Tazzy’s Silent Stare

He looked at me shyly, avoiding eye contact as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. His stripes were longer and darker than a zebra’s, curling across his orange fur like shadows in tall grass. Even though this deadly creature was smaller than a grey wolf, he could hunt prey as big as a kangaroo without breaking a sweat. His muscles shifted under his fur every time he moved, quiet and powerful. Tazzy stared into the empty space behind me, his golden eyes wide and focused on something I couldn’t see. The wind rustled softly through the trees, carrying the smell of damp earth and eucalyptus leaves. I glanced over my shoulder, halfexpecting something to be there, but there was nothing—just the silent forest stretching endlessly. We’d been friends since birth, yet he still drifted away like this sometimes, lost in a world only he seemed to understand. “How rude,” I teased nervously, folding my arms. “Ignoring me like that.” But he didn’t move. “Oh, Tazzy, please,” I sighed. I reached down and rubbed his neck—his favourite spot. His fur was warm and thick beneath my fingers, softer than it looked. For a moment he stayed perfectly still, and then he gave a soft, almost silent bark, the sound barely louder than a breath. “There you are,” I whispered with a smile. I scratched his neck again, slowly, the way he liked it. His ears flicked, and his tail twitched against the grass. Finally, he lifted his head and looked up at me. His bright eyes softened, the strange focus disappearing as he leaned gently into my hand. I laughed quietly. “There’s my boy.” He nudged my arm with his nose, a low rumble purring in his chest. The fierce hunter who could chase down animals twice his size suddenly looked more like the same curious cub I’d grown up with. My favourite Tazzy Tiger. But after a moment, his ears twitched again. And once more, his eyes drifted past me… staring into the forest behind my back.