I knew he would be there waiting for me. I got a sense of it every night before I fell asleep. The threat of his existence alerted something deep and primal inside of me. A feeling that I still have no words for. My sleep was no longer deep, my subconscious was vigilant; anxious for his arrival.

The rustic furnished cabin in which I slept, contained only a bed covered by a simple woven duvet and a redwood dresser. The natives that occupy the land lived by their own principles of minimalism. If anything was clear, it was that I was on their turf. I was welcome, but I was an outsider. I didn't understand why they allowed me to stay, to occupy space among them. They knew something I didn't; a message I had to hear.

"Why would you want to keep the nature out?" called out a native from a distance, as I was attempting to board up my windows. Out of respect, I abided by his request to be open and welcoming to the environment.

I knew, without fully understanding why, that I would see him that night.

As I arose that morning, the sounds of lush nature were chirping and blowing through every window. The sun was a pleasant reminder of the new day ahead. But when I fully awoke from my sleepy haze, it was already too late, he was already there. At my cabin's door, stood a jaguar. The intense premonition I experience coming to fruition before me. Even though I expected him, nothing could've prepared me for his presence.

In the redwood cabin, windows and door wide open; there it stood-ferocious and black as night. The primal look that glazed over his eyes felt more inquisitive than feral. Its pigmented body was sleek yet massive. Its presence was menacing and contrived. It was no accident that it chose to stop and enter my space. A space I thought that was meant to shelter me, not expose me.

It tried to lock its feline gaze with mine, but my eyes were instantly shut. I couldn't bear the sight of him. Returning the expression felt like looking down a double-barrel shotgun. I could do nothing but cower in fear underneath my thin duvet.

With what must have been one pounce, I felt him on my mattress. The fear that coursed through my veins, became so intense that it took a form of her own. She was ice inside of my chest; crystallizing rapidly. I could feel my heart as it paused between beats. I was hyper-aware, present through every millisecond of the encounter.

As he got closer, his paws felt like massive indents in the bed. His pace was graceful and heavy. Then his breath. His hot breath emanated from his killer jaws. Another ice crystal of fear shot throughout my chest, piercing me from the inside. Moving was not an option. I was at his mercy. He got closer, and as he slowly breathed me in, he took one paw and exposed me from my shameful refuge.

I knew I was seen, but even still, I couldn't open my eyes. To face him felt impossible. His snout inspected me as I laid frigid, immobile. Once he reached my neck, I thought it would be the last of his mercy. He was going for the kill, as I prayed for a swift end.

With a final huff, he bounced off of my bed. I felt my body defrost and come down from the high of his presence. In a few minutes, that felt like hours, I brought myself to open my eyes.

He was gone.