When he saw the world, the duckling wanted to crawl back into his shell. There were bright lights shining in his face. There were noises like he’d never heard before. Plus, he was cold, so cold. The duckling started crying. “What’s wrong, my little baby? “ a voice asked.

The duckling wiped the tears from his eyes with his wing. He focused his new eyes and saw a big, beautiful duck smiling down at him. “I’m...I’m...sad and scared! It was dark, warm, and quiet in my shell. Now it’s bright, cold, and __________ out here. I want to go back into my old home!” the duckling said, and he began to cry again.

Which word best fills in the blank to complete the duckling’s thought?