My name is Wisteria Alice Evergreen the second. Or, as my parents call me Ladybug. Or, how the others at my school call me: Snake girl. As for my real name, it was my grandmothers. Only reason I have the name second was because I was named after my great grandmother who's birthday is the same as mine. To my parents nickname, I dislike being called a bug.

Bugs aren't cute.

Whoever had the idea of calling their kids as cute as a bug must of had some ugly kids. Pretty clever tactic, call your kids cute but refer to them as pests. Very clever. Cute as a puppy or kitten, nah! Let's call them insects. That's a great idea! Plus... Ladybugs smell bad... Does that mean I should take a shower?

My classmates nickname? Well uh... My best friend is a ball python that I named Snowball when I was six and I bring him to school sometimes... It's not weird! I just...well... He was my brothers snake originally, but he asked me to take care of him while he served time in the military.

Only reason he left to join is because they'll pay his collage. Not that I'm saying being in the military is bad, I'm just wish he didn't leave me alone with all the jerks at my school... He was my best friend, second to Snowball. Besides him, I hated everyone else in the family...

Mom and dad could care less what happens to us... My younger siblings, Georgie and Arnold were brats. And Uncle Joes a deadbeat roommate in the house. My parents forced me to relocate to the twins room while he stayed with us till he got back on his feet. That was when I was in eighth grade. I'm a senior now.

Thankfully, Richie understood my dilemma. So when I was a sophomore, before he left, he told my parents that he was giving me his room and his snake. His room wasn't big, but it was better than sleeping on a mattress on the floor next to two rowdy brats. I love it, it's the few of things that remained in the house of his. My family doesn't take pictures... So having his room is the best to remember him by. As well as Snowball.

Or at least... I used to have Snowball. My parents were tired of me keeping a snake and wasting their money for a useless pet. So they dumped him in the abandoned quarry mines while me and my brats for siblings were at school... I only knew that's where they dumped him because the cars gps still displayed the directions to the desolate place. The place is basically an avalanche zone, our towns main cause of death isn't age or drugs but rather insolence by people who decide that it's okay for to go in there without a care.

I guess I could be considered one of those people as I navigated my way through the abandoned and overgrown mountainside of stone. "Snowball?" I whispered every once in a while, hoping that my scaly friend would pop his little head out so we could go home on my bike. He hasn't yet and to my knowledge it's about five in the evening, so I've been here for about three hours. And still no sign of my pet...

I feel like giving up... I might have just lost one of the last few things that could ever help me remember my brother... I miss him... I miss my brother so terribly... I'm scared... I'm scared that another war will break out and he'll be caught in the crossfire... "Richie..." I sniffled out as I sat down for a moment, resting my sore legs... "Why... Why is this so hard..?" I laid back letting the early September sun warm my face as it started to fade over the mountain. Drying my tears in the cool air.

I better get back soon... I didn't bring a flashlight and I'd rather not be stuck out here in the dark. I stood shakily, my feet were begging me to lay back down. I sighed softly and started to head back, but upon hearing the shifting of a rock behind me I stiffened thinking that my sigh might've been too loud... But standing still for as long as possibly a minute, nothing happened and I relaxed again. I turned around, searching for something different about the landscape.

I didn't recognize anything off the bat, but something seemed strange about the area now that I'm alert and observing. The ground was beaten down in an odd disarray, and there was a grove that intimated something heavy was drug or slid through this area. I frowned and followed the beaten path, not even ten feet later I found the cause of the destruction.

And surprise didn't cut the feelings that was swirling though my veins. Before my feet in a moderate sized gully in this rock field was at first appeared to be a breeding ground for a group of snakes that were very still. But to my surprise prise as I looked down at the shadowed groove was that it wasn't a bunch of snakes... But a very large one. It was coiled up and twisted up so much that I couldn't see head nor tail. If I had to guess, I'd say it was as long as four or five school busses and as thick as a tree trunk. The coloration was that of my ball python...

