I approached the glass tentatively, the thick pane separating myself from the creature that lurked on the other side. A cloud of breath escaped my chattering, chapped lips, temporarily blurring my view. Little did I know that by merely standing there, my gloved hands dug into my pockets and fur lined boots scuffing the rough cement, that I would be whisked into another world, a world of strength and instinct, the raw world of a predator.
The creature stalked silently out of its dark, stony den along the barrier of its enclosed domain, taught muscles rippling under its rich, striped fur, flame and charcoal against the white winter snow. It moved farther into its habitat, weaving through snow-tipped evergreens, its saucer sized paws padding silently along the uneven terrain. As sudden as a lighting strike, the creature sprang with fluid, feline grace onto a massive, moss-speckled boulder. At that I gasped in surprise, barely a whisper amongst the deafening chatter of those around me. However, it was as though that tiny intake of breath traveled across worlds and caught the attention of the creature as it turned its massive head in my direction, piercing amber eyes meeting mine of blue and gold, shimmering in the dim light of the grey winter afternoon. Though I could have remained at the edge of these two realms all day, entranced by the world in which such a majestic animal presided, I reluctantly peeled myself away from the tiger’s domain and ambled back into my own.
The Girl With the Words 