The reclusive Wayne must dig deep to discover the change he has been hiding from himself in the most unorthodox of fashions.

The tiger pounced forth and dug its mighty claws in to the edge of the top bunk. There it clambered and drooled on to the Star Wars sheets whilst deep in the corner of the bed-space cowered Wayne.

Defenseless, he gazed into the eyes of the striped villain and counted.

“10...9...8...”

Its jaws widened, revealing columns of sharp teeth ready to feast upon its prey.
Ears covered by hands; like a child 'la la la-ing' into a safe space, young Wayne prepared himself for the proceeding roar as its fully unhinged state dawned.

“4...3...2...”

Shot open the eyes of a 14 year old boy curled in a sweaty mess of Star Wars sheets; an alarm clock nestled beside him buzzing like there was no a tomorrow but to alert 'TODAY, TODAY, TODAY!'

Wayne pinched himself, knowing all to well the worlds were not so different for it to even matter. He turned to his left to face the usual suspect. Legs crossed, the morning newspaper spread out on his lap, a pipe carelessly dangling out of the corner of his mouth — multiplying careless fumes into his environment.

“Morning,” Wayne spoke formally.

The tiger somewhat blanked his makeshift room-mate and adjusted the angle of his novel smoke. “You're alive then,” he hissed, taking away any empathy from his statement.

“Yes, yes... another day...” Wayne scratched his hair and rose to stand 6 feet above the ground on his top bunk.

The tiger laughed, “I wouldn't bother getting up, lest you forget why I'm here.”

Wayne raised a finger before submitting. He instantaneously sunk bank down to the mattress.

“Care for a spot of water?” The tiger gestured to the corner where the large tank of water hung from the wall like it would in the cage of a rat.

The boy glared at it in hatred, who would have thought a tiger with the ability to buy in bulk and use a drill could bring him so much indignity?

“I really should go back to school...” Wayne mumbled.

“That's crazy talk, boy. Only sadness lies out there for you, the fear will keep you safe.”

“This isn't living.”

“THIS IS SURVIVING!” The tiger roared. “Has my apparel become too familiar to you? Must I simulate the horror furthermore?!” The feisty feline raised a paw and the water tank immediately collapsed and flooded the carpet, piranhas began leaping from its new form. “The fear keeps you safe, boy, as long as the fear can be seen but not faced.”

“I just don't understand,” Wayne wiped a few tears aside. “What is this all keeping me safe from?”

The tiger drew his eyes way from the paper as they grew ever wider, “From the change and the reaction... from the Change Reaction.”

The tiger pounced forth and dug its mighty claws in to the edge of the top bunk. There it clambered and drooled on to the Star Wars sheets whilst deep in the corner of the bed-space cowered Wayne.

Defenseless, he gazed into the eyes of the striped villain and counted.

“10...9...8...”

Its jaws widened, revealing columns of sharp teeth ready to feast upon its prey.
Ears covered by hands; like a child 'la la la-ing' into a safe space, young Wayne prepared himself for the proceeding roar as its fully unhinged state dawned.

“4...3...2...

WAIT STOP!” Wayne exclaimed. “Why do you do this, every night, you attack me? And yet in the day...”

“Oh thank god,” the tiger pulled himself up on to the bed and crossed its hide legs. “I thought you'd never ask.”

Wayne breathed heavy, he pinched himself and felt nothing.

“This is a dream, Wayne. In your wake I am a tool of your mind, a literal representation created to deter you away from what you fear - the outside.”

Wayne nodded, too gripped in the reveal of the phenomenon that was his mind to speak.

“In your dream you access your unconscious and you can face me, so congratulations you just faced a fear. And I assume you now realize that I'm a lot more manageable than the ones you only see?”

Wayne continued his sequence of nodding.

“Good, good....” the tiger continued. “Now I want you to remember what that change was that made you fear the reaction. Dig deep, friend, admittedly I was a little crafty in making you lose touch of it.”

“I... I... I'm sorry, I just can't remember.” Wayne submitted.

“I see,” the tiger frowned. “Well maybe this will light the spark.” He gestured with his paw and leaned over the edge to peer down on the bottom bunk.

Wayne looked below and noticed a shape beneath the sheets, a human shape, the shape of a human opposite to he.

“Now do you see?”

With his mouth wide open, Wayne found himself simply nodding yet again.

“That is the change you sought, but the obvious reaction that comes with such a change created me.”

“It's a scary thought, living as either something you believe you're not or something the world seems to believe you shouldn't be...”

“Indeed. Sometimes there is just no easy way, but the rat race is far better than the rat cage.”

Wayne looked around the nightmare room and found approval.

“Now it's up to you, friend, you decide which bunk you wake up in. I will not be here in the morning and you will be free to walk out of that door as whomever you wish. Just know that you will walk a road of ruin...”

Wayne looked up and down at the two beds rapidly.

“...but the castle has been rebuilt just a few blocks down.” The tiger put a paw on Wayne's shoulder and smiled as the teen timidly turned to face him.

“10...9...8...”

“Good luck friend.” The tiger retracted his paw and took backwards steps towards the window.

“4...3...2...”

'TODAY, TODAY, TODAY!'