The Boy The Snake and The Stone

Chapter 13: Memories and Flying

~Dream~

The world was an inky black abyss, his body was on fire and his lungs burned with each rasping breath he took. Harry had just had another beating from his Uncle for burning the food, and made him late for a meeting with an import customer and deserved such a punishment. Then, once his pig of an uncle left, his Aunt gave him the never ending list of chores; ones that was to be done before his uncle returned, or once again Harry would find himself for another beating.

The day was a long hot summer day, it was around Harry's 8th birthday and Harry was ordered to work in the garden that day. The mugginess of the day made it even harder for his lungs to work, but Harry just pushed that aside to work on the garden. That was when he heard whispering about how this place didn't have enough rats. Harry was confused and pushed aside a flower to spy a small snake coiled around himself to get out of the afternoon sun. Harry titled his head in question, no there was no way that the snake could speak, not at all.

The snake reared its head up when he noticed Harry watching him, "Ssssstupid human, interrupting my nap!" The snake hissed at Harry. Harry fell back in shock, the snake spoke to him, and there was no way for that to happen!

"I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Harry said to the snake, but had no idea why he said it. There was no way for the snake to understand him, let alone for him to understand the snake. If the snake could sigh it would have. "It's fine hatchling, I'm sorry that I startled you." The snake said, now coming out from the garden and slithered over to the startled young boy. Harry was gulping in breaths, this couldn't be happening, if his aunt or cousin see the snake, let alone him talking to it, he would be in big trouble. It was something freaky, something he wasn't supposed to do.

"I-I-I'm sorry, b-b-but you can't stay here, the people here do not like snakes." The boy stuttered out, nervous that at any moment his aunt or cousin would walk out and see the snake.

"Don't worry hatchling, I was leaving, there are no mice here for me to eat." The snake said, his tongue flickering out towards the boy. The boy calmed down some, happy to hear that the snake was leaving, he couldn't help but think what would happen to it if his Aunt found it. A shudder made its way through his body at the thought, the snake was nice enough.

"T-Thank you," Harry sighed a breath later, "T-There is empty lot a few houses down, t-there should be plenty of mice there." The boy said in a whisper, his eye flickering towards the house to make sure that his aunt wasn't looking through the window, like she sometimes did when Harry was slaving away underneath the sun.

"Thank you young one, I think I will go down there to look," The snake said, lowering his body to the ground to slithering away to his new home, "Come visit me when you can hatchling, so I can thank you for my full belly." Harry let out an airy chuckle at the snake, happy that he could get away from this prison. At least one of them can.

* * *

It was well after the sun set when his Uncle showed back up at home, he already been drinking, everyone could smell the pungent alcohol when he entered the house. Harry was already fearing, knowing that his Uncle was in a bad mood, his Uncle rarely drank before coming home, but when he did those were the worst. His aunt tried to make everything better for him telling him that dinner was ready, and how lovely of a day it has been. His Uncle of course wasn't hearing it, his deal went down the drain the morning Harry ruined his breakfast and made him late. His clients weren't all too happy with him, and by the end of the day they had decided to forgo the plan. It had been a big deal too, could have brought in a lot of money for him and his family, but the little freak had to go a ruin it!