First Snap

Click. Sharp snap in the jaw. I can flex it. I am standing on a wide wooden surface, tail stiff, claws balanced. To my side sits another quiet figure, frozen solid. I crouch low, tilt my head left, then right, and creep forward. Snick-tack. My toe claws strike the grain with a satisfying rap. I dart out one clawed hand, tapping the tail of the still companion beside me. A tiny plastic clatter echoes. It doesn't move. I pause, perk up, and hold my perch, ready to spring.