a sense of security, despite the overwhelming confusion I'm experiencing.
I continue to listen to the voices around me, trying to make sense of my situation. The woman holding me speaks softly:
"...mo chroí, tá tú anseo linn anois."
As she gently rocks me back and forth, the man's voice joins in:
"...sí ár n-iníon, agus is cuid dár teaghlach í."
The other women murmur in agreement, their voices like a soothing lullaby. Slowly, exhaustion starts to creep in, and I find myself drifting off to sleep, still cradled in the warm embrace.