I am born into darkness. Heavy walls of decay press in on me from all sides. The air is thick with the hot stench of decomposition. It warms my body, but hinders my breathing. I must find a way out.

Instinctively, I struggle upwards, burrowing inch by inch through my rotting tomb. But I am not alone. The walls are crawling with tiny creatures. They scuttle over my body and wriggle between my toes. Driven by insatiable hunger, I feel for the insects in the dark and swallow them whole. Slowly, I grow stronger.

With each passing hour, I am closer to the surface. My muscles are taut and toned from my constant fight. All my senses are finely tuned. I have battled to live from the very moment I was born, when I tore through my containment with teeth on the outside of my mouth.

And now, a single shard of light pierces the gloom. I surge onwards, kicking aside the darkness that has tried to hold me back. The blanket of rotting leaves falls away. The light envelops me, and I am free.

My life has just begun.