Cobra's Choice

1.

From clouds' corridors, the moon peeked, reflecting life of desires that could only be achieved on the other side of the world; an inspiring illumination of possibilities. Trees once sheltered a boy, when he would lie in the grass and look at the stars, connecting dots to make goals out of constellations. He didn't like the way the trees ruined the view, but they did provide shade and shelter when the sky sweltered...or cried. The lake caught most of its tears, and he admired the love that nature showed. He wanted to have something just like it someday.

He wanted a place to sit though, because ants wouldn't stop crawling on his limbs. Determined, they crept - as if plotting to stitch strings into skin. He already felt like a puppet, because the only way he could escape the dangers of lying in the grass was if he rode the swing. Both chains went from either side of the flexible seat to the top of one trees left arm and the other...her right arm. The catch: there were chains attached to both wrists. Though he was safe and couldn't be hurt by the ants, he sat there, controlled. Too sheltered, he wanted to know what it was like to survive a thunderstorm without a shelter. He wanted to know what it was like to survive walks in the desert with no water. Loneliness loomed like fog; a constant reminder of how there really wasn't anything to lose.

The trees released him and he laid in the grass. He confronted the ants and resolved the conflicts. He even helped them build anthills before leaving with a positive, genuine goodbye. For the first time in his life, he felt he had accomplished something. So as he left the forest and his beloved lake, he didn't forget about the sky. The sky stayed with him and so did the moon.

Encountering the rays of the sun proved to be a challenging experience. In a matter of six hours, he had gone from casper-pale to autumn-brown. He wondered what his face looked like, but without the lake, he didn't know how to judge himself. He missed the old times, in that sense, but the sun was a new friend; it had changed him. And though he was thirsty and verging on dehydration, a rainforest appeared above the horizon. Beyond the mesas and distant canyons, he acknowledged another chance at change. And so he walked; a cowboy without a horse.



2.

As the rainforest came closer with each step, sweat drained from his forehead to feet, swollen, blistered, yet the calluses displayed developed strength. The sores healed after resting at the oasis. He slept rather well that night, but when morning came, a snake came out from the water to ask him - in a sly, scratchy voice, “What’sss a boy like you doing in ssseee middle of thisss lonely desssert?” The boy didn’t understand what was happening. “You can talk?” The boy asked, backing away. The serpent slithered up to the boy’s nose; it’s pharaoh-like face looked him dead in the eye. “You realissse, that you could be DEVOURED by the beassst?” The boy scratched his blonde hair and replied, “I’ve never heard of no beast.”

“Don’t be a fool!” The snake thundered in synchronization with the sky, which appeared to have turned on him. “You will not sssurvive out here! You will not even lassst a sssingle day!”

“The beast will eat me?”

“No. Ha! You sssilly little boy.”

The snake slithered out into the desert and disappeared beyond the distant heat-waves. The sun vanished behind the furious clouds, pouring rain, as lightning struck the scattered cactuses. The boy laid in the fetal position, facing the ground. In that moment, he wished he hadn’t ever known what it was like to survive a thunderstorm. And it was more than a thunderstorm; tornadoes began to fall from the sky like spinning water from a funnel. Dust climbed the backs of the twisters, swirling into the mouth of a friend…now an enemy. The colossal, rotating vacuum sucked the boy and threw him across the desert.



3.

He landed in the canopy of the rainforest; precisely, he landed on a tree limb. Before him, an orange and black-striped tiger rested on bark-skinned wood. It hadn’t even noticed the boy, though it intimidated him still.

The boy grabbed a vine and slid down like Tarzan. The floor of the forest was cold and dark. There were too many bugs and wild things. The boy wanted to climb the vine and return to the tiger. He wondered if it would protect him from the insane society. He naively climbed the vine. He joined the tiger on the tree’s limb and cleared his throat. The tiger’s eyes opened wide and it growled. “I’m sorry to wake you,” said the boy. “I met a snake earlier, he could talk; so I’m guessing that you can talk as well. Can you?” The tiger didn’t speak, it just laid its head on its paw and stared at him. “Where am I?” The boy asked. There was no response. The lonely, scared boy wanted to burst in tears…and he did. Still, there was no reaction from the tiger. Frustrated, the boy impulsively asked, “Well, aren’t you suppose to eat me?” But the tiger had fallen asleep.

The boy realized that he had to face his fears, even if it meant he’d be alone.



4.

