Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Present - Repents - Serpent (07/17/25)
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TITLE: See Ya, Snaky | Previous Challenge Entry
By April Wenzel
07/22/25 -
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Dante hopped off the boat and moored it by tying a rope around a nearby tree.
Talon jumped onto the rocks and said, “There should be a tunnel to the cavern somewhere around here. Maybe in the forest.”
“Awesome! Let’s go,” said Dante as he took a step toward the forest.
Talon took a step, then shouted, “Dante, don’t move!”
“What? Why?” Dante looked at Talon, who stood motionless, staring at the rocky riverbank. Dante followed his gaze, but all he saw was a brownish-green mountainous mass. He scanned the area again before realizing that the mass was actually a coiled giant serpent, sunning on the rocks. Dante stumbled, shocked by what he saw. The serpent’s body looked to be almost a foot in diameter and about twenty-five feet long if not coiled. As Dante regained his footing, the enormous creature lifted its massive head and spoke.
“What bringssss, you here to our foresssst home?”
After a few moments of internal panic, Talon answered, “Sorry, we didn’t mean to disturb you. We’re just passing through. We’ll get out of your way,” then he took a step toward Dante.
“Sssssstop! I don’t get many visitorsssss here. Sssssstay and entertain me for a while.”
Dante mumbled, “I thought only cats played with their food before eating it.”
The serpent said, “Ssssspeak up my friend. It’s rude to whissssssper.”
Dante swallowed, then said, “I’m not really in the mood to get eaten today, so I’ll just be running along now.” He took a slow side-step toward the forest, not taking his eyes off the serpent.
“It’s not gonna eat us,” said Talon. “See that large bulge? That means it ate already. That’s why it’s sunning. It takes a long time and a lot of energy to digest something that big.”
“Awesome! Then what are we worried about? Let’s go. See ya, snaky!”
The serpent lunged its massive head toward Dante and hissed just inches from his face.
Dante froze. “Sorry. I meant snaky in a good way.” He chuckled nervously. “You know, like a nickname.”
The serpent recoiled its head to a position above its body as if ready to strike.
Talon slowly inched his way over, then leaned in and whispered in Dante’s ear. “Just because it ate already doesn’t mean it won’t bite. Look, it’s got like a hundred teeth in that mouth. Plus, it could regurgitate. That’d be bad.”
“So, you’re saying it might bite us just ‘cause it feels like it? Or worse, it could throw up and then eat us? Fantastic, this day just keeps getting better and better.”
“Don’t worry. I have an idea.” Talon slowly slid his phone out of his pocket. He searched through a list of albums, then selected one titled Songs for Drifting Off to Sleep. “This should do the trick.”
When the music began, the serpent swayed along with the rhythm.
“Whoa, are you charming it?”
“No way! Charming snakes makes them wanna strike. I’m just trying to make it fall asleep. Like I said, digesting takes a long time and a lot of energy. Maybe weeks for that size meal. It’s probably really tired.”
They watched and waited as the serpent began to relax. Its head lowered more and more until it finally came to rest on its body. After a few moments, Talon gestured toward the forest. They inched slowly in that direction.
“Ok, boys, that’s enough adventuring for one day. It’s time for dinner. Hey, is that my phone?” asked Mom, ruining yet another grand adventure.
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