Chapter 3: Snake Eggs

As the next day went on as normal, that wonderful time known as recess finally came. Snake headed out to his designated reading place, but this time, he didn't have a book with him. He figured that he wouldn't be getting any reading done anyway. He approached and sat down up against the tree. "Annabel, are you here?" He asked.

A few seconds later, a rustling sound was heard in the bushes. Annabel appeared and lifted her head, revealing her hood. "Yes, dear Snake, I am here."

Snake smiled wide and held out his hand for her to rub her head against. "I have so much I want to talk about, like, how come I'm the only one that can hear you speak? Are you special, or can I talk to all snakes like this?"

Annabel found herself chuckling at how eager the young boy seemed. "I don't know. This is my first time ever meeting someone like you."

Snake thought for a second. "Does that mean I'm unique?"

Annabel laughed. "Of course you are."

Snake shifted his eyes away a bit nervously. "Yeah, I'm not like everybody else."

Annabel frowned at detecting the hint of sadness in his voice. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. Everybody has something that makes them different from everyone else. That's what makes everybody unique."

Snake frowned. "But, nobody wants to be my friend because I'm different. I-Is there something wrong with me?"

Annabel felt her heart breaking. "No dear, of course not. There is nothing wrong with you at all. You're perfect just the way you are, and if they don't like you for what you are instead of who you are, then that means that there is something wrong with them, not you."

Snake lowered his head until he was eye level with the cobra. "You really think so?"

Annabel smiled and rubbed her head on Snake's cheek. "Of course I do. You're special, dear Snake, and don't ever forget it."

Snake's expression turned back into a wide smile. "Now if you would come with me real quick, there is something I would like to show you."

Snake blinked. "Are you sure? They might notice if I'm gone for too long."

"It'll just be real quick, I promise."

Snake looked back at the school one last time. "Okay, but the bell might ring any minute, so we have to hurry."

Snake followed Annabel into the forest, making sure that no one saw him enter from far away. "Where are we going?" Snake asked.

"You'll see." Was the answer he was given.

The two of them kept on walking for a little while longer, until they came upon a clearing in the forest. In the middle of the clearing, snake saw a large nest, filled with eggs. "Come here Snake, and let me show you my nest."

Snake got closer and observed that there were more than quite a few eggs in the nest. There seemed to be tons. "Whoa, are they all yours?"

Annabel crawled around the edge of the nest. "I didn't lay them myself. After I was released into the wild, I decided that it would be a good idea to take care of newborn snakes and snake eggs that had come here from other parts of the world."

"So they all come from different countries?"

Annabel nodded. "Yes, and they come from different breeds as well."

She lifted her head and turned to a nearby tree. "There are those who have already hatched however, and came to Great Britain outside of their own eggs."

She slithered over to the tree and stuck her snout inside a small hole that led inside the tree. Once she pulled out of the hole, a bunch of little snakes came out. "Come and meet the little ones, dear Snake."

The boy in question walked over and sat down, where he admired the little snakes. It didn't seem like he could communicate with them, but that could have just been because they weren't old enough to begin communicating. Annabel silently coaxed them to crawl up Snake's hand, which they ended up doing. "Hi there, how are you?"

The snakelets all seemed to take a liking to him, as they started rubbing up against him. He laughed as all that rubbing tickled him. "I can't believe you take care off all these snakes by yourself."

Annabel smiled. "I wanted to give them a chance to live, instead of being made into expesive snake skin products, like they were originally going to be used for."

Snake's demeanor suddenly changed, and he froze. "...What?"

Annabel sighed. "Their skin was going to be used by poachers to make expensive purses and belts for those who could afford it. I snuck them away when no one was looking, in order save them from that fate and give them a life to live."

"T-That's so sad. Why would people do that?"

Annabel sighed again. "I don't know. It's not even limited to snakes. All different kinds of animals are being used for purposes such as that."

Suddenly, Snake's eyes shifted to the ground. "I have snake skin. Do you think they'll do that to me?"

Annabel shook her head. "I honestly wouldn't think so. You may be half snake, but you are half human as well."

Snake's eyes shifted to the snakelets. "I hope you guys don't have to go through anything like that. You're all too cute for it."

Annabel couldn't help but chuckle at that last comment. "You are too, if you haven't noticed."

Snake smiled, then scoffed. "I'm not that cute."

Annabel nodded. "Oh yes you are. Anybody can see it, really."

Snake smiled. Just then, the sound of the bell reverberating in the distance caught Snake's attention. "Oh, I'd better go. I wouldn't want the teachers to come looking for me."

Annabel smiled. "Alright, we will see you later. You may come back tomorrow if you wish."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

Snake left the forest and headed back to the orphanage. Annabel coaxed her little ones, silently telling them that they would see him again, and that they should go back inside the tree for the time being.