Nathaniel Hawthorne 
The Haunted Mind (From ‘Twice Told Tales’) 

‘The Haunted Mind (From ‘Twice Told Tales’)’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne describes an intermediate space between sleeping and waking. The story begins with the character’s sudden waking from midnight slumber. During that time, the narrator finds themself in a nebulous area when they aren’t quite awake and aware of the world around them yet, while also no longer being tucked away in the comforts of dreamland.