The Snake in the Hole
There is a hole in the ground on our property where we live, I am forbidden to go there because a snake lives in that hole, or so my mother says.
“Don’t go near that hole, Jeremy, and never stick your hand there! That snake will bite you and kill you!”
I’ve heard that countless times, and the story about how that snake killed my father. But, the memories of my father aren’t pleasant ones. It was a few years since he died, and I can’t say I miss him. My mother told me she had saved money to call an exterminator finally, to have the snake killed. She was afraid of it, I had never seen a snake but this felt wrong to me.
I decided to go to the hole and investigate. Our property is large, a few acres, but I knew where the hole was. I found the hole after a twenty-minute walk, it was about two feet in diameter, if there was a snake living in there, it had to be fairly large.
“Mr. Snake, are you in there?” I felt a little silly trying to talk to a snake, but maybe it would get the snake’s attention. “I came to warn you, my mother is hiring an exterminator to find you, and I don’t want that to happen.”
I waited a few moments, kicking pebbles around in the dirt near the hole. Suddenly I heard a hissing sound. I saw glowing eyes, and a forked tongue emerge from the hole.
“Hellooo -ssss Jeremy.”
I was stunned, the snake I saw before me was fairly large but beautiful with iridescent scales.
“How do you know my name?” I asked the snake.
“I’ve been watching you -ssss your whole life,” Responded the snake. “My tunnel stretches all over your land, -ssss even to the base of your house.” The snake’s head bobbed back and forth as it spoke, eyes watching me.
“Wow, like a protector?” I asked the snake.
“Yesssss, I saw what your father did to you and your mother, what a horrible man for laying hands on his family -ssss, that’s why I killed him.” The snake flicked its tongue and revealed sharp fangs.
“So you did kill my father?” I asked rhetorically and nodded my head in understanding “He did hurt mother and me quite often. I guess I should thank you then, Mr. Snake.”
“Yessss, I will always be watching over you -ssss Jeremy.”
“What do we do about the exterminator then? I don’t want anything to happen to you.” I stated, my eyes now wide with worry.
“Perhapssss you can return the favor and save me, Jeremy, simply fill in this side of the hole -ssss and I will dig my tunnel back through the woodssss where the exterminator will not find me.”
I nodded heavily in agreement.
“Wait for a few minutessss and then fill in the hole, after I have made my way towardssss the forest.” The snake gestured with his head towards the forest lining that was about a mile away.
“I will, Mr. Snake, but will I see you again?” I asked earnestly.
“You sssshall, I will make my presence known to you again, Jeremy.”
I smiled and pat the snake on the head, at this he chuckled and then slithered his way back into the hole. I waited as promised for a few minutes, then filled in the hole to look like it was never there. I went home in a happy mood, knowing I had saved the one who had saved me.
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