Of Monsters, Of Men

Chapter 3

Spring 1937

As winter thawed to spring, Harry and Tom explored the limits of the power they were blessed with. Since the Halloween Rabbit incident of last year, no orphans had contested their superiority. Billy and Eric were properly cowed, never even daring to glance in Tom and Harry's direction. Dennis was never seen around Billy and Eric again, preferring to remain with Amy.

During those months, Tom taught Harry his third lesson: how to control animals with his mind. Although Harry still couldn't manipulate animals like Tom could, failing to make them attack others or screech, he could nudge them to unconsciousness.

He found that as time passed Tom hogged more and more of his attention, something that made ignoring the fearful stares or stammered apologies of the other orphans easier. It was hard to focus on other matters when Tom was constantly in the forefront of his mind, invading the nooks and crannies of even his most personal thoughts. He was caught in Tom's gravity, orbiting the bright, blinding star of his psyche, following his every move.

On the annual Easter trip to Victoria Park, once they had arrived and finished listening to Mrs. Cole's instructions for them, as soon as they were able to, Tom and Harry separated from the rest of the group.

After ten minutes of walking, they found a quaint spot, just right for their purposes. They settled under a tall, shady Elder tree on lush, long grass, surrounded by a small pond and a wall of low rise bushes.

As soon as Harry and Tom sat down, though, Harry heard loud hissing noises emerge. An enraged snake barely visible under the bushes flailed its head around. It was instantly recognizable as a female adder by the dark colored "V" pattern atop its scaly head and brown-toned zig-zag pattern along its reddish flank.

To Harry's great shock and amusement, Tom began hissing back at the snake.

"Get away from that thing," Harry shouted as he ran away from the coiled adder.

Adder bites were painful, and he didn't feel like engaging in whatever folly Tom had involved himself in this time.

Tom spun to Harry and hissed at him, eyes bright.

Harry gawked at Tom, sputtering, "You're hissing at me."

Tom flushed before clearing his throat, although the wild joy in his eyes never dimmed.

"I can speak to snakes! I understand what she's telling me," Tom exclaimed.

Harry raised his eyebrow and tilted his head sideways in clear skepticism.

Tom huffed before turning back to the adder, which had stopped hissing and emerged from the bushes. He hissed at it again before it started to climb into his lap. He stroked the adder between its eyes on the head and motioned to Harry, as if to say, see, she is totally harmless and I've got the situation under control.

"Pet Medusa," Tom challenged Harry. "I've told her to play nice with you."

"You're crazy." Harry chewed his lip.

"I can control her. Come."

He took small steps towards Tom until he was in range and petted the adder.

Stroking the adder was surreal. The head was slightly bumpy, smooth, and scaly, just as he had expected, but the fact that he was doing this at all was unreal. The adder swivelled its blood red eyes at him and as it flicked its tongue back and forth to taste the air.

When he finished petting it, Tom hissed at it again. It flicked its tongue again and slithered away.

"Since you don't believe me, watch this."