Reflections
Sometimes the only thing standing between curiosity and caution is eye contact.
This wasn't taken in the wild. It was made through a sheet of glass at the zoo.
Even knowing there was a barrier between us, it never really felt that way.
He was a juvenile alligator, nearly motionless except for the slow rise and fall of the water around him. Then he looked straight at me.
For a moment, it felt less like I was observing him and more like he was deciding what to make of me.
The darkness around him erased everything else—the enclosure, the visitors, the fences, the signs. All that remained was an ancient face, a golden eye, and a quiet reminder that some instincts haven't changed in millions of years.