Tommy woke up early because he was a rhino and rhinos woke up early. He didn't know where he learned that. He had never seen a rhino before the world ended, and even if he had, he probably wouldn't have studied their sleeping habits, but someone had said it once, confidently, and that was enough. It made sense, rhinos were large, large things woke up early. That felt correct, so Tommy woke up early.
He sat up immediately, eyes open, fully alert like his body had been waiting for permission to exist again. For a second he just sat there, hands on his knees, staring straight ahead, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. Then he nodded to himself once, like he had just confirmed something important, and stood up. "Good," he said out loud "another day," he didn't specify what kind of day.