The floor of the rainforest echoed musically with nature, with crickets, frogs, and other strange noises. He walked through the greenery as leaves crunched underneath each step. The journey lasted several hours. And though there were all kinds of wild things around him, nothing changed. Overcome with loneliness, he wished the snake would come back. He even thought of turning around and going back for it. But why would he want to return to a snake that came for a short while only to abandon him? He even thought of giving the tiger a second chance, but the tiger could only give limited attention.

“I wish I was a tiger,” the boy said to himself. And he began to act like a tiger, crawling on his arms and knees - like a cat-man of some sort. The new motions were tiring, but he adapted to change. Monkeys in the trees gave him funny looks and laughed. He thought of befriending them, but he wanted to be in the league of the tigers. He believed he was better than them, so he continued to imitate the tigers whom he admired so much. He even learned to leap onto the branches until he reached the highest limb. He didn’t get the hang of it instantly, however … he fell six times before accomplishing his goal.

With head resting on paws, he slept on the highest limb.



5.

The snake woke him. It slithered around his thighs, as if seductively. “I sssee you are ssstill alive,” the snake said superiorly. The boy jumped and quickly forgot about his role as a tiger. “Yes, I’ve survived so far.”

“Ssso I am guesssing you didn’t sssee the beassst?”

“I met a tiger.”

“What would a tiger want with you? You foolisssh little boy. Your are nothing but skin and bonesss. There isss no meat. Of courssse he is not the beassst.”

“Then who is the beast?”

“You will sssee.”

And the snake slithered down the tree’s trunk and left. Again, the boy had been abandoned without a goodbye.

“I want to leave this place. It’s too lonely,” the boy said to himself. “What lingers outside of this rainforest?”

That is when he climbed even higher, as far as he could go. He pushed a branch out of the way. He faced an endless tundra. And when he turned around, there was rainforest and then desert out in the distance. And when he turned to his left, there was more rainforest. And when he looked to his right, there were mountains.

“I’m not a tiger and I will never be one. I will never be as beautiful, as fast, and as strong as one. I am nothing. Well, no…I am something. What am I?” said the boy. “If I was an eagle, I’d fly to the mountains.”

“If I was an eagle, I would fly to the mountains. Rahhh! Rahhh!” said an annoying voice.

“What are you? Where are you?” The boy asked frantically, stumbling - and he fell off of the limb.

After a loud thud, a parrot sat on his stomach.

“If I was an eagle, I would fly to the mountains. Rahhh! Rahhh!” said the parrot.

“But parrots can fly to the mountains too,” said the boy with a smile. “Can you show me how to fly?”

“Can you show me how to fly?” the parrot echoed.

“I’m lost and need to get to the mountains. Can you help?”

“Can you show me how to fly? I’m lost.” the parrot answered.

“I’m lost too, but you know how to fly already. You are a parrot!”

“You are a parrot! Rahhh!”

“I’m not a parrot. I’m not a tiger. I’m not beautiful, I’m not strong, I’m not fast,
and I cannot fly. I cannot do anything. I am nothing.”

“You are a parrot! Rahhh!”

“I’m not a parrot.”

“I’m not a parrot. Rahhh!”

Fed up, the boy got up and walked solo…toward the mountains. The parrot yelped, “I’m not a parrot. Rahhh!”

The boy mumbled to himself, “I don’t ever want to be a parrot.”



6.

The boy wondered if the parrot was mocking him or being honest. He even wondered if the parrot was simply stupid. “Maybe he’s all three,” the boy mumbled to himself as he walked through the rainforest. The wildlife songs stopped playing.

All he heard was the crunch of leaves and consequence.

That is when he realized that the edge of the rainforest was near. “It just occurred to me that there was no thunderstorm,” the boy whispered. The eerie silence prevented him from comfortably talking to himself. He thought, if someone or something was around, that they would hear him, because for once, he was actually being honest with himself, and there were no other noises to drown out any acknowledgement of his existence.

He continued to walk while pushing palm fronds out of his way until there was a clearing. Grass covered the earth for about one hundred feet…and then there was another edge. When he reached the edge, he saw a river of lava flowing toward the tundra. The frozen paradise would soon melt in the heat’s presence. The boy immediately blamed the sun, because had never met anything so hot in his life.

“I thought the sun was my friend though,” the boy mumbled. He didn’t understand the existence of what he thought of as…liquidized light. He remembered the betrayal of the sky, so he began to doubt his trust with the sun. “I met the sun through the sky anyway,” said the boy. “I bet the moon, stars, and galaxy would turn against me too.”

