I felt the breathing like gusts underneath me. Each breath engulfed me and shook my fragile world, a threat to my life. I looked down. They tell you never to look down: a cavernous black pit reaching beyond the depths of sight. I could make a tip of her tongue, a large slug of red resting against the edge. Behind and in front of where her front teeth and connected between them was a line of spit, which I was carefully balancing my way across.

              The girl slept in her afternoon slumber after a day of tormenting my tiny village. After hearing that I was in the circus, her friends had dared me to walk across her mouth, which formed during her nap. I refused until they threatened to kill me and my family: making it across was the only way to stay alive. Behind me, I could see their snickers booming like thunder after each pause between carefully placed steps.

              I didn’t dare turn around and see how they were responding. I was halfway across, which was a relief. I was also in the deepest part of the slump in my slippery “rope.” My head barely reached above her waiting lips. She slept innocently, mouth wide open and relaxed even after killing so many of my people.

              I took a step just to have her warm breath cause another string of vibrations. This reminded me that I only have about a minute and a half tops to make it across before she wakes up or at least closes her mouth.

              I take one more step. Only about ten feet left!

              Below me I hear a thunder like I have never heard before as she lets out a snort. She must have swallowed a little bit of her spit. The rush of wind knocks me to my feet. My chest falls onto her spit, and I wrap my legs around it quickly before I fall. I increase pressure to prevent me from sliding, but not too much pressure. Behind her friends are predicting my death.

              I ooze forward, careful not to break her spit-stream. In front of lay her giant front teeth and above that her lip leading up to her nostril. A large gust of air comes out of that nostril as her body tries to regain normal breathing. The air is warm and smells strange.

              I feel it. This time, she will wake up. I make one last crawling leap for her teeth as her mouth closes tight and breaks off the spit I was just on. I land hardly against the left tooth and bounce onto her lip. At the same time, she inhales from her noise sucking me right in.

              She is tilting her head up outside, and I am pushed around the dark, moist cavern as her body prepares for a sneeze. “Achoo!” and I am flown onto her hand. Her friends are laughing. I made it, albeit unconventionally. I just hope they were satisfied enough to spare my family.