But this couldn't be my snake... There is no way that I would believe that that...thing! Was my snake! This was a misplaced monster...it had to be! I backed away slowly, trying my hardest to make my footsteps light to not wake the beast. Unfortunately I should have been focusing on where I was stepping... As I stepped back I managed to slip into a crevice big enough for my foot to slip into and cause me to fall backwards onto my butt with a small shriek as my shoe and foot got lodged into the tight space...

I covered my mouth and froze in fear of rocks crumbling down due to my squeak of fear. But all I heard... Was the slithering sound of scales roughly scrapping against rock..! Oh no..! It's awake! I struggled to get my foot out of the crack in the earth, looking around rapidly to see if it sensed me or for something to help get my foot out. I watched desperately as a scaly head peaked over the side of the hole!

This definitely wasn't my snake... The yellow eyes watched me struggled as the body rose like that of a cobra, something a ball python definitely wouldn't do. I tugged at my foot thoughtlessly as it advanced, pink tongue flicking out towards me. I felt tears threaten to fall as I watched as it rose up directly in front of me head deathly close to touching my leg as it looked down at me.

I froze like a mouse as it stared down at me, I probably was no bigger than a mouse to it... It's tail end started to whip around me concealing me in a three-sixty wall of scales, blocking off all light except for a hole in the ceiling where its head continued to stare down at me. Looming like a reminder of my death... I stared up at it in a silent plea to either spare me or end my life quickly...

But neither came as its head turned and hissed at an unseen foe to my eyes. That's when I registered the sound of an oncoming avalanche..! Both me and the snake was going to be crushed! I watched in mute fear as the walls tightened around me so that it barely touched me. The ceiling closed off and I felt the head of the beast, which was about if not bigger than my torso, press against my chest... I didn't realize that the eyes glowed dully till this moment and in that moment I could read the fear that lied deep within the slitted orbs.

It was scared...just like me... I reached my hand shakily towards the top of its head and gently stroked the cold scales. It pushed its head closer possibly seeking warmth...but to me I found it as a gesture of graditude as it would hiss in pain and tighten and loosen its enclosure around me, it was probably being beaten by the rocks as I sat trapped inside of its scaly enclosure... I don't understand... Why is it protecting me?

Unless... "S-Snowball..?" Its eyes narrowed, moving its head away from my chest, and stared directly into my own, "Is that you..?" Its head turned and its pink tongue flicked against my cheek, before resting its head on my lap. I began to stroke its skull again as I smiled tiredly in relief. "I don't understand how... But, thank you..." He flinched again, and I found myself feeling a wave of concern for my pet.

But as soon as it started, it stopped... My snake lifted its head as it extended its body, I watched as pale sunlight streamed in and listened as rocks and debris was pushed away. That's when I noticed the deep gashes imbedded into his flesh... I touched near the area of the closest gash, my snake watched as tears pricked the corners of my eyes... But to my shock the wounds began to almost weld themselves together. I felt over the area where the flesh used to be exposed, there wasn't even a scar..!

His head lowered towards my stuck ankle and flicked his tongue into the crack against my shoe. "I-its okay..! I'm okay..." But as the fear and adrenaline left me I could feel the pain from my ankle... Either I sprained it or it got scratched and the rock was pressing into my flesh... Neither were good for me or Snowball...

I sighed and focused solely on getting my foot out, wondering how it got wedged in the first place...I pulled gently and winced feeling the spike of pain flowing through my leg... I jumped more seeing a second pair of hands try to get my foot out! My snake was gone and in his place was a man wearing a leather jacket matching his short black hair... The only reason I knew it was Snowball was because of this man's yellow snake like eyes...

"S-Snowball..." The man's head whipped to me with a crooked smile. It wasn't an evil smile, just a sideways one. As if it was his first time smiling.

"Alisssee?" He chuckled as my eyes widened, his way of laughing was strange with a hiss at the end of each laugh. "Sssuprisssed?" He brought his hand up to my face and gently stroked my cheek.

"A-a bit... No! Okay, actually a lot!" He chuckled again, as he resumed his task of trying to free me.

