The Love snake 💖

I love the outdoors. My name is Jessa, I’m sixteen and run a mile if I see a snake, literally. I go to my favorite park, Stony Creek, every day. The outdoors always helps me calm down and I feel safe. When I’m indoors, I feel trapped inside a mime box that would never open or let any air inside. Indoors is so small compared to outside. Anyways let’s just start the story. 

I was walking my daily walk in Stony Creek when I heard the teeth-rattling, nail-biting noise. It was a hiss, which revealed it was a snake. There was no time to think, I ran and ran then ran some more until a paw ripped out a hole and pulled me underground.  

I closed my eyes and screamed bloody murder, until the paw (now that I’m thinking of it, it didn’t feel like a paw) covered my mouth, quieting me. 

“Stop screaming or you’ll attract the bears!” a voice in front of me hissed.

When the paw retreated to its owner, I asked, “Who are you? Show yourself!” 

“Relax, my name’s Carol. Why were you running and screaming your head off?” the man’s voice, (Carol?) asked. 

“I… I heard… a… a… sss…. Snake,” I squeaked. 

“A snake? Why, I’ve been in these woods for a long time, and I haven’t seen one yet,” Carol said. 

He’s been here a long time? He probably just means that he’s been walking in these woods a while or something.

“Well, I know what I saw, so… yeah,” I responded.

Carol just shrugged.

“Why’re you in this hole?” I asked, vaguely remembering seeing this hole from one of my walks. 

This hole is under a tree, the tree’s roots forming the walls and ceiling. There was just enough room to curl up into a ball and sleep, let alone two people. 

“It’s not just a hole, it’s also my home,” Carol said. 

Suddenly I understood, he was homeless. 

“Oh! I’m so sorry, how’d you get to be here?” I asked. 

He narrowed his eyes at me. “You probably think I’m homeless, but I chose to live here. You see, my family was rich, they gave me everything I ever wanted. You know the saying ‘money buys happiness’? Well, it’s not true. People at school hated me and I wanted friends, so I could have something more to that old rich life. I came here to live, seeing as no one would be my friend, and I found this hole when Mom Dad, and I were going for a walk,” he explained. 

“Oh, how exciting. I wanna ask you something else, but can we go outside? It’s a little suffocating in here, no offense,” I said. 

“It’s alright,” he said, waving me to get out. 

“So, where do you get your food?” I wondered. 

“Some herbs and plants, I brought a survival book with me,” he said, nodding toward his back, wgich had a backpack in it. 

“Thank you so much for saving me from running too deep into the forest, I…” I started. 

I looked into his face for the first time in the light, that face… not only do I recognize him as a kid from the missing papers, but I’ve never seen anyone look so… happy and accomplished. 

He had brown hair and eyes, his face was dirty but beautiful. After what felt like forever, he raised an eyebrow. 

“You what?” he asked.

“Oh sorry, I’m afraid of snakes, I literally run a mile if I see one,” I said looking down in shame while blushing. 

“Oh don’t be ashamed, I’m afraid of hawks and I live in the forest. I have nightmares about them poking my eyes out and eating them,” he shivered. 

“Well, I should go now, thank you so much, once again,” I said. 

“You’re welcome, even though I didn’t do much. Hey, you can visit my humble little hermit home anytime you want, I’m always free, I have no friends, so it’d be nice to have one,” he smiled. 

“Sure, goodbye!” I said before turning around.

Ever since that day, I visited him, and he even came to see me at my house a couple of times. Eventually, he showed himself to his parents, and after that we got married. All thanks to that snake, the love snake.