Information

doraphobia has a minion!

Jake the Zodiac Snake Spirit

doraphobia
Legacy Name: doraphobia

The

Glade Serpenth
Owner:

Tilcara

Age: 13 years, 6 months, 1 week

Born: October 8th, 2010

Adopted: 13 years, 3 months, 6 days ago

Adopted: January 11th, 2011

Pet Spotlight Winner
December 29th, 2012

Statistics

Level: 1
Strength: 10
Defense: 10
Speed: 10
Health: 10
HP: 10/10
Intelligence: 2
Books Read: 2
Food Eaten: 0
Job: Towel Folder

Story

Her mother named her Dora, after Dora Maar, the muse of Picasso. She lived a happy life until she met a dog for the first time of her life. He was a cute Labrador puppy, and wasn't aggressive at all, but she suddenly felt dizzy, breathless, and an intense fear she had never felt before. It seemed clear she had an irrational fear of dogs... Until a cousin of hers brought a rabbit home. The sight was unbearable. She would only leave her room if she was sure the rabbit was in his cage in her cousin's bedroom. Her parents made sure she would stay away from furry animals, hoping the therapy would work. But it didn't. Her fear was getting worse. She couldn't bear even seeing cartoons with furry animals in them. She saw her mother cry in her father's arms. He was saying that the therapist told him it could worsen until she wouldn't bear touching any kind of skin.

She had some friends, even if their idea of cuteness wasn't exactly the same, they shared many moment together. Few of them had pets. One had fish, another had birds, another a turtle. Those who had a dog, a cat, or a rodent would avoid speaking about it. Sadly, none of them had a snake, Dora's dream pet, but also the animal her mother feared the most, so having one was out of the question. At the end of summer, when food becomes scarce and the temperatures lower, she would capture a weak lizard or gecko, put it in a vivarium and feed it. In spite of her friends, her scaly companions and the love her parents gave her, she was often feeling lonely.

One day, she went in a school trip abroad. The pupils would live for one week with a local family. Hers was warned of her fear so nobody worried. But the woman who should have lodged her had an accident and had to go to the hospital. A neighbour picked her up instead, and thought she would like to go to the local zoo, which had quite a reputation. The visit was a real calvary for Dora. She thought many times she would faint, until she saw the vivarium. She stayed there, trying to breathe. There were two magnificent adult reticulated pythons looking at her from below. She went closer to the parapet. And closer. She felt as if they wanted her to join them. Someone shouted behind her. She jolted. The snakes were getting closer. Her last thought was for her parents...

She opened her eyes. She was almost blind but there was something that looked like two red eyes above a smile, it reminded her of the Cheshire cat. She heard a voice in her head.

"Don't worry, I will explain."

"I fell. With the snakes."

"Yes. A sad accident. The security wasn't good enough. Keeping such dangerous snakes with just a small parapet to protect visitors..."

"They didn't seem dangerous to me."

"They are used to humans but if they are hungry they won't hesitate to eat one."

"If I'm hungry I would eat anything too. Am I dead ? Did they eat me ?"

"No but that's what people will think."

"Why ?"

"You have to make a choice before I explain."

"What choice ?"

"It seems someone didn't like to see you suffering as a human and, instead of letting you die, chose to give you a new life..."

"Well, that's kind, but..."

"It's a life as a completely different being".

"You mean..."

"You're a snake now. A white-lipped python."

"I am a... what ?"

"I know it's difficult, but think about it. You will not see furry animals, you will not touch them, and you will still have contact with humans. People here love to hold snakes. You will not be exceed 6 feet (1m80) so they won't be afraid of you. Not like Tik and Tak, who are 25 feet long (7m60)."

"And what about my family ?"

"For other people you are dead and Tik or Tak has eaten you. If that can help you, your family think that at least you are in a better world, free from fear, and that you know peace at last. They miss you but they couldn't stand seeing you suffer. They would have given anything for you to be happy. Now you must choose if you want to die or live as a snake. If you choose to die, it will be quick and painless I swear."

"This life is a gift so I won't refuse it." Dora answered. She still couldn't identify who was talking but with her sense of taste and infrared sensing, she identified a small floating figure. And what she thought was a smile now looked like a scythe, which scared her a bit.

"All right. Goodbye then." The voice said. It sounded lonely.

"Who are you ?"

"Someone you will probably never see again."

"But you have a name, haven't you ? You're not "Death" are you ?"

"My name is Mumyo, and I'm a living being. Maybe if we meet again I will explain."

"Will you be my friend then ? I don't feel like I'll ever talk to someone again and I miss my parents."

"Don't worry, you will find happiness, I promise you."

The figure disappeared. With her almost blind eyes, she saw one last time this Cheshire-cat like figure. She felt her tongue getting out of her mouth. The explosion of different tastes in her mouth was extraordinary. Fear had left her and hope had came back. She would have smiled if she had still lips.

There is a zoo whose mascot it a white-lipped python. She is very friendly with visitors and can be held in any way possible without complaining. She lives with another white-lipped python named Jake who was abandoned by his previous owners fearing his aggressiveness. At her contact he became much nicer with humans, even if he remains a shy boy. Children love seeing them sleeping, one head above another, like a human couple, their particular lips giving the impression they smile in their sleep. Caretakers think they will have babies quite soon. It's said that when they tried to feed her a furry animal, she would hide far in her vivarium until Jake kills and eat it. So they feed her with featherless quails, sometimes joking about her "phobia". That's why she is called Doraphobia. But everyone calls her Dora.

Credits

Photo is a white-lipped python (Leiopython albertisii). They live mostly in New Guinea, but I took this photo in a zoo. Shame I don't know his/her name.

x by

fink
x by

~~Shalashaska~~