A Whole New World

The human-like creature lay on a cold hard ground lost in sleep. It continued to dread and face fear even in its dreams from the new change that it is currently facing. The creature had sentience, but no knowledge of his new environment or that surrounded him. He only knew of the darkness.

This creature wishes not to be alone, and he is not, but that might have been a better life of solitude than constant future constants. He will soon learn how to use and operate his new body as his spirit adapts to the new frame, and the soul becomes one anew.

The creature started to stir as it moved into an upright slouching position in deep thought. It did not know it yet, but the creature was on a flat rock surrounded by forest in a sea of trees. The morning suns rose into the sky, burning away the fog that blanked to the forest floor. A new world for the creature to explore, and a new danger awaits.

As its mind began to stir, he thought to himself, that all of this is a living nightmare. I need to get some things straight. First, who am I in all of this? Ok, I didn't forget my name and many things that have happened in my life, but could those have been planted, and I am some sort of bioweapon? No, better not go off on those thoughts I don't want to lose my sanity. Should I give my self a new name like in a hero story for my new person? No, I need to be grounded in who I was and who I am now; a new nickname will come with time. My parents named me Mark Lee Tompkins, and it's better to look forward not to bring any shame to the family name. Well, maybe I am free from a strick family ties, should I feel released from those social pressures? I guess not, right? I mean, I need pressure as motivation, right?

What am I thinking! Do I need to thinking? I need to figure out how to use this new body and get out of this darkness. I wonder if I see through sound or heat sources. I mean, I am not in the ground, and I think I am starting to smell things. How do I do that? I don't have a nose. Do I have any anti of feelers? Maybe if I feel around my body, I will get a better idea about what I am.

After moving my hands around my armored body, I became even more complexed. I felt as if my body was made of polished marble and not from the carapace of an insect, but only my smooth face thought like that of a scorpion's thick hide. I have no claws, but it seems that I have some sort of crease on my hands. It couldn't be that they open like a mouth, right? That would not be realistic for an organism this big to get its food. Would it not? I think about opening them. If I really can, then they are and not just some creases. I think I can feel something changing happening in my palms. No, that can't be it, right. The next thing I know, I can feel my tong again for the first time and a fresh sensation of morning air coming in as I try to breathe from it. How can such things be evolutionary functional? As I was thinking this over, the crease of the left hand now is opening, and I feel the darkness leaving me as bright light is surrounding me.

I CAN SEE! Wait, why does an organ for sight and eating on the hands? What sort of weird monster am I? I can only see setbacks coming form this poorly thought out design. Right, now I can raise my hand and see what I look to be. Seeing the forest canopy is nice, but I need to know myself first then understand where I am and secure niceties.

Facing my left open palm at what I believe to be my chest, I see that it does indeed look like my body is some sort of polished black armor, but I can think about that latter. I continue to pan my hand up with hesitation at what is to be my faceless head. I see what looks like a head you would see on a figure model for drawing poses. Great, just great! No, I have joined the bold team for life. Well, now I don't have to worry about my hair falling out anymore. Do you have any sensory organs or horns? I mean, I can feel the warmth from my body, and now I can feel the heat from the sun, I think. It would be nice if I can understand myself more. No, I look like a figurine. Does this also mean I will forever be a virgin again? I can lament about some other time. I need to focus on.

I need to take in my surroundings now to find out what is around here. Although my arm might get sore, it would be best to keep it open in front of my face not to get dizzy and lose my already miserable sense of balance. Should see if I have supper strength or jumping? It might be best just to climb a tree as my mind might have a natural limiter from my time as a human anyway. It pays to be called a monkey and loves to climb trees. Uh, wait, how am I going to do that properly with my eye in my hand. I guess blind it is. I don't like darkness. Just get going and get it done. This is what I need to do. Remember, I can keep myself with busywork.

This is not comforting or comfortable. How am I to climb this? What was I thinking? I am clinging to the tree as I shift myself up as if I am an inchworm. It's tiring. Strangely I don't feel much physical fatigue as I do mentally. I have been bumping into branches constantly, and it has been fifteen minutes now. I should be high enough to get to see my surroundings, at least.

I steady myself on a branch and look out at around me with my left arm. It is surreal. I still see only a grand forest. I wonder why I haven't seen any other creatures except plants. I can't possibly be the only intelligent or animal life. I mean, these plants look so much like redwood pine trees. The seeds back home were mainly spread by animals and fires. What am I going to do? Do I roll in my sleep? Should I build a lean-to at least or create something from the branches, make some kind of makeshift ledge or nest and stay safe of the ground. That might be for the best. If the animal life is anything like my own form, then I can only guess what I will witness. For all I know, all of the animal life in this place could be nocturnal, and some big predator could come and eat me. Wait, do I need to fear this armor-like body? But if I am not an apex predator, then I could easily be something else's meal.

I need to focus on my shelter for the night. At least up here, there is an abundant source of food from pine nuts. I guess I will figure out how this body processes food or even if I can eat it. Guess staying up here will be for the best. I don't want to fall and shatter like a vase, but at least there is a lot of brush down below.

It took me at least three hours to weave branches together to make a ground sturdy enough to hold my weight on the midsection section branches. Looking at it now, I think a rat nest would be a better discipline for my shoddy craftsmanship. As I lay down and give my wait away, the branches give way a little and bend. I am happy that it can now properly hold my wait. It might be a while, but I will need to think of what to do next. Becoming a little too relaxed, I stretched out my limbs until my arms extended over the side and opened up my eye, looking straight down. I instantly felt my lower intestines electrify and become weighted down. I don't need this. Is this what I cat in a tree feels like? I don't remember ever having a fear of heights. Could it just be my fried nerves or this new body? I don't know.

I can't just lay here paralyzed and do nothing. Although my hunger hasn't set in yet, I need to make a basket and collect some of the pine nut tree seeds. I remember eating the pine needles and that they are full of vitamin C, but is that still true here? No time to complain, but to survive. I may be some sort of reached existence now, but I need to treasure the desire to carry on.

After collecting the nuts and some pine needles, I decided it was time to experiment with what I had. The smooth outer shell of the nuts is easily crushed between my thumb and index finger. The soft white flesh seemed to be the same as those that I know of. I have got to say it is distracting to hold it in front of my eye and blocking my view. I keep my left hand over my right, and it feels serial seeing the nut is being dropped into an open mouth. I don't know to be happy that it resembles a human mouth is a good thing or not. I can investigate it better in the morning after I sleep.

The hard nut had a little bit of a buttery taste and was easy to swallow. Swallowing was not that pleasant from the sensation of an object slowly moving from my palm through my arm and or throat. I only notice this new weird sensation for about five minutes before it was not that strange, more or less getting used to it. The next part was to try the pine needles. Firstly, they tasted a lot like they smelled but had a strong acidic taste with a bit of grassiness aftertaste. It is fibrous, making it tough to chew, and swallowing it scratched my throat or my inner arm—such a strange and annoying feeling. I guess I will have to tough it out for now.

Better get some rest now. I sang a song to myself with my eye closed to have some comforting feels before having to be in the dark once again.