A Sudden Clamp

Stiff jaw. Wide open. Then—a shudder. My hinge twitched! I froze. Waited. What was that? Right next to me sat a squishy black plush. A dangling cloth tentacle brushed my lower teeth. Too close! Panic spiked. Snap! My upper jaw slammed down on impulse, pinching the soft fabric tip. Silence. I held it tight. I moved. I snapped on my own.