When I awoke, I had no idea where I was, only that some days had passed and I was in the care of an old couple who found me washed ashore and took me in out of pity. I do not know what to make of it, honestly. I am not used to kindness from humans--or kindness at all, really. I was raised by the clawed hands of cruelty, never to be welcomed by love or kindness, or to see the good in anyone. Those who were weaker than me, I devoured, and those who were stronger, I served. I did not know any other way to live. I could have eaten the couple--gods know I was famished beyond what I was used to--but they had shown me more kindness in the few days I was amongst them than Sekhmet had ever shown me in the centuries I had served by his side.
Eventually, however, I could stomach their food no longer, and the constant wretching was a cause for concern. They took me to a...a hospital, and I knew if their physicians were given time to examine me it would cause more trouble than I was worth. While we waited, I feigned having to use the latrine, and made my escape.
The world beyond had me in a state of awe. Armed with only my instincts, I was assaulted by a veritable barrage of color, sound, and sight. Everywhere I could smell the emotions of those around me, hear their pulses, could feel this place alive with human activity. I walked amongst them, clad in their strange yet comfortable clothing, smelling of the sea and trying my best to look like them. I kept my mouth closed for the most part; one curl of my lip and my 'cover would be blown', as humans say. I learned later that the shore I had washed up on was called "Long Beach" and the human city I explored was called "Los Angeles".
Perhaps my destination was not so random after all.
