the earth has music for those who listen
At first, Mateo very nearly does kick the ball of hanging snakes. Luckily enough, he comes to his senses before his foot shoots out, and instead he ends up standing over Ever as he cowers on the ground. "Oh," he murmurs, wincing at the sight of the little reptiles. "Oh, that's no good." Crouching down, heedless of the furry bundle between his legs, the boy reaches out for the snakes.
"I heard a story about a lady whose hair was made of snakes. My nonna told it to me," he explains, all the while carefully disentangling the debris from the snake ball. "Her name was Medusa. She could turn people to stone by looking at them... there." Very gently, Mateo unloops the snakes from each other, smiling and straightening up so he can hold up his arms and let them go back up into the trees.
"I heard a story about a lady whose hair was made of snakes. My nonna told it to me," he explains, all the while carefully disentangling the debris from the snake ball. "Her name was Medusa. She could turn people to stone by looking at them... there." Very gently, Mateo unloops the snakes from each other, smiling and straightening up so he can hold up his arms and let them go back up into the trees.
