Shadowed Scales

Chapter 12: A Pair of Legs Can Get So Far

_CHAPTER TWELVE_

A Pair of Legs Can Get So Far

Thankfully, the prepping was done before the clock could strike twelve, the time where all of the campers would be done with the morning activities.

There were two shower cabins that divided the animals into boys and girls. Sameer brought his toiletry bag that consisted of his soap, towel and a change of simple clothes.

While he was there, he noticed other animals were staring at him.

"What?"

"You're so lucky!" One of the flying squirrels gushed. A few smaller animals chittered in agreement. Seeing Sameer's confused expression, the flying squirrel patted his bare back.

"Most snakes don't need clothes since they don't have limbs. You only wear at least two layers of clothing that looked like a double-holed sock. Except..."

"Except cobras look good without clothes!" A poodle finished the sentence. "Most snakes like pythons and anacondas have thicker bodies while cobras are like wires even with their hoods."

Sameer immediately entered one of the shower stalls with a slam to the door. Running the shower on hot temperature, he hoped the hissing sound of the steam that the water was producing was enough to distract his hearing from the boys' conversation.

And camouflage the ever-growing blush that crept slowly onto his face.

...

Sameer merely nodded when acknowledging his cabin mates after returning to his bed to relax. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and read the latest Mr Twilight series he had smuggled into his bag.

Before he was sent off to the camp, his parents had confiscated his books as punishment except his latest book since it was hidden under his pillowcase. Once he opened the book, the whole cabin doesn't matter for a fleeting moment.

The story was about three friends discovering that their house was haunted, a classic horror-mystery for him. He was really thankful that the book had easier words for him to understand since most horror books the adults would read had complicated words.

It was like an alien language.

Then again, he had been reading books about hieroglyphics and ancient runes that were written on walls. To him, those words made more sense compared to whatever his parents or the adults have said.

"Hey, what are you reading?" Beppi, the Tasmanian devil asked, snatching the book from behind, much to Sameer's dismay.

"Give that back! I-"

"There's no pictures in this book," said Beppi, disappointed while shaking the book. Sameer snatched back his book with his tail, his carnelian eyes gazed into Beppi's chocolate ones.

"Some of us can use our imaginations, Beppi."

Before the both of them were about to snap each other off, the sound of the bugle alerted all of them to gather outside. Clearly, another game to be played before teatime.

Sameer couldn't understand the many activities that were planned out for all of them. He knew that by the time the lights were out, he wouldn't have any energy left to complete his homework.

What's worst was that his cabin mates consisted of a bully, two classmates, a child and a weird fish!

...

Please kill me, he thought to himself as he was struggling to keep up with the rest of his team. The game of the evening was hide-and-seek with a twist. Hiders must collect marbles in order to survive the game without getting caught.

Those that get caught will become the seeker and turn against their fellow hiders.

The winner will collect all the twenty marbles while avoiding the seeker.

For Sameer, he hoped that the game will be over soon since he was the seeker. Unlike most of the seekers, Sameer doesn't have limbs to increase his speed. It felt unfair since other snakes at camp got to hide. Even the quiet hammerhead shark was hiding in the water from what he saw!

"Hey, move faster!"

"I am moving fast!" Sameer shouted back, trying to locate some of the hiders before he could plunge himself into the lake where some of the aquatic animals were hiding.

He may not have a good sense of smell, but his forked tongue when darting out could taste the particles in the air. It helped him detect the changes in the surrounding.

This sort of game was bringing out something he couldn't explain. It was confusing yet exciting to seek out the hiders with his serpent-like abilities. He could almost taste-

"Ah, you found me!" a tiny voice squeaked. It was a small kangaroo rat he recalled seeing her from the Hailstorm cabin. Sameer wondered if she was quivering because of the cold or the very idea of an Egyptian cobra in front of her.

"You were the one hiding far away from the rest of us," said Sameer, pointing his head to the direction of where the counsellors were. The area that the kangaroo rat had hidden herself in looked like an abandoned tunnel.

"D-don't go in there!" the kangaroo rat protested, pulling Sameer by his tail. "I was hiding there and I heard something weird. A group laughing loudly and some growls. It must be haunted!"

Now, this was something Sameer could do. He had watched a few horror movies and documentaries to know that this tunnel might have some paranormal activities.

However, it was going to be difficult since the counsellors will send them off to bed if they decided to break curfew. Sameer will have to think of a way to bypass the counsellors' night watch.

"We should get back," he finally broke the tensed silence. His gaze shifted to the water where a few bubbles were form. "But you'll have to turn against your fellow hiders now that I have found you"

Once the kangaroo rat was out of sight, he undressed himself so that he could dive into the water with ease.

Should I bring someone with me? he thought to himself as he was swimming underwater. All his life, he was alright with anyone but preferred to do his school projects alone. The constant noise from all sides gave him headaches.

He found the last two hiders, who were none other than the hammerhead shark and a female leopard seal with dark grey fur that was specked with mottled black spots. Both of them were giving him glares.

"I have found you," Sameer announced in the marine language. He decided to focus on the hammerhead shark since the seal looked like she was going to snap his neck with her teeth.

"Leave us alone! This is more fun than running on land!" the leopard seal growled, doing a few twirls over the Egyptian cobra. It was very hypnotising since her spots looked like multiple eyes staring at him.

The water was a beautiful yet horrifying place according to Sameer. Life underwater seemed much more peaceful than the surface. As much as he would agree with the two marines, he beckoned towards the surface with his tail.

"Fine. But you are going to miss some dinner if you don't come back! Or chase a few of us~"

Inwardly, he smiled when he heard the sound of the two marine animals surfacing the water just as he was getting dressed.