First Step on Paper

My joints clicked. Weight shifted into my front claws. Beneath my feet lay a broad white field mapped with clean black grid lines. Straight ahead stood a blue reptile with open jaws, frozen in a silent roar. I did not flinch. I planted my left foot firmly across the date line, leaning low. My snout touched the edge of the square, testing the smooth paper surface. The paper bent slightly under my grip. I am here. The ground holds.