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He got up at the crack of dawn, shaking his fur of the morning dew that had beaded everywhere. The smells of nature were heavier and more blended in the humidity. Hopefully it wouldn’t prevent him from realizing when he was wandering out of his territory and into someone else’s. He didn’t bump into any other tigers as he continued his journey, fortunately, but he did encounter something else. Bringing him an abrupt stop was the sight of a half dozen deer taking a drink from the creek. They stood collected at its bank, just under a the protective shade of a nearby tree. Half drank at a time while the other three huddled around it to keep watch for predators.
Jared was one such predator. That much was clear when his instincts flared up, urging him to sulk into the cover of a nearby tree, head hunched low. He sniffed the air and caught the faintest fragment of the deer’s scent. A pang of hunger rumbled in his gut. His mouth was starting to water and his fur stood on ends. Crap. Am I really gonna do this? Is this how I get my food? He looked at his hiding position. He felt totally concealed, like he was in a perfect position to watch and approach the deer’s position. It had been achieved with the most nonchalant of actions, like opening a door or sitting in a chair.
It made sense that he had to hunt to survive, but to do it now seemed like a bad idea. The fact that he could probably grab one of those deer and kill it while relying entirely on muscle memory disturbed him. He’d never gone hunting before. The weight of a gun in his hands was unfamiliar. To kill a deer with his bare claws and to feel it die was not an experience he was willing to go through, no matter how hungry he got.
He left his hiding spot and wandered up to the bank. Instantly one of the deer spotted him, and all five other heads snapped to look at him. His casual march towards them did not stop, and all six deer skedaddled with a graceful launch into the forest. Their darkened forms hopped along the trees until one by one he couldn’t see them anymore. The predator side of him expressed disappointment while the Jared side- the real side -was proud of himself.
The journey down the creek stopped when the smell of his territory hit a wall. It was replaced rather suddenly by a different smell, altogether subtle but enough to ignite every warning flare in his mind. He wisely turned around and walked the other way. Part of him was disappointed that he couldn’t reach the river, but there was much to compensate for that in the other direction. With miles of forest ahead of him, he set off to explore it. It took a few nights, each one marking a day when he fought the instinct to kill, but he made it to the end of his territory. He guessed correctly that the he could rely on instinct to bring him back to his cabin.
Something was waiting there for him.
He stepped inside to find a mahogany armoire standing against the wall opposite him, right next to his “mattress”. It was tall, reaching just below the bottom part of the ceiling. The maroon paneled doors stared back at him with their two cast iron knobs, wondering if he would come in and discover what was inside. Once recovered from his initial shock, Jared approached the armoire and opened it very slowly. Hanging from the rack were two very familiar outfits. On the left was the skunk onesie Jared had purchased from Get It Here. Next to it was the wolverine onesie he’d gotten in the mail two weeks ago. At the bottom of the armoire was a folded note. Jared picked it up, unfolded it, and started to read.
Dear Jasmine,
Or are you Jared again? Oh, I’ll probably ever know. I hope you know it’s random what sex you become. I’m not throwing different ones at you all willy-nilly for my own amusement, though I’ll never get tired of finding fun and unique creatures to become. How was being a tiger? Not too lonely, I hope. Maybe you were able to take down some creatures. Not sure if I’d be able to.
You probably expected a new outfit. I assure you that I’ve sent them, but you won’t find them here. You have the option to return to the skunk and wolverine worlds if you pleased, though I think you’ll be much more satisfied with the two I’ve placed in this world. You read that correctly. Two. They’re out there for you to find. They aren’t far, but they aren’t close either. Now that you’re a brave tiger I think you can make the journey. As always, it’s your prerogative.
Sincerely,
Leland Gaunt
Written by TheGreatJaceyGee on 28 December 2023