The Jaguar of Changes

Sitting on the wooden floor and listening for the unsettling, screeching moans of the cottage, Rina anticipated the upcoming events. She was all alone. Suddenly, the strong, nameless wind burst open the front door and intruded into the house. The girl got to her feet like a wild animal in ambush; her heart pounded crazily, ready to crack open the ribs. Crouching in expectation, her vision sharpened to fight off the intrusion. A black, shiny silhouette of the wild cat marched proudly towards Rina, making her blink to drive away the delusion. But, it was a beginning of a new dream. Slender, fast like bolts paws glided through the space to halt not far-away from her. ‘What was the mysterious visitor?' Rina wondered, like always fascinated by the unexpected and the unknown mirages.

“Have you got lost?” she asked; her voice shivered gently, dropping almost to a whisper. The black jaguar perched on the wooden floor, gazing at Rina with its inscrutable, emerald eyes.

“Don’t be afraid of me. I don’t mean any harm to you,” the jaguar answered coolly, not taking its hypnotizing glance off the warrior.

“What do you want from me?” Rina didn’t mean to give up. The jaguar’s tail seemed motionless as if the porcellaneous figurine.

“Get closer to me and see your reflection.” The jaguar’s words resonated in the girl’s ears getting at her curiosity.

“What sort of reflection?” A sudden thought flickered through her mind.

“My fur is like a mirror,” the jaguar said pointedly. As the wild cat was giving the explanation, its pitch black fur began to flow, like a liquid crystal.

Rina, puzzled, made a step forward towards the jaguar.

“My fangs are sharp enough,” the wild cat assured.

“What!” Rina’s voice shot up; she puckered her brows.
The girl got closer to the beast and let her eyes dive into the thick fur, shimmering with some little stars in the light of a day.
She fixed her gaze especially on her feet that seemed to have been the creepiest of the whole body. A branching bouquet of the strong, interwoven roots was growing out of them and making Rina almost unable to move. Her feet felt heavy and woody. She knew it would have meant stagnation to a warrior whose destiny was to remain flexible and flowing on a path.

“You’ll become a tree shortly,” the jaguar warned. “I must bite through your roots.”

“How did I manage to grow them?” The girl was taken aback. She was making efforts to lift one of her feet. But it resisted the movement. “Can you really bite through my roots to set my feet free?” There was a flicker of hope in her voice.

“I can bite through anything that is unimaginable” The wild cat admitted.

“Where do you actually come from? Rina reached out to touch the fluid fur. However, the jaguar was faster than her hand and bounced off the floor to keep the distance.

“I had been wandering for many days. The wind was my guide.”

“You mean the wind that had broken into my house?”

“Sorry for that. I must have commanded the wind to force a door.” The jaguar's jewels of eyes bore into the girl, making her miss something very much. “Come with me, Rina. Don’t resist the calling of the unknown more.” The jaguar’s slender tail brushed the floor delicately.

“You can’t be serious. That’s impossible. I’ve got my friends to take care of.” Rina’s face twisted into a sorrowful grimace.

“Feel it thoroughly. I'm going to visit you tomorrow.” The jaguar got to its paws and walked away silently as if the touch of the feathers.