Eagle Beagle shivered. What had started out as a beautiful day for a solitary hike in the Great Smoky Mountains had turned into a raging snowstorm with absolutely zero warning. Even in North Carolina, snow wasn’t terribly uncommon in these parts, though it rarely occurred so late in the year, or with such ferocity. Nor had the weather forecast given any hint that a veritable blizzard would be within the realm of possibility.
But there was no escaping the fact that the snow was coming down, heavily. Visibility was basically nil, and the hiking paths had quickly been buried. EB wasn’t terribly concerned — he knew this stretch of the mountains well, and he was well-packed and well-prepared, so he knew he’d survive. But the sudden squall had him scrambling for shelter.
Near the limits of his eyesight, EB could just make out the shape of a building. He hurried toward it, fighting through the snow all the way. It was a small hut, outdated and probably not in use anymore, but he was in luck — after jiggling the handle a bit, the door swung open. The bird/dog hybrid quickly closed it behind him and slouched against a wall, panting.
It wasn’t much, but it would keep him out of the cold and snow. The entire structure was just one room, and it was indeed abandoned. It creaked enough to make the bird a bit concerned about its structural integrity, but it would have to snow heavily for hours on end before it accumulated enough to get to that point.
In the distance, EB heard a rumble of thunder. Thunder wasn’t all that surprising with this sort of snow squall, so he didn’t think much of it, given the conditions. He checked his phone. No signal, unfortunately. It was already spotty in this area, and the storm definitely didn’t help. Not much to do, then, but to look around the shack. Maybe he’d get lucky and there’d be a working electrical outlet.
The thunder seemed to be getting louder, and soon Eagle Beagle was beginning to wonder if it was even thunder at all. It couldn’t possibly be an avalanche — there’s no way there was enough snow for that. But the rhythmic rumbling didn’t seem to fit the irregular pattern of thunder, either.
Eagle Beagle went to the shack’s only window and gasped. Through the snow, he saw an enormous figure slowly walking toward his hut. Trees cracked and snapped beneath its feet as it stepped, and the ground shook each time its enormous paws touched down. He tried to convince himself he was hallucinating, but all of his senses told him it was real, very real.
As the giant got closer, Eagle Beagle could begin to make out more of the figure’s details. It was a colossal tiger, with white fur and teal-gray markings. As the feline lifted its foot with each step, he could see the pawpads underneath glowing brightly with colors of teal and blue through the whiteout conditions before they came down with thunderous might, sending vibrations through the hut that would register on the Richter scale.
EB was frozen at the window, beak agape. His paralysis didn’t matter all that much — had he tried to run through the snow, he wouldn’t have time to get too far from the tiger before the giant caught up. He watched with fright as the feline colossus got within three steps of his shack, then two, then one, hoping the massive paws would miss the structure that was directly in their path.
His prayers weren’t answered. The aged wood in the ceiling above him creaked for just a split second before giving way, exploding from the sheer force exerted by a single, casual step of the beast above.
And that step continued all the way down through the structure. Eagle Beagle got a brief, incredible view of a glistening pawpad before he was smothered underneath it. But he was astonished to discover that he wasn’t in any pain — the pawpad was remarkably soft, and it thoroughly enveloped him as it pressed down into the ground. Then, as the weight of the foot was just beginning to feel unbearable, it lifted up again, and Eagle Beagle found himself rising with it.
The tiger apparently felt something against his pawpad, and the foot’s ascent stopped. The big cat paused for a moment and then sat down. He lifted his paw and looked at his sole, surprised to see a tiny creature embedded in it. “Oh, dear. I didn’t even notice that shack. Are you alright?”
EB couldn’t see anything but the teal pawpad his face was smushed against, but he gave a little nod and raised one of his hands to give a thumbs-up. As alright as you can be when you’re flattened against a giant tiger paw. In fact, he was quite enjoying being so minuscule compared to such a huge foot.
The tiger apologized and introduced himself as Vonsí. He explained how he’d suddenly grown to a colossal size, without any idea how it happened. Vonsí peeled the tiny fur off his sole and let him rest on his enormous furred finger for a moment as he spoke.
Eagle Beagle was still very much enamored with the tiger’s paw, however. Not only was it pleasantly soft, but it was also quite warm amidst the driving snowstorm. Vonsí gradually realized this, and with a knowing smile he began to press his finger — with the bird/dog hybrid still on it — directly into the center of his heavenly pawpad.
The bird shuddered, completely swept away by the feeling of being smushed into the powerful paw. The pressure was even more intense than when he was stepped on, as Vonsí was modulating the force of his finger as he figured out how best to tease his new toy.
It got to the point where EB felt he was beginning to lose air, struggling to breathe against the oppressive finger and paw. He wiggled and squirmed against the pawpad, eliciting a deep purr from the giant tiger. The macro let up just briefly, allowing EB to gasp for air and refill his lungs, before renewing the pressure — clearly enjoying it as much as the avian was.
Eagle Beagle had no idea how long this toying would continue; he was entirely at the mercy of the giant tiger. But he also didn’t mind. This was a far better outcome than being stranded in an abandoned shack in the middle of a snowstorm.
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