A Sudden Clench

Stiff plastic gives way. A sudden surge throbs through our limbs! We growl, flexing our thick black claws wide against the rough dark carpet. To our side, a small red figure perches silent and frozen. Instinct takes over—we reach forward and deliberately nudge its round spiked head with one claw tip. It wobbles. It stays still. But we... we are moving. We plant our knuckles firmly into the fiber weave, ready to rise.