I am 8 years old. I see a 9 foot viper nearby. It
I am 8 years old. I see a 9 foot viper nearby. 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. Go, My child, Have a Great Halloween! It said.
The woods were a symphony of rustles and whispers. Sunlight, filtered through the leaves, painted the forest floor in dappled patterns. I, a scrawny eight-year-old in a tattered Batman costume, stumbled through the undergrowth, my heart pounding like a drum solo. I was lost, hopelessly and terrifyingly lost.
Then, a low, guttural hiss ripped through the silence. My blood ran cold. I froze, my eyes wide with fear, and there, slithering toward me, was a viper. Not just any viper, but a monster of a snake, at least nine feet long, with scales that shimmered like emeralds in the fading light.
“Human,” the viper rasped, its voice a chillingly familiar sound, “Why are you here?”
My voice caught in my throat. “I… I got lost,” I whimpered, tears stinging my eyes.
The viper’s head cocked to one side. “Lost? You say? Well, you’re in for a treat,” it hissed, its tongue flicking in and out like a serpent’s dance.
“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice trembling.
The viper’s emerald eyes glinted. “Today is Halloween, my child. You should be trick or treating.”
I blinked, bewildered. This wasn’t the Halloween I knew. No candy, no costumes, just a giant, scary snake.
“Go, my child,” the viper said, its voice softening. “Have a great Halloween.”
Then, before I could react, the snake turned and slithered away, disappearing into the shadows. I stood there, confused and terrified, but also strangely… intrigued. Could this be a Halloween like no other?
Suddenly, the forest around me seemed to shift, the trees taking on an eerie life of their own. Laughter echoed through the leaves, and shadowy figures danced in the twilight. It was as if the woods were alive, celebrating Halloween in a way I had never imagined.
And as I cautiously made my way through the forest, following the trail of laughter, I realized that maybe getting lost wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe, just maybe, this was a Halloween I would never forget.
