M.C. Striker The Beast in the Water

I wedged my snout through the cracked screen door and slipped out onto the sun-warmed balcony tiles. Right beside a leafy potted fern sat a broad terracotta saucer filled with clear water. When I leaned over the rim, another beast with wild eyes and flared teeth stared right back up at me! I hissed and slammed a claw into the basin—splash! Cold droplets sprayed across my face as the stranger vanished into wild ripples. I froze, jaws clicking in bewilderment as the dark water gradually smoothed out, returning my face to me. Grinning, I gently dipped a single talon in, watching the rings expand.