I gradually awoke, the dull ache in my back and legs rousing me from my slumber as I stretched, releasing a beast-like yawn and noticing that my entire body felt... weird.

Not just my body, but my thoughts were jumbled.

It was similar to the sensation when you are dreaming, and you know it but can't control anything. The world around you and your senses don't feel quite right, but at the same time, you can't pinpoint what is wrong.

I shifted, and although it wasn't the sole cause of my discomfort, the way I was leaning against the tree had not helped and left my muscles stiff, which I attributed to being the cause of me being awake.

Yawning again, I slowly opened my eyes and noticed the clearing was bathed in the bright, golden rays of sunlight that fell through the gap caused by the clearing in the tree canopy.

Most of the creatures I had seen the day before, for I must have slept through the night, were sprawled on the ground in small clusters as they slept or rested.

It seemed like they had got used to me as none of them, even the few wolves that plodded along at the edges, seemingly on guard, paid me any attention.

I shook my head in a vain attempt to clear my mind of the strange fogginess as I smacked my lips and scraped my tongue against my teeth, trying to work some feeling into my numb and unresponsive mouth.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Finding that it didn't help, I frowned as I realised my vision was also not as is should be, which reminded me of the issues the light had caused me yesterday.

Yes, the bright light no longer hurt my eyes, but that wasn't what was strange or confusing as I doubt, having lived my whole life being able to see fine in daylight, my brain would have noticed while I was in this state of mind.

The view directly ahead of me was okay, not great but good enough, but it felt as if I couldn't see as far to the sides in my peripheral as normal. It was like I was wearing blinkers.

I raised my right hand, remembering that my left held the water snake, and felt the side of my face.

Nothing was obstructing my vision or felt abnormal.

-"Maybe I am dreaming, but then again, everything feels so real. I mean who dreams about being tired?"

Stifling another yawn, I was too tired to care and decided that as I had not been attacked, mauled or even poked, I hoped, that an extra five minutes would be okay.

That or I was in fact dreaming, and it didn't matter.

A tired mind is a sloppy mind after all, and although I needed to make the most out of the limited adaptation time, at the moment, I felt heavier than a steel battleship that had taken on water and capsized.

Letting out a deep breath, I had the feeling that I was missing something, but I soon dismissed it as I straightened my legs, causing my back to slide down the trunk of the tree until I was laying flat on the ground.

As my breathing became lighter, I tensed and relaxed my muscles, which was something of a new habit I had picked up before closing my eyes.

For the second time in my life, if you exclude passing out, I was falling asleep within moments.