Aaron Walters had it all; lived very comfortably in an expansive luxury penthouse atop one of those desirable downtown glitzy condo towers, possessed the right education credentials to get to know influential people who willingly opened those invisi...
"It won't be much longer." hoping to reassure her upon hearing a sudden flurry of scratching sounds.
Perhaps my walking from my beat-up pick-up truck to the animal hospital's main entrance was agitating her.
"What am I doing?" disbelieving I was even here, because I'd never done anything like this in my entire life.
Using my back, I carefully shoved open the main entrance glass door and wondered how many waiting pet owners were ahead of us. Knowing what was confined inside this closed up cardboard box, I had no wish to elicit disdainful cold stares and unwanted but well-intentioned criticism from complete strangers about missing air holes so that poor whatever was inside the box could breathe.
I knew all that stuff... but the last thing needed or wanted was to have this strange small creature poking its little head out an air hole and then be noticed. I was also hoping not to encounter a neighbour or acquaintance and then have to awkwardly dodge nosy questions being politely asked just to make conversation while waiting.
Upon stepping into the small waiting area I felt relief discovering it was empty; even the receptionist was gone. I sat on one of the chairs, placed the box on my lap and nonchalantly rested my arms on top to ensure the flaps remained tightly closed.
Since discovering this unbelievable little thing in my garden this morning I 'd been regarding it only as a strange type of snake that really needed medical attention, but as I continued waiting, the questions I probably should have considered hours ago but hadn't thought of, started popping into my head, "Is it dangerous? Does it bite? Could it be poisonous? Can it kill me?"
Although very curious after imprisoning her, I hadn't reopened the box to take that second look... just in case. As my wait lengthened I wondered what type of snake could possibly have a human-like head with hair; none that I'd ever heard of. Another very uncomfortable realization then hit me; this thing also possessed arms and hands and could very easily tear her way out of this box I was still holding.
"Where's that doctor?" I panicked, fearing to move or even twitch, feeling just like that proverbial hapless soldier in the war movies who'd stepped on a landmine and could never move his foot off without triggering a blast.
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Nervously staring at the framed images of animal footprints displayed on the facing powder blue and light yellow wall, various scenarios involuntarily played scary with my imagination; this creature could have escaped into my truck's small cab while I was driving, it could have slithered up my leg, it could have... If light blue was supposed to induce a sense of calm and relaxation then it wasn't working.
"#⁂₪※! I still have to drive home later." horror-stricken by the thought.
I really didn't want to think that far ahead right now.
"Mr. Walters?" a voice with a rather British sounding accent questioned
I hadn't even noticed that the door to my right had opened.
