Outside, a gust of wind blew past Alaysa and managed to blow all the leaves off the trees. Inside, Alaysa paced around the old building desperately searching for somewhere to hide. Massive cracks in the walls; broken crates with weapons inside them and a TV playing creepy sounds. To her shock, she found out that she couldn’t get out. She was stuck!

Behind her, the mysterious man stood by the brightest light in the doorway, a gun (which was full of bullets) in his hand. Alayasa froze in fear…

…but at that very moment, something hissed, louder than a pig squealing. Out of the pitch black, not one but two fiery orange eyes appeared; a flash of brown and sharp white teeth. What looked like a giraffe, slithered past Alaysa and stood between her and the man.

It was long. Long and brown. Alaysa began to realise she was in a room with a python. It threw back its shedded skin and hissed. At that moment, the man made a run for it. Alaysa stood unsteady, paralised by fear.

The python turned and laid down in front of Alaysa resting its head on the ground. Alaysa could see that it had been shot. A gash of red ran across her side. She had never been so close to such a terrifying creature before. She could smell an earthy, musty scent and watched as it shedded the rest of her skin.

They stared intently at each other and Alaysa felt that she was sizing it up, seeing deeper and deeper into its soul. But, her fear began to fade and she held out her hand. It leaned its head forward and showed her teeth. Then it licked her skin with its rough, pink tongue. Its eyes sizzled as if heated by fire. She could see kindness but also a well of sadness.

It was then that she spoke. A low, gravelly voice that seemed to spring from the ground itself. It was a voice of rock mixed with wind and mud. “I need your help now,” it slowly begged. “We must find the gateway.”

Alaysa stared back, her head nodding as if she understood. She knew at that moment that she would do anything to protect this poor, beautiful creature. Anything. “They will be back,” said the python, “So I must hide.” 

Twenty minutes later, Alaysa and the python had slunk through the streets, down to the pond near the country park. No one ever dared to venture there. Rumour had it that people throw other people in there but that last summer Alaysa had made an entry. She often sat beside the water watching otters flash across the waters edge. The python curled up in a plant and slept. Alaysa kept watch.