Center Stage

My jaw locked open? Not anymore. I clamped my teeth shut with a sharp, satisfying click. I can move. Every joint flexed right on cue. Ahead of me stood a tiny plastic tree rooted in the gravel. I took one deliberate, heavyweight stomp forward and tapped the tree trunk with the tip of my claw. It wobbled slightly, holding its ground just like me. The other big lizards across the rocks didn't even flinch, but that's fine. The coolest creature on this shelf has officially arrived.