I am 8 years old. I see a 9 foot viper nearby, ra
I am 8 years old. I see a 9 foot viper nearby, razor sharp fangs gleaming in the sunlight. It slithered closer. Human, why are you here It hissed. I…got lost I whimper. Lost? You say? Well, You’re in for a treat It hissed. What do you mean? I say.Today is Halloween, My child, You should be trick or treating It replied.
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long, ominous shadows across the overgrown path. I, a scrawny eight-year-old with a faded pirate costume, was hopelessly lost. My plastic sword, usually a source of pride, felt flimsy and useless against the encroaching darkness. Then, I saw it. A serpent of unimaginable size, coiled at the base of a gnarled oak, its scales shimmering with an otherworldly luminescence. It was at least nine feet long, its razor-sharp fangs glinting menacingly in the dying light.
“Human,” it hissed, its voice a low, guttural rumble, “Why are you here?”
My knees buckled, and I whimpered, “I… I got lost.”
“Lost, you say?” the serpent chuckled, a sound like dry leaves rustling in the wind. “Well, you’re in for a treat.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “What do you mean?”
“Today is Halloween, my child,” the serpent replied, its gaze fixed on me. “You should be trick or treating.”
Confusion twisted in my stomach. Halloween? But it was a normal day. Or at least, it had been until I wandered off the path. The serpent must be mistaken.
“No,” I stammered, “I’m not trick or treating. I just want to go home.”
The serpent uncoiled, its emerald eyes glinting with amusement. It slithered closer, its massive head looming over me.
“But you are already here,” it hissed. “And here, my little one, you’re not just trick or treating. You’re the treat.”
Terror froze me in place. What did the snake mean? I didn’t understand.
The serpent leaned closer, its hot breath washing over me. “Don’t worry, child,” it crooned. “It will be quick. You won’t even feel a thing.”
As the serpent raised its head, its fangs glinting like daggers in the fading light, I knew this was no ordinary Halloween. This was a night where nightmares became reality, where even the most innocent of children could become the prey. And I, lost and alone, was about to be swallowed by the darkness, consumed by the creature that had promised a treat.
