Alpine Lake the first five days after the weekend are the hardest

inky ears flickered at her response to his call while his head lifted from the lake's edge and drops of water rolled clumsily down his chin. he took the time to investigate her assumed claim as she closed the distance between them, his honeyed gaze eventually snapping to meet her stare head-on once her figure materialized in his line of sight. she was as much a viper as he remembered her being, an unsettling twist to his stomach causing him to remained fixated on her form.

"who's to say i haven't jumped already and survived?", he challenged with a devilishly smirk and swat of his tail. their last encounter had left him wondering what had become of her, for she so easily appeared at the top of the mountain only to vanish once more. this time the roles were reversed, and it was him visiting her atop the peak. what happened after the words left his mouth will remain as much a mystery to you as it will me, but for simplicity's sake, let's just say they chatted a bit and then went their separate ways.