Academy Island

Friend

I was tired enough after the rat fiasco that Dr. Green offered his hut for me to sleep in that night and he and Nathan had gone to bunk up with Kota, leaving me to sleep on my own as was their usual custom. I watched them leave with heavy eyelids from Dr. Green's hammock, a twinge of regret as they closed the door and latched it, the lonely bird calls filling the rest of my night with a restlessness that ebbed away as I finally settled to sleep. When I woke finally, I could tell I'd slept well, daylight streaming through the warped shutters a surprising blurry shock that I had to rub out of my eyes. 

My legs were so heavy.

I breathed in deeply, morning smells meeting my nose and telling me much about what the boys were up to. Smoke from breakfast cooking, fish and coconut porridge. Steam and heady flowers from Gabriel's laundry. Sharp fresh wood shavings from carving someone had been working on last night, and new palm fronds had been brought in for the new roof and laid just outside my window, filling the hut with sweet dry lemongrass. I grinned and stretched my arms, trying again to lift my legs so I could get up.

So heavy.

I glanced down, thinking Dr. Green had perhaps put something on top of my hammock to keep me warm and I'd been too tired to notice. The bright green had me confused. Plants? Why would he put plants on top of me? I sat up to get a closer look, and froze.

The snake from last night was all cuddled up over my knees, wrapped over and over in a jumble of itself. I didn't know what to do, and lifted my hands accordingly. I was able to glance out the window, no sign of North or the others. I gasped when the snake lifted its head, easing closer to my chest, and just...looked at me, its glittery eyes set on my face. I waited for the bite with horrific fascination, or the death hug, or whatever snakes do when they are going to eat you, ready to attempt a scream. Maybe because I was being so still, it wasn't worried about killing me too quickly. I let my hands down slowly, easing them down at the rate of my dripping sweat, and got around to the back side of the serpent's head hoping to capture its head at least. It swiveled it's head to face my palm, and I held a trembling breath at the bite I was sure was coming.

Its smooth scales cooled the back of my hand, moving to the crook of my arm and twisting around it. It lay it's head down, still watching me, completely at ease. It...it wasn't attacking me. I eyed it warily. Did snakes get attached to people? Was that even a thing? Did I trust a snake enough to pick it up?

"Yeah, grab the other one Luke. I'll get this tied off and we can call everyone to breakfast."

I shouldn't have startled at North's booming voice outside, I mean, I had a snake as a bedfellow and it's head was right next to the tender inner skin of my arm. All it did though was tighten it's long body at my movement, lifting it's head slightly and darting it's tongue across my elbow. It tickled. I chanced a hand out, touching one fingertip to the top of it's cool angular head to pet it. Stupid, I know. But the snake liked it, moving its head against my hand for more. I let it crawl against my other arm, petting more of its green length and admiring the brilliant pattern of glistening scales on its back before a sudden thought broke off the enjoyment of my newfound friend.

North might kill it. Any of them might...especially after the scare we had last night.

I put my hand gently around its neck and lifted. It was almost too heavy to get one side of it's middle up on my shoulder, but I managed it and was able to swing my feet over the side of the hammock, easing to my feet so I wouldn't make a sound. It was quite agreeable, moving so it was better adjusted balance-wise around my waist and over my other arm. Once we were situated, it was like wearing mink, off of one shoulder and making my posture like an S. I tiptoed to the door, opening it slowly and peeking around the corner, my new friend cocking it's head to look along with me if the coast was clear.