The lonely snake

In the jungle, beneath the gnarled tree roots and withered leaves, lived a lonely snake.

She had lived many cold and friendless seasons in the bleak land, watching other snakes come and go in pairs while she remained alone.

Her scales had grown dull and her eyes wept secret tears, for she dreamed of waking up embraced in the coils of another, flickering tongues entwined in the dappled sunlight.

But when the last leaves fell and the snow descended, she remained alone, her hollow tree the only refuge from the emptiness within.

One moonlit night, as frost outlined the bare branches, she felt a movement on the ground. Two eyes were shining nearby, looking at her with sympathy.

A solitary snake, who also knew no embrace, had found her in the darkness.

They lay side by side, comforting each other, and for the first time she felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the season or the weather. She no longer felt alone.