I felt warm-like I was lying outside on a hot, sunny day.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the last thing I ever expected.
I was sitting in the middle of a wide green field, surrounded by swaying grass. My body felt heavy and groggy, like I'd just woken up from a deep, dreamless sleep.
I froze.
Panic bloomed in my chest.
Where was I? Had I been kidnapped and dumped out here? What the hell was going on?!
Then I noticed something strange about my vision, it was… off. Like my eyes were angled differently, as if I were seeing the world through a slightly tilted lens.
I looked around and saw only walls of tall grass. Then I tilted my head up and paused.
Why… why did I have to look up at the grass?
Sure, it was pretty tall, with seeds budding at the top, but taller than me? Even sitting down, that didn't make sense. Grass shouldn't be five feet tall.
Then I looked down and horror came over me.
What I saw wasn't my body.
In place of arms, I had clawed limbs covered in dull blue and black scales. And a long tail curled beside me in the grass.
I had become… some kind of lizard creature, now it made sense why my vision was different.
But that was the last thing on my mind...
"I must be dreaming!" I thought.
Then I had an idea, "Maybe if I hit myself, I'd wake up."
I wound up, and tried to punch myself, but instead of waking up from a dream, I ended up falling flat on my back because I wasn't used to my new center of gravity.
I stared up at the sky, dazed, "Okay. Maybe this was real."
But then I wondered, how on earth could any of this even be possible?
I sighed, I didn't even know exactly what I was.
I tried to remember the last thing I'd been doing before waking up here, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall any details.
My eyes widened as I realized something else.
Not only did I not know what happened to me… I couldn't even remember anything about myself.
Obviously, I knew I was human-or at least I had been, and male at that. I also remembered general things like, how houses looked, how society worked, history, culture, technology…basically, everything that comes with normal life.
But I mostly couldn't remember anything personal about myself. No name. No face. I had a few memories of things I think I did. But the rest was just blank where my life should have been.
My chest began to tighten and my mind raced.
And then, to my dismay… I remembered something else.
A show I loved was airing its final episode next week. And now I was going to miss it!
I groaned. "This just keeps getting worse."
But my spiraling thoughts were cut off as I was hit with extreme thirst.
A deep, clawing dryness crawled up my throat, like I hadn't had water in days.
Survival mode kicked in, I needed to find some water quick.
I pushed myself to my feet, wobbling slightly as I adjusted to my new limbs. My balance was awkward, but I managed to stand tall enough to see just over the grass.
I spotted a hill in the distance, with trees peeking up from behind it. I thought, "the trees must be a sign of water."
I started walking, legs shaky beneath me.
Once I was on the hill, I realized the trees weren't just a small cluster, they were part of a sprawling forest.
As I stepped into the shade of the trees. I heard birds chirping gently overhead, and for a brief moment, things almost felt peaceful.
But inside, my thoughts were still a whirlwind.
My head was still rushing with questions of just what was happening, I felt confused, helpless and a bit scared.
But right now, none of that mattered as much as finding water.
I moved deeper into the forest, scanning the underbrush, and then, faintly I heard it.
The soft, trickling sound of running water.
I perked up and followed the sound, quickening my pace. Soon I was running, switching between two legs and four depending on the terrain.
It felt strange, but natural. On four legs, I could move faster, like my body remembered how to run this way even if I didn't. My front limbs could still function like arms, but they also are clearly not as useful as the hands that I had before.
After a short sprint, I broke through a patch of trees and found it.
To my joy, I was greeted with a clear, winding stream that cut through the forest floor, glinting in the light.
I rushed to the edge and tried to cup my claws to scoop some water... only for it to slip right through the gaps in my fingers.
I sighed and dropped down, lowering my mouth directly to the stream.
It felt like the most refreshing water I had ever drunk, it was cool, crisp, and slightly more earthy than I expected.
And despite everything, I just felt happy to have something to drink.
As I drank, I caught a glimpse of something in the rippling surface.
It was my reflection.
I blinked as the water settled.
"Hey… I kinda look like a dragon," I thought.
Sharp angles, a snout lined with fangs. Blue-black scales shimmered faintly under the sunlight.
I opened my mouth, revealing rows of teeth that looked way too lethal for comfort.
I winced seeing myself, and wondered, "am I actually a dragon?!"
But then I was distracted again.
Hunger crept in slowly, like my stomach had only just remembered it was empty.
I looked around. I was surrounded by a variety of plants and mushrooms, but I was a bit scared to try anything.
I'd heard horror stories about poisonous mushrooms, and I had no idea what was safe in this world. But I remembered that spotted mushrooms were the most dangerous.
So, I searched carefully and found a few plain-looking mushrooms growing in the shade.
