Chapter 77

• When I get up there, I find a flat enough spot and roll out one of my pelts. I snuggle into a dip between two parallel boughs and can properly lie down without anchoring myself to anything. I hang my backpack on a broken stump on the trunk and lie out on top of my makeshift bed, stretching and wriggling to see how comfy I can get, satisfied that this isn’t too bad as long as it doesn’t get windy or rain tonight. I don’t want to unroll pelts that could slide off if I roll in my sleep and draw attention to lurking wildlife. I won’t have a fire to keep some natural creatures at bay up here, so I have to make do with cold meat, a bumpy bed, and the rustling and swaying of the trees to lull me into slumber. Not that I think it’ll be an issue as, now I’m up here, my eyes are heavy and my brain cloudy with fatigue. It’s been a long day.
• I sit and watch the building through the foliage for a while, sitting at my safe distance, watching as the shadows lengthen and become part of the dark surroundings as the light fades fast. I’m already exhausted from my extended trekking, so settling down and drifting off is more manageable than usual. Not the usual spew of weighty things on my mind to keep me awake, and it feels like only seconds of blinking and drowsiness before I zone out.
• I wake with a start, jumping slightly and sitting up fast, banging my head on rough wood and silently yelping as I properly come to. I must have drifted into a deeper sleep quickly because it seemed only a second ago I could still see my hand in front of me, and now I’m in the pitch dark and can’t even make out what I’m sitting on. Disorientated at first until I remember where I was and how I got here, and my belly rumbles because I didn’t eat. I woke with fright for sure, and my heart is thundering through my chest as my nocturnal eyesight kicks in, frantically bringing the surrounding area into focus.