Every night, 10-year-old Cassandra goes on a surreal journey. As she falls asleep, she awakens in a different building - a mall, a movie theater, a train station. Each location is eerily deserted...empty of life, the exits locked or blocked, and the...
The ground was rough, cold and moist. A pungent smell invaded her nostrils, similar to the fumes of a car's exhaust. Cassandra's eyes fluttered open to the sight of a plush cat. It's fur a blend of orange and tan, its eyes black- a 'Lime' colored collar wrapped around its neck. A wave of terror and confusion swept over her as she scanned her surroundings in a panic, the sense of fear causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end - This was not her home.
With the plush cat clutched in her arms, Cassandra pulled herself up, taking in the sight of what looked to be a parking garage. Not too far from her was a blue car, its doors open its rear wind shield shattered. With a slow pace, Cassandra wearily approached the blue car. Her eyes left scanning the ground for bits of glass before looking into the back seat. Laying in the back was a grey flashlight and a small book both seeming to call her, the urge to take them now pressuring her thoughts. Giving into the thoughts, she snatched the purple notebook and flashlight before retreating from the car and settling against a wall. Her bare feet grazed the rough concrete as she slid down, her shorts becoming damp from the concrete.
Cassandra hesitantly opened the notebook, clicking on the flashlight and squinting as she looked at the page "...notes... for my survival...?" she asked herself. Flipping the pages and taking small glances at the drawings and the pages upon pages of messy writing before flipping back to the first page. She let out a small giggle at the drawings on the page before reading it.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Cat" must mean the stuffed animal that was with her, the little orange cat she woke up with. Its fur was matted and old, it was clearly well loved by somebody in the past- maybe if Cassandra found a comb or brush, she could fix the fur. She let out a soft hum, skipping to the first page of writing- she would go back to the notes after she read it.
The first page read:
~ Look out for the naked rat snakes. A rat-like creature the size of a cat- they look innocent enough at first glance, and will actively avoid you for a while, but after the clock rings they will get more aggressive and bolder. They hunt by scent, being completely blind. They're quick and can open their mouths wider than their jaw should allow. You'll usually know you're being attacked before they come at you. you'll hear them screech which is a warning to run, they like to chase. They attack by leaping at you and biting. They're mostly hairless, with small tufts of fur dotted across their bodies, usually found with black hair/skin and empty eye sockets. Unfortunately, since they're such a 'joy' to be around, where there's one, there's always more.
signs of naked rat snakes are:
- Distinctive scents: given their reliance on scent for hunting, these creatures leave a unique, musky odor in their wake. This could be a sign of their recent presence or that one is nearby.
-Screeching Sounds: as I've mentioned they screech when they're about to attack. If you hear a high-pitched screech, it's likely one is nearby.
-Fur Tufts: You might find small tufts of black fur in the area. These have been shed by the creatures.
-Bite Marks: Look for bite marks on low-lying objects or furniture. The width of the bite will be large due to their ability to open their mouths wider than their jaws.
-Droppings: Droppings are usually easy to find and can be found in drawers, under tables and near food areas and garbage bags. Droppings can be found around where the rats are feeding or nesting, so they may be close by if you find some. ~
Cassandra's nose wrinkled; 'Naked rat snakes' sounded terrifying. Not to mention they were the size of a cat- this had to be a dream, there was no way that this was real. Cassandra looked to the back of the page, there was a... rant? it was weird.
~The naked rat snakes taste like a mix of rabbit and racoon, and its meat has a sweet flavor. The skin cooks to be flakey and dry like an overcooked turkey that was allowed to shrivel up in the oven- I'd recommend avoiding eating anything above the shoulders, it's purely muscle and is very chewy and bitter. overall id say they are a 4/10 for taste and 5/10 on texture.
The jaws of a naked rat snake lock into place and won't loosen until the hunt is over or the rat is killed, their teeth although small are extremely sharp and can be used to make weapons or as markers on walls.
The rest of the page was incoherent scribbles and drawings of said 'rats'. Cassandra huffed and shook her head; this must have been a dream.
Part one is done!! ill have it proofread soon so watch out for any updates!
my writing schedule is chaotic and i have no idea when ill post again, feel free to leave ideas for other dreams (creature/s location ect) and ill consider writing it!
Thank you oak-tree for making the notebook page for me!!