"I guess dying mistakenly from poison is still better than starving," I thought, only half-joking.
I took a bite, and to my surprise it didn't taste too bad.
It was spongy and a bit flavorless, but not bitter. And more importantly, I didn't feel my throat closing or my vision going blurry.
"Alright, I guess it's safe." I thought feeling relieved.
I was just about to take another bite...
But then I heard a low growl out in front of me.
My body froze, and my heart sank.
I slowly looked up and was met with a large wolf standing twenty feet away.
A shiver ran down my back. The creature stood nearly three feet tall at the shoulder. Its eyes locked on me and its teeth looked like they were way too large, even for a wolf.
It looked more like a hybrid between a wolf and a saber-toothed tiger, and it had strange dark markings running along its sides like cracks in stone.
It stared at me, muscles coiled, it had a vicious look on its face, and at first, I couldn't tell if it looked mad or hungry.
But when I saw some drool fall from its mouth my worst fear was confirmed.
"I was just looking for something to eat for crying out loud, I wasn't looking to be eaten!"
I didn't know exactly what this thing was, But I knew that one bite from him and my time in this new world would almost certainly all be over.
I was only about two feet tall standing on my hind legs. There was no way I could win a fight like this, not directly at least.
I had to run.
When the wolf took a step forward.
I immediately turned and ran with all my might.
I didn't have any idea what was going on today, but I still didn't want to die!
I ran through the trees as fast as my limbs would carry me, switching between two legs and all fours depending on the terrain.
My feet were on fire as they pounded on the dirt. I didn't look back until-
I heard it let out a loud roar, which motivated me even more to get away.
But I glanced over my shoulder, fear filled me as I saw the wolf was gaining.
Its claws tore through the forest floor, and its eyes remained locked in on me with laser focus.
I pushed harder, weaving through trees, darting over roots, until the trees thinned and the field from earlier came into view.
I broke through the last of the brush and leapt into the open grass.
The wolf followed.
Now in the sunlight, the creature looked even more menacing. Its eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
I wasn't going to outrun it, and it knew it.
This was it. I was going to die… right here in the same field I woke up.
But then unexpectedly, I felt a spark lite inside me.
"No! I'm not going to die here today."
I skidded to a stop and turned around, claws digging into the dirt.
Now that I looked at them clearly in the light, I realized just how sharp my claws really were. I opened my mouth slightly, feeling the rows of jagged fangs.
And now I was also certain, this new body... it was that of a dragon.
Sure, a small and young one no doubt, but by instinct or something else I just knew it was true.
Normally in this situation I would be utterly hopeless, but right now, I knew I had a shot at winning If I was smart.
I felt my determination grow, for the first time, I was ready to put my life on the line in order to save it.
I knew that before the wolf made its move, I had to make mine if I wanted to have a chance at winning.
I dropped to all fours and ducked beneath the tall grass.
Even if the wolf could still track me, it would be harder for it to pinpoint exactly where I was.
It growled out of anger or annoyance at my trick and leaped toward me.
I dashed to the right. Avoiding its mouth by just an inch and then I retaliated by jabbing my claw into its side as hard as I could.
I felt it pierce flesh and drew back quickly, blood splattering across the grass.
But I could tell it wasn't deep enough to do real damage
The wolf roared, more furious than injured, and lunged again.
This time, I wasn't fast enough.
Its teeth clamped down on my arm.
Pain spread out through my entire body.
It was crushing, white-hot agony that seemed to light every nerve in my body on fire.
My body felt like it wanted to give up and die.
But with a lot of effort, I gritted my teeth and raised my free claw and stabbed by the base of its neck.
It wasn't deep, but it was enough to make the beast flinch and shake me loose.
I tumbled backward, blood trailing from my arm, and scrambled to my feet.
The wolf and I locked eyes, both of us were wounded, but I was in much worse shape.
I knew one more bite might be the end of me.
Somehow, I had to deliver the final blow first.
Then I saw a stone just about as big as my hand beside me; an idea sparked in my head.
I picked it up and began to run away again from the wolf.
As I ducked below the grass again, it let out another terrifying roar and began to pursue me.
It could only see where I was, based on where the grass became flattened by my steps, this is where my plan took action.
After a bit of running, I threw the stone slightly to my left; I was trying to make the trajectory look like I had made a left turn in the grass.
Then, I dove flat against the ground, and the wolf leapt right over me.
It landed with a heavy thud, pouncing on the spot where the stone had crashed into the grass. It was confused.
And I took my opportunity.
I sprang forward with all my remaining strength, claws extended.
The wolf slowly turned its head, or it would be more accurate to say it seemed like time slowed down, just as I slammed into its side.