"I'll exsssplain later. Letsss get you out firssst." I nodded and flinched as he reached down and touched my ankle. "Itsss ssswollen..." He looked concerned as he tried to pull the rock away. He suddenly grabbed me under my armpits and lifted me to a standing position. I felt a shoot of pain spike and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and buried my head in the crook of his neck... "SSSorry..." He started to walk backwards pulling me with him, to my surprise my foot loosened and I could lift it out easily.

I flinched as he set me down slowly, my ankle was bleeding lightly and was indeed slightly puffy... "Thank you..." He noticed my discomfort and put a arm under my legs and lifted me up again...

"Letsss go home," He put his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes with a small smile showing off his fangs. "My sssweet." His what now..!? Does he..! Want to eat me?! He started to chuckle again, "You're ssso adorable when you fret." He started to walk towards the direction of town while I was confused over by what he meant.

And, what he was... "Snowball?" He looked down at me again, "What are you exactly?"

"Your pet." He smirked, not realizing how strange that sounded from a grown man...

"I mean, what are you?" He looked confused and stopped walking.

"I'm your pet sssnake, Alisssee." He tilted his head, "What elssse do I need to be?" Um...okay...

"I um... I think I should move on to a different question..." He shrugged and continued on his way. "What's you name? You're real name."

"Sssnowball!" He seemed super happy about his name I gave him...

"The name I gave you when I was six?" He nodded again, "What were you called before I named you?" His eyes narrowed as he looked away.

"A beassst..." Oh dear goodness... All I'm trying to give him a better name that suits him rather than my childish name... "But the name you gave me, I wouldn't trade it for the world!" He held me closer, nuzzling against me... Talk about a clingy snake...

But... if he's this shapeshifting being..? "Snowball? Why... Why didn't you come home?" His body tensed up, he looked ashamed of his actions.

"I'm sssorry Alissse..." He looked as if he could cry. If reptiles could... Is he a reptile? What is he? " I thought your big folksss were acting upon your wissshesss... Ssso I ssstayed..." He thought I wanted to get rid of him? Never! He is my only friend!

"Oh Snowball... I wo-" His face suddenly brightened, and he clutched me tightly to himself, I now know that if he was still that enormous snake that I would be dead right now.

"But now I know thatsss falssse! My sssweet came to find me! And now you know what I can do! That meansss I can hold you forever!" His movements became giddy, like a child who was told they could have two scoops of ice cream before bed.

That is...if that ice cream was a person... Maybe a teddy bear is a better analogy. "You know that my parents will freak out when they see you like this?" His eyes narrowed and his face went rigid.

"They don't dessserve to see my true ssself. Only you Alissse." The stone cold expression melted in one that I could only describe as pure passion. "Only you are worthy my sssweet."

I'm starting to get scared... He's not clingy, he's possessive. I can only imagine that he sees me as an object or something shiny to his...species. "What do yo-" His tongue flicked against my cheek.

It was a snakes tongue...coming out of a man's mouth. I was less startled by the tongue and more so by the teeth. He had fangs. Like a rattle snakes. My ball python was venomous... Given his true forms size, there is no doubt in my mind saying that if he were to bite me I would be dead in seconds. If not instantly...

His tongue retreated back into his mouth, his eyes never left mine. They're cold, unblinking, and overall unsettling... I'm sure that if he didn't change into a man and remained only as a snake I would've been slightly more okay with this. But he does change into a man, a cold blooded person...named Snowball...

"Why did you lick me?!" My voice wavered, and my remark sounded weak. He merely gave me another half grin and held me tightly against him. His skin was cold and I couldn't help but involuntarily shiver. He rested his head in the crook of my neck letting out a satisfied sounding hiss.

"Ssso sssweet..."

"Let. Me. Go." My voice was harsh. Harsher than I intended to be honest. He looked surprised.

"Alissse?" His hold tightened slightly, he brought his head up to look me in the eyes. No doubt I looked like a frightened little lamb...

But no matter. I don't feel safe, and I need to get away from him. "Now." He looked like a kicked puppy rather than a snake. I almost feel bad.

Thankfully he listened, my ankle stinged as I put weight on it. "Whatsss wrong?" He didn't let go of my left hand. "I alwaysss hold you... I alwaysss sssnuggle into your neck... I always lick you... What did I do wrong?"