Genre: Horror/Suspense
Rating: K+
Summary: 3-year-old Anakin is thrown into the lion's den - or, rather, the snake pit...
Ani was thrown out of the shop.
Watto had pronounced him "unmanageable" and had told him to go outside since he wasn't helping at all. The little boy had been happy to oblige, toddling outside and plopping onto the ground.
"Hello, there, little boy. I want to show you something."
The 'little boy' in question looked up. The stranger's face was friendly enough, but Anakin was getting warnings from 'Daddy.' 'Daddy' knew everything, Anakin was sure. So he said no, he'd stay here.
"Oh, no, this is something incredible. You don't want to miss out."
'Daddy' was saying to him, "No, don't go, he wants to hurt you. Don't go with him." So Anakin adamantly shook his head.
"Come on, it'll be fine."
"No."
"Come - on!" The stranger made a grab for Anakin, who shrieked. Unfortunately, he succeeded.
Anakin fought with all the might of a panicked three-year-old, but that wasn't enough to shake him. The stranger ran - where, Anakin couldn't say.
"We're here!"
That single exclamation made Anakin scream all the more. The stranger held on to him at arms length above a hole in the ground just outside of town. Anakin stopped fighting and instead clung to the arms that held him out.
There were snakes down there.
"Come on, little boy, let go of my arm."
"No! No! Take me back!"
"No, I don't think I will," the stranger said, and dropped Anakin into the snake pit.
)O0o0O(
At Watto's shop, there was a knock on the door.
"Yea?" the gruff Toydarian answered.
"I believe there was a little boy outside your shop? Blond hair, blue eyes?"
The older woman dropped her load in surprise. "What have you done to my Ani?"
The stranger smiled slightly under his hat. "I think you'd better come see."
)O0o0O(
"Anakin!"
The little boy looked up and smiled widely. "Look, Mommy, they'we fwiendwy!"
"Anakin, just stay there. I'll get some rope and bring you up. Just hold on, Ani."
"But Mommy, they wike me!"