That is when the boy, with limited knowledge, automatically abandoned everything related to the sky…and instantly trusted the earth.



7.

That night, the moon showed its craters to the boy. “No one is perfect,” said the moon. “Everyone has their scars, weaknesses, and faults. Regardless of excuses, you must be careful of who you trust.”

The boy, less concerned about betrayals because he had finally found a land-bridge that went over the river of lava, nodded his head. Tired from the upward walks and constant climbs, he went to sleep on the soft earth. The moon continued to shine, reminding the boy of its presence, even though he slept on his side so that he wouldn’t see it. He didn’t want to trust the moon.

In the morning, the moon had left. The boy looked up at the sun, but turned right back around. He was grateful for the clouds that blocked the light. It made the journey less overwhelming.

“Hello there,” said a voice - and the boy immediately realized that it was the snake. “Are you following me?” The boy asked.

“Of courssse not.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Fine. I have been following you.”

“I knew it. Why do you hide from me?”

“Sssomeone is getting a little carried away, I sssee.”

“Not really. I just want to know…why are you following me? The trip has been lonely. I would have enjoyed your company.”

“I thought you would have more successs without me. No one trussstsss a sssnake.”

“I trust you.”

“Why would you trussst me?”

“You have never betrayed me.”

“Have you lossst your mind?”

“No. I have been betrayed by many friends. Though you have left me and returned only to leave again, you are still a part of my life. And before I could tell you what you meant to me, you keep leaving. Why do you always leave me?”

“Who wantsss to be with a sssnake?”

“Well, you will never find out. You keep abandoning people - like me - without giving them a chance to get to know you!”

“Perhapsss I’m ssscared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Like I sssaid, no one trussstss a snake. Boy, you are better off without me.”

“But I don’t even know your name?”

“My name isss Cobra.”

Cobra began to slither away, but the boy ran in front of him. “Please don’t leave me,” the boy said. “Or…at least don’t pretend to leave me.”

Cobra stopped, gave him a thoughtful look, and said, “Perhapsss you are lesss foolisssh than I thought.”



8.

The boy didn’t understand why no one would trust a snake. Cobra was there for him when he needed someone. Even though he disappeared behind his shadow before, the boy didn’t doubt his trust. “Ssso where are you off to anyway?” Cobra asked. The boy said, “I want to see what’s on the other side of this mountain.”

“There’s nothing but deadlandsss.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve been there and back.”

“Why do you call them the deadlands?”

“A volcano erupted and dessstroyed the foressst. The animalsss came in herdsss, packsss, flocksss and all kindsss of groupsss, but not anymore. They are gone.”

“All of them?”

“There are many that sssurvived, but you mussst look out for the hyenasss.”

“Is this ‘beast’ you speak of…is it one of the hyenas?”

“No. This beassst is much worse.”

“Can you tell me what it is?”

“You will find out on your own.”

“Why can’t you just tell me?”

The duo halted and argued for six minutes.

“So should we not go to the deadlands?” The boy asked.

“You’re better off ssstaying away from sssuch a playssce,” said Cobra.

“What’s it like in the tundra?”

“It’sss cold and boring. The penguinsss are ssstuck up. They alwaysss crowd around in groupsss, sssinging gossspelsss and a bunch of ssstuff that I find to be complete nonsssenssse. That isss jussst my persssonal opinion.”

“That sounds familiar. I think I’ve been there before, except it wasn’t a tundra. It simply snowed.”

“True.”

“So where should we go?”

“We could alwaysss sssettle here.”

“But then it would only be usss?”

“True.”

“I want to have friends though.”

“It isss not good to have friendsss. You can’t trussst anyone nowadaysss. They betray ssso easssily.”

“Well, I’m going to keep walking until I find friends. I’m going to take my chances in the deadlands.”

“No, don’t go!”

“I’m leaving, whether you are coming with me or not.”

“That isss where you will find the beasst.”

“That is the only place around here where there is life.”

“No, there isss only death.”

“What do I have to lose anyway?”

“Yourssself.” Cobra began to get teary eyed and added, “And me.”

For the first time, the boy felt sympathy, but he responded, “I want friends. You are my only real friend right now. And that won’t change.”

“I feel I am losssing you,” said Cobra.

“You won’t lose me if you come with me.”

“Fine, then go ahead. I don’t want to have anything to do with it. You will learn on your own.”

“Shows how much you care.”

