this old world has brought me pain
               but there's hope for me again

I wander along the coastline, chewing thoughtfully on the peppermint provided to me by the Caretaker. The sharp taste floods my mouth, providing a distraction from the fear lingering despite the herbs I consumed a short while ago. Though I never would have been able to leave the Halcyon Flats without the calming, strengthening effects of the plants that Agnodice provided me, they do not completely remove my trepidation. Now that I am more in control of myself, I recognize that I am the only one who can overcome the paralysis that has held me in its grasp since I fell through the Rift. No one else, nor any drugs, can do that for me. Perhaps a shred of anxiety is healthy; how would one ever recognize the ups of life without the downs?

I am, overall, in a much better state of mind, and I take the time to gaze at my surroundings as I move in a general westward direction. The ocean lies to my left, lapping gently at the shoreline now that I have made my way beyond the flats. Its sound is soothing, and I find myself enthralled with the gulls and pelicans hunting offshore. A pod of dolphins leaps from the waves, almost too far out to see, and I stop for a moment to take in their grace and beauty. How free they look, flinging their bodies to the skies for no reason other than to fly, if only for a moment! How effortless it appears as they dance through the waves!

A gentle breeze caresses my hide, plucking at the long, salt-encrusted strands of hair that dangle from my neck. As the dolphins disappear into the distant horizon, I again begin my trek away from the rising sun. It cleared the horizon not so very long ago, and the light from behind me casts my shadow forward, reaching, stretching, searching (much more bravely than I, I might add). To my right, there is only sand; in the distance, I see a tinge of green, though I do not know if this is grassland or forest. I am not ready to leave the consistency of the ocean, so I do not turn. Eventually, I notice rocky outcroppings in the distance, growing steadily larger as I approach. I wonder if I ought to turn away, to make my way towards the greenery that ensures life for me; and yet still I walk forward, curious in spite of myself, braver from the herbs.

Before long, I come upon the entrance to a cave that descends into the earth. I pause at its mouth, peering into the darkness. Through the easy calm that flows through my veins, I begin to tense; I wring my tail, shifting my weight from side to side, cautiously flicking my ears back and forth. A small part of me realizes that I am ready to bolt away from the hole, to run until I collapse; but I find myself anchored firmly in place, carefully surveying my surroundings.

Persephone