‘…Woah, I thought I was a goner there. I can’t believe I thought I could predict my own death, that’s so embarrassing.’ Jared mentally cringed at the thought as he slowly regained consciousness. ‘Where am I? And why can’t I open my eyes?’ As Jared slowly regained feeling in his body, he was stunned by the revelation that he was submerged in a viscous liquid of sorts that was constantly pressing down on his eyelids and his other orifices. In a wave of panic, he tried to flail his limbs about, but it felt like swimming in a pool of tar with 5kg weights on each limb. After several failed attempts, he managed to stretch a leg out, but before he could celebrate his success, his foots’ path was obstructed by a thick yet elastic barrier. ‘Damn, and here I thought I found my road to freedom… hold on, why does my leg feel shorter than usual? And how come I haven’t had to breathe throughout this entire monologue?’ Jared was interrupted from his musings as he became increasingly aware of a steadily thumping vibration that traveled through his new frame, followed closely by a smaller one which originated from within him, that he perceived to be his own heartbeat. ‘…’ Jared’s mind froze out of shock, which quickly morphed into a feeling of dejection. ‘So, I really did pass away, huh? Guess I’ll never get to see aunty or uncle ever again. I wish I could’ve seen my little brother or sister at least once before I died but given my current situation, I guess the separation would’ve been even worse. Who would’ve guessed that rebirth would be the answer to life’s greatest question? No idea why my memories are intact, but I wouldn’t want to lose them anyway, all things considered, so best to not look a gift horse in the mouth. Hopefully, I can make some nice ones with my new family and live a healthy life. All I can do now is wait.’ As Jared mentally picked himself up, he felt the familiar sensation of him losing the last grip on his consciousness, as he waited for his reintroduction into the world.

Jared would spend most of his time in the womb drifting in and out of sleep, sometimes dreaming about the nostalgic memories he had of his original parents, as well as the positive more recent ones that he had made with his adoptive parents. On occasion, he would have nightmares about the beginning of his hospitalisation, and the time before he met his aunt Alicia, where unbeknownst to him he would instinctively try to flail his limbs and kick out restlessly. Sometimes, however, Jared would be subject to a total loss of consciousness, as if to conserve his mental energy. On one of these occasions, Jared was awoken from his stupor by the vigorous thrumming of his mother’s heartbeat reverberating through his body, followed by the increasing intensity of his own as if in response. As he began to register his tactile senses, he noticed that the amniotic fluid surrounding him had been shifting with a rhythmic pulse, rotating his body upside-down almost imperceptibly with each contraction. ‘It looks like my new mother’s labour has started. Hopefully, it won’t go on for hours like they normally do, because this isn’t a comfortable sensation.’

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Jared was saved from the painful wait by his infantile brain putting him to sleep until he was forced awake in a fit of panic by the feeling of his skull being squeezed by a foreign pressure. He instinctively tried to flail his arms, but after finding a similar resistance he remembered the circumstances he was in and quickly calmed himself down to let nature take its course. Jared tried hard to mentally distance himself from all the tactile sensations he was experiencing, considering where he was at the time. It wasn’t until his naked torso was greeted by a sudden chill that his mind was brought back to the forefront of his current situation, and he let out a sharp cry of discomfort due to the drastic change in temperature. That cry was followed by a sharp intake of breath as his lungs began to acclimatise to their independent functioning, with the chill of the fresh air causing the cry to rise a few decibels, in no way helped by the searing light trying to sneak through his eyelids or the cacophony of sounds assaulting his ears. Overwhelmed by the situation, Jared let everything out. He screamed for his lost adolescence, wailed for his lost parents, and sobbed for the future he lost as part of Alicia’s family. He cried through large, firm hands gently lifting him up and diligently wiping his body off with a warm, moist cloth. That cry calmed down to a whimper as he felt his body being wrapped gently into a soft towel and delicately cradled in a warm embrace. Finally, the whimpers were replaced by soft, regular breaths, as Jared accepted the respite that sleep offered him.