A Looming Shadow

The floor went dark. A towering silhouette rose suddenly along the baseboard, rearing high. A rival. I did not retreat. I planted my hind claws firmly into the grain of the floorboards and snapped my jaws wide to claim the ground. The shadow matched my stance, its maw gaping identically in the dim light. I stepped closer, snout bare, ready to clash. My shoulder struck the thick fold of a heavy linen curtain. Behind it, a small brass nightlight glowed warm against the baseboard. No intruder. Only my own outline thrown across the weave. I rested my heavy flank against the dense curtain folds, breathing deep. The perimeter remains intact.