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skywire — The Tiger
Published: 2008-08-22 20:30:17 +0000 UTC; Views: 155; Favourites: 0; Downloads: 2
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Description Tawho stared into the clear amber eyes of a tiger from his hiding spot at the edge of the clearing. Once, then twice, the light shifted in the tiger's eyes, and Tawho couldn't get to muttering a curse before his legs took him fleeing into the woods on instinct. The tiger, he knew, was right behind him. He batted away a low branch that tore apart the sleeve of his shirt, and he cursed again, knowing he'd need to think up a hell of an excuse when he got back to camp. That is, if he ever found his way back.

Frantically running deeper and deeper into the woods, Tawho realized he was straying farther from the path to camp. But he didn't dare look back, for in-between every step he made he swore he could hear the rustling of the leaves behind him. Instead he cursed his cocky, show-off brother in his head for what was happening. His brain could no longer think and so for the moment he had given up on making sense of the situation.

One moment he was in his brother's fancy camp, with its trucks and high tech equipment and people carrying lights and junk here and there. "On location," he liked to call it. His brother, the big-shot film director, decided on a more 'adventurous' project, one of the young recruits told Tawho on the trip there. Tawho had scoffed at the comment. Tawho still couldn't believe how easily he was fooled in the pretense of a camping trip with his brother, only to end up helping lug scraps of metal out of trucks. Finally sick of getting stares from people who seemed to scorn his 'country-boy' appearance, Tawho retreated to the edges of camp, and then proceeded to explore its surroundings.

Finally a break from people giving out orders here and there, or so he thought, until he saw the tiger. This area was only a few hours from his hometown, where tigers were supposedly extinct. Tawho had only seen pictures in books and heard stories from the families who have seen them in zoos in the big cities. But now he was running from one.

A flash of red on his right startled him, and in losing his footing he slid down a steep slope that was concealed by fallen leaves. His head hit the side of a tree as it broke his fall. Still dizzy from the fall, Tawho lifted his head slowly and tried to open his eyes. In his wavering vision he saw a pair of clear amber eyes. The instant before losing consciousness he scoffed at his brother one last time. His movies would never make it overseas.

Tawho woke up to a cold splash of water on his face. His head ached as he tried to sit up and when his vision cleared, he saw his brother and half of his team surrounding him. As he was hoisted to his feet and dragged towards the first-aid truck, he looked around in confusion.

"Where's the tiger?" he finally asked his brother.

"It's not coming. We're filming that scene separately. It's not within our budget to include-"

"What are you talking about? Where is it? It was just chasing me just now." Tawho said with more urgency.

"You must have hit your head hard when you fell off that tree, little brother. 'Cause you weren't running from any tiger, you were just skipping work and sleeping in that tree there."

Tawho blinked as his brother continued on. "And if you're fine now then get changed, 'cause you're playing Villager B in the upcoming scene."

"…and just what do I gotta do?"

"Oh you don't have any lines so don't worry. This was decided last minute 'cause we're short on people. You just pretend to be one of the guys running away from the tiger. The stage coordinator will tell you how to run it."

Tawho scoffed at his brother, this time in disbelief.

"Don't worry brother, I think I'll know how to do this one."
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