First Snap

Frozen jaws locked open. Cold air rushes into my throat. The stiffness gives way. My neck shifts. Muscles tighten. Right before me looms a dark-scaled rival, frozen in an identical roar. I do not wait. I snap my jaw shut, testing the power, then deliberately lunge forward an inch. My claws scrape against the coarse, rotting bark of the log beneath us. The rival stays motionless, unblinking plastic. Good. The log is solid footing. The perimeter is mine to claim. also posted this for fun