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.
The woods were dark, the air thick with the smell of damp leaves and pine needles. My eight-year-old heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a frantic drum against the silence. I was lost, utterly and hopelessly lost. I’d been chasing a particularly beautiful butterfly, its wings a kaleidoscope of orange and blue, and now it was gone, along with any sense of direction.
A rustling in the undergrowth made me freeze. A pair of yellow eyes, like burning coals, pierced the gloom. A massive snake, at least nine feet long, slithered out from the shadows. Its scales shimmered green and black in the fading light, and its forked tongue flickered in and out, tasting the air.
“Human,” it hissed, its voice a low rumble that vibrated through the earth, “Why are you here?”
My legs trembled, but I managed to squeak out, “I… I got lost.”
The snake’s eyes narrowed. “Lost? You say? Well, you’re in for a treat,” it hissed.
“A treat?” I echoed, confusion twisting in my stomach. “What do you mean?”
A low chuckle rumbled through the snake’s body. “Today is Halloween, my child,” it said, its voice softening. “You should be trick or treating.”
I was so terrified, I couldn’t even process the words. Halloween? Trick or treating? This was no ordinary snake. This was something… magical.
“But… but I’m lost,” I stammered. “How can I trick or treat?”
The snake slithered closer, its massive head coiling in front of me. Its eyes held a strange, almost mischievous glimmer. “Don’t worry, child,” it said. “I have a treat for you, a special one. Follow me.”
Hesitantly, I took a step forward. The snake’s scales brushed against my leg, surprisingly cool and smooth. The feeling, the fear, and the bizarre invitation all melded into a strange, intoxicating sense of adventure. Maybe, just maybe, this Halloween was going to be the most memorable one yet.