My claws drove deep into its flesh. One punctured its lung. The other struck somewhere vital.
The wolf was in shock because of my attack and its eyes widened.
It was dying.
It snapped at me weakly, but I stayed just out of reach, backing away.
It staggered... and then collapsed.
I stood there panting; hardly believing that I had managed to win against such a monster.
I let out a shaky, sigh of relief.
Then I felt the sharp feeling of hunger return, and an unexpected thought occurred to me.
Maybe I could eat the wolf? I mean, it probably wasn't poisonous.
But my thoughts were interrupted, my body began to feel strange, I was a bit worried at first, but then I realized it felt like I had gotten a bit stronger maybe even a few inches taller, then the feeling went away.
I wondered, "was killing, the way to get stronger in this world?"
But I didn't know, these thoughts were beyond me right now, my hunger was too distracting.
Eating the monster still sounded crazy… but my hunger was getting the better of me.
So, after a bit of struggling, I managed to drag the wolf's body back to the woods—right near the stream.
Now that I knew I was a dragon… a thought struck me.
Could I breathe fire?
Fire was a huge deal in a situation like this-that is in the desperate survival situation, not the being trapped in a new body situation-if I could pull it off, it would be amazing.
I would be able to cook, keep warm and see things in the dark. Fire was basically a survival cheat code.
And I was actually a bit excited to try.
I gathered some dry twigs and leaves into a small pile and stepped back. I took a deep breath.
I wasn't even sure how to start.
But the moment I opened my mouth and tried to exhale with focus, a stream of heat burst out.
It wasn't much, but it was definitely fire.
The twigs quickly lit up, and I was careful to make sure it did not die out.
A rush of triumph surged through me, as I carefully fed the fire. Then I turned to the wolf's body and got to work.
I pulled it close to the water and cut off one of its legs with my claws. The process was messy, but my claws were as sharp as almost any knife.
I dipped the leg into the stream, washing off the blood as best I could.
Then I caught a glimpse of myself, still covered in dried blood and dirt. The sight made me a bit sick.
I quickly stepped into the water and washed myself off, wincing as the cold hit the bite wound on my arm. It wasn't as deep as I'd feared, but it still throbbed.
I climbed back out and found a broad leaf nearby. I wrapped it tightly around my wound like a makeshift bandage. It wasn't much, but it would do for now.
Then I took the fur off the Wolf's leg and cut it into pieces with my claws and searched the area for something to cook it on.
I was lucky enough to find a wide and flat rock that was perfect.
I placed it over the fire and laid the meat across it, and I also added a few of the mushrooms I'd tried before.
I'd never really cooked before-at least, I didn't think I had-but it wasn't too difficult. Though everything was a bit tricky with my claws.
After a few minutes I turned the meat over to cook on the other side and it began to look kind of tasty, then the smell hit me as well.
It was somewhere between roasted beef and chicken. The mushrooms sizzled alongside it, turning golden brown.
Finally, the meal was done.
I hesitated for a moment before picking up a piece of the meat.
But after the first bite all hesitation vanished. It was surprisingly good.
The meat was very rich and salty.
It also felt strangely fulfilling to eat something I killed with my own hands or claws or whatever.
The mushrooms were also great; they tasted much better now, than they'd tasted raw.
Overall, this meal was actually pretty good all things considered.
My nerves were still a bit shaky after the fight, and my arm hurt with every movement, but I was thankful to be alive.
The sun was setting fast, casting long shadows through the forest. A sudden wave of sleepiness hit me. I decided that I had to find some shelter.
I dragged the rest of the wolf's body a bit further into the woods, covering it with leaves, hoping another creature wouldn't find it. But I wasn't very confident.
After taking care of that, I spotted a large tree nearby, with a deep divot at the base. I thought it would be just about as good of a place as anywhere to sleep in a forest like this.
I stacked some branches against the trunk and piled leaves over the top, creating a makeshift shelter. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and I crawled into my little refuge, curling up as best I could. The air was cool, and the darkness felt heavy around me.
I closed my eyes, but a wave of uncertainty swept over me. The situation I found myself in still felt suffocating.
My victory and survival gave me a small amount of hope.
However, it wasn't enough, I felt very lonely going to sleep in this now dark forest by myself.
But then as I looked up through the gaps in the trees, I saw that the sky was absolutely filled with stars, it was like a vast, endless canvas above me.
Somehow, they made everything feel a little less terrifying.
As I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, I wondered what I was going to do tomorrow. I almost thought that in the long term, my situation was still hopeless.
But then a new urge also started to build inside my chest; there must be more to this world than just monsters...
And I want to find out what was out there.
And with that final thought I was asleep.