There is a world somewhere that is known for its large jungle. The jungle contains trees that reach the top of the sky, ground so nutritous and green that everything can grow on it and it has the most extraordinary animals.
And one of those animals is a snake called Verpus.
Verpus was a very large snake. His body could wrap itself around four trees in a row and he could pulverize bushes with ease, although he never did such a thing.
He had skin as black as the cave in which he lived and to which no animal dared to come near and he had eyes that glowed green in the dark.
That cave and the rocky and ugly ground that surrounded it was his part of the jungle and no one could nor would come near this part. And he wouldn't leave it either.
Still, Verpus liked to glide through the jungle, to the other parts of it, even though Leon, the King of the jungle, forbid him to. But his black skin made him invisible between the dark bushes and at night.
Whenever he dared to get away from his part of the jungle he would go to the other parts of the jungle as quickly as he could, skimming through every place he went and taking in their beauty and food, while carefully avoiding the other animal clans.
But if he happened to stumble on them accidentally, he couldn't help but to keep his green eyes lingering on them, from the dark bushes where he stood.
And he would see them sitting close to each other. He would hear them laughing. He would feel the warmth the mother radiates as she forces her children to bed.
And he would feel alone.
Because he didn't have clan.
He didn't have a family.
One night, he went through the jungle again and it was this night in particular that he stumbled on what seemed like thousands of families.
First it were the monkeys that happened to live in the trees he passed, then it were the jaguars who happened to live across the bushes through which he moved. There was a fish family in the lake he drank from and even on the ground he saw a family of ants passing by.
And then he stumbled on the biggest family of the jungle.
They were spread around the rock that stood close to their den. The women were leaning close to their men and the children played around them.
On top of the rock sat the King of the Jungle with a little welp next to him. He lay his paw on his head and licked his face. The little welp laughed and tried to push him away, but kept on licking him.
He paid no attention to the other lions around him; he only had eyes for his baby boy.
And Verpus could see how close they were sitting to each other. He could hear them laugh.
He could feel the warmth the King of the jungle radiated as he looked at his son.
And he felt alon again.
Because he didn't have a clan.
He didn't have a family.
But then, he heared a scared roar. His moved his head toward the sound and, to his surprise, a little welp stood a few feet away from him with terror in its eyes.
The other lions snatched their head in his direction and roared out of anger when they saw the black snake with its glowing green eyes in the bushes.
And Velpus hurried away as fast as he could, hoping the lions couldn't catch him.
I mean no harm! he thought as he was moving away quickly. I just want a family!
But the angry lions were nearing him, breaking branches, pulverizing bushes, leaving claw marks on tree trunks.
And soon he felt claws in his skin and one of the lions jumped on his back to prevent him from going further.
And he was forced to lay there, unable to get away.
Then he saw golden paws moving towards him and he looked up to see the King of the jungle looking down on him, his darkbrown and grand mane around his face.
"I thought I banned you to another part of the jungle." His voice thundered as he spoke.
Verpus didn't answer.
"You dare to disobey my order, snake?"
Verpus didn't answer.
"Fine then," he said and he turned away from Verpus. "Kill him."
And they ripped Verpus' body to pieces.
But instead of being envelopped by the darkness that the death brings, a white light came to him.
Suddenly he found himself in a strange, but peaceful place.
And in front him stoof a gigantic snake with golden green skin and yellow eyes.
And she smiled a warm smile at him.
"Hello, my son," she said.
My son? Verpus thought.
His eyes widened. My son!
He scurried towards the golden snake, his mother!, but didn't seem to be able to move.
The golden snake shook her head. "No, Verpus. You cannot come here, not yet. You must return to the jungle."
Verpus shook his head violently. but didn't say anything.
The snake came closer to him. "Yes, you do, Verpus. It is your home."
Verpus shook his head again.
Why doesn't she want me near? Do I not belong to any family, then?
"You do, my sweet Verpus. But family does not need to share the same blood and looks. Family must be a bond of love."
Love? But how can I be loved when everybody hates me? When they banned me?
"That is only because they do not understand you. You must speak, my son."
Speak? But they won't listen!
"Just speak, my son. This time, speak."
Her voice turned into an echo and the bright place disappeared.
Suddenly he found himself on solid ground, unable to move, a heavy weight on his back, claws in his skin.
He saw golden paws moving towards him and when he looked up he once again saw the face of the King of the jungle, who looked down on him with his darkbrown and grand manes around his face.
Verpus gasped.
And the King asked him the same questions and he didn't answer and his body was ripped into pieces.
"Again."
He saw the King of the jungle again and he asked him the same questions and Verpus still didn't answer and his body was ripped into pieces.
"Again."
He saw the King of the jungle again. The King asked him the same questions and this time he did answer. The King listened intently and asked him more questions and Verpus answered them, too.
The King's face had softened when Verpus had finished.
"I'm truly sorry, Verpus. I did not know it was a family you were seeking. If you had told me, I wouldn't have banned you, thinking you were a cruel predator."
"I'm at fault here, too, milord," Verpus said, "I should've spoken up."
The King smiled and invited Verpus to come and eat dinner with him and his family. And Verpus came. And he talked there to the other lions and soon other animals wanted to talk to him, too.
They, too, invited him for dinner and talked a lot to him.
All the animals grew to love Verpus and saw them as a member of their family.
One day Verpus glided through the jungle again in the beautiful daylight. He was on his way to the elephants, because one of them, elephant Mori, had just gotten a son. He carried a little present with him for the baby boy and was very excited to give it to him.
But then, suddenly, a golden green snake appeared in front of him and she wore a warm smile on her face.
"So you spoke," she said.
"Yes, I did," Verpus said and he smiled, too. "Mother."
"Did you find a family you belong to?" she asked.
"Yes, I did," Verpus said, "many of them, actually. The whole jungle became my family!"
The golden snake smiled, "Good."
And she disappeared again.
Verpus smiled to himself and then to the blue sky above him. "But you will always be my true family, mother."
And he set off again towards the elephants.
So that was it for this blog post guys! I hope you enjoyed the little story I made up and I'd love to hear your reactions in the comment section below and on social media and stuff!
Until the next blog post, then! :)
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