And the boy continued the upward climb. Cobra stood there and watched for a few minutes and turned around. This was the first time, since Cobra met the boy that he stopped following him.



9.

At the top of the mountain, the boy saw everything; the lake surrounded by woodlands, the desert, the rainforest, the tundra, more mountains, deadlands, and even the ocean. The downward walk was much easier. There were times when he’d slide down smooth rocks and land on a rather flat part of the mountain. By the end of the day, he had reached the deadlands. He struggled to sleep though, because he missed Cobra. He finally fell asleep several hours later.

With a jolt, he was awake. The earth had quaked. “Are you mad at me?” The boy asked the earth. And hot steam shot out from a geyser 100 feet away. In that moment, the boy realized that the earth that he trusted…had become unpredictable. “Cobra!” The boy yelled. “Cobra! Are you here?” But there was no sound other than the rumble of the earth. The boy noticed a cow’s skull, partly stained in black, which sent goosebumps up his neck. The boy turned around to go look for Cobra.

“Wait!” said a smooth voice. “Are you lost?”

The boy turned around to see what he thought was a goat. He answered, “Yes.”

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know.”

“I could give you something to look for. Come with me.”

“No, you see, my friend Cobra…”

“Forget about Cobra. I’m right here and here’s your chance. Get on top of me and we can go places.”

“It’s just bad timing. I need to find Cobra. Can you meet me here in two days?”

“Fine.”

The boy climbed up the mountain, leaving the stranger behind. The search lasted for the two days as expected, but Cobra was never found.

He returned to the place in the deadlands where he met the stranger…but no one else was there. He called over thirty times, but no response followed.

“I must find him,” he said.

And he walked deeper into the deadlands in order to find the stranger.



10.

The boy came across giant skeletons…of elephants. The atmosphere was dusty, old, abandoned and a bit haunted. It’s as if the sand-stained wind was death, preventing escape for anyone who entered such a barren wasteland…and it left his mind feeling rather dull, as if all wisdom had been swept up in the current of inevitability and had been scattered all over the land as unnoticed dust. It left him feeling thoughtless, emotionless, and fearless. And that is when the stranger returned...when the boy was most vulnerable.

“Why didn’t you wait for me?” asked the boy.

“Sorry, you had your chance, but you went back with Cobra,” said the stranger. “And I can’t like someone who likes someone else.”

And the stranger wildly ran away with a deer, leaving trails of footprints and broken bones and the sobbing boy.

“I didn’t even know who he was,” said the boy between cries and cracked breaths. The boy didn’t know who or what the stranger was, but in that moment it occurred to him. “He’s a jackass.”



11.

The boy finally ditched the skeletal graveyard. He walked toward the mountains. The ground was covered in cracks of dried dirt and occasional quakes, but the sand softened with every step…and soon there were glimpses of thin grass; a hint of hope, in the boy’s mind. And the closer he got to the mountain, the ground became greener. It was a slow transition from death to life; a rebirth.

“Even the earth needs time to heal,” muttered the boy, not even aware of how deeply he thought. “Nothing is perfect.”

As he reached the ankles of the mountain, a lion came out from behind the boulders. A mixed emotion of admiration and intimidation ran through him. Soon, the lion made his way next to the boy, and initiated conversation as they walked toward the mountain together.

“Hello,” he greeted.

“Hey."

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it? The sky is lovely." He always smiled when he spoke.

"Yes, the sky is beautiful...but unpredictable."

"Everything is unpredictable, but perhaps that is what makes life interesting, what makes us stronger."

"Yeah, but the sky betrayed me...and I struggled to trust things ever since. I'm getting better though."

"I know how you feel. You have to be cautious at first. And if the stranger is worthy of trust, then he becomes your friend."

"What if the friend abandons you?"

"Then he really wasn't a friend at all, unless he comes back."

The boy frowned, which the lion picked up on immediately and changed the subject. "Wonderful, the mountain is, eh?"

"I love it! If only there was more company."

They held the conversation all the way up to the mountaintop. Finally, the lion asked with a smile, “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Good question.”

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I'm beginning to realize what I want to do."

"And what is that?"

"I want to explore, instead of look. There's a difference, but if something happens to come my way, then that is a chance I'm willing to take."

“That's good."

"Yeah, I've come a long way."

"Are you lost though?”

He looked at the lion, admiring everything about him. He knew what he wanted…for once. And Cobra no longer plagued his mind.

“No,” the man answered. “I’m found.”