A Click in the Dark

Snort! My eyes popped wide. My clasped paws felt frozen, but then a tiny twitch ran through my claws. I could move! A startled squeak jumped from my throat as I shifted my weight and tapped the hard, dark ground beneath my feet. Click-click. The sharp sound cut through the silence. My whiskers quivered, my tail bristled straight up into an arch, and panic flashed through my chest. What was that? Was something lurking out there? I clamped both paws tightly back against my ribs and froze, staring fixedly into the shadows, braced for whatever might move next.