I'm on my hands and knees looking here and there as I push aside large boards, the wood hitting the ground with vibrating thuds. I'm knee-thick in a pile of wood planks, poles, and the like. It's a mixture of a wood graveyard and a recycling pile that everyone puts things into. It's a perfect place for ambush predators. And it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. Luckily I know what I'm looking for and how to stay safe. I keep a sharp eye out, my head shifting slowly listening to the faintest sounds. 

"Are you sure you're being safe missy?" 

I look back confused.  Three men hover behind me too nervous to get near the wood pile. One man wears a straw hat that hides his suntanned face with his wrinkles and tiny brown eyes. He's hunched over, and much older than any of the other men, but he still has this hardworking air to him that comes from his years of experience on the orchard. I call him Straw Hat because I can't remember his other name. There's Ed, Sow, Billy, and... I can't remember the other was it Andy? Anyway, it's hard remembering names. 

The other man I call Mr. Pirate. He's the youngest of the Ranch hands and lost his eye at a young age due to cow trouble. While trying to protect his grandmother from a rampaging cow, its hoof caught his face permanently damaging his eye. So he wears an eyepatch like a Pirate. He's probably the nicest of them all, at least he doesn't question my actions all the time. 

The last man, has his back turned muttering something like, "If she gets killed, Elizabeth will murder us slow and painfully." I call him Cranky because he never smiles and always mutters about something. I don't understand why Auntie will murder him, I'm not dying? 

I pause, hearing something to my left. Slowly, I focus in that direction of a dark space, narrow like a tunnel and hidden from sight. If I were a predator I would hide here waiting to ambush my next prey. I focus and spot a palm-sized snake with a large head flicking its tongue at me. It spots me watching it and tries to slither away. 

Calmly I grab its belly, pulling it out. It twists around mouthing my thumb before hissing and twisting through my fingers eager to escape. After a few seconds, it settles down, smelling the air. "I'm not going to harm you," I whisper, allowing it to feel my warmth before I let go of my grip. I can't have it escaping yet, if it's comfortable it won't bolt on me. 

I turn to Straw Hat, "It's a Mew Snake, named after its cute patchwork patterns mimicking a cat's fur. It's a perfect garden snake, docile, and great at killing pests. Rats, large bugs like prey mantis, and other more dangerous snakes. They make great first-time snake pets." I step over the wood walking over to them, "I think this one is on the young side, you can tell because of the light colors on its belly. It gets darker as it ages, they also lose their spots and become a dull brown."  

Straw Hat stares, Pirate steps away, and Cranky smacks his forehead. 

"It's a good thing it wasn't a Rattiler or a Red Mark. But with a Mew snake baby around, that means its parents are around. They will keep the more harmful snakes away. Did you know they are mostly immune to other snakes venum? It's really amazing, the Mew snake has Venum too and snake handlers milk Mew's because their venom can be used to help fight against Rattiler or Red Mark poisonings. If a doctor has no idea which snake bit a person, they use Mew antidotes to see which one. If a person gets red marks along their body, a bit like chicken pox, then they were attacked by a Red Mark. Which is where the Red Mark got its nickname." 

I gently pat my new friend's head. It's cool scales are soft to the touch. People have told me that snakes are slimy, hard, and rough. I find them to be the exact opposite. They are as dry as flown feathers and as smooth as river stones. It's a wonderful feeling petting them. "Oh but don't worry they don't actually use their venum with fangs, it's more of a secretion in their mouth to assist with digesting food and allowing it to go down to their stomach. Pretty much harmless to people." 

I take note that Straw Hat has been staring at the Mew snake this entire time. Is he as fascinated by them as I am? Whenever I really like something I stare at it for hours and hours, waiting for the chance to pet it if I can. Sometimes I can't like if I see a poisonous snake I can only watch from a distance, or a flying bug not like I can pet those. But this is a Mew snake, it's perfectly safe to play with. He must want a chance to pet it too! Excited and happy to share a commonality with another I dance over to him, "Do you want a turn!" I lift the snake towards him. 

Instead of stepping forward to grab the snake, Straw Hat steps back showing me his palms as he says, "Oh no, I don't need a turn." 

"No one needs a turn?" I state, a little confused by this context. "Don't you want to hold it?" Was I misunderstanding his interest? 

Straw Hat smiles, "Oh, um. It's a lovely snake, and you told me so many amazing facts... I don't want to take all the fun from you. You caught it you should keep it." 

I see, he's being kind to me. "I can always catch another snake, I know you get nervous around the poisonous ones." I glance at the pile, "I don't hear anything bad here, there might be a Mew or two in there left, but once you start moving around they will run away." I lift the cutie up again, "I promise I want to share!" 

Straw Hat still won't move. From the side Cranky slaps the back of his head, "Bill you idiot. She isn't normal. Missy," He turns to me living up to his name his face curls, "He was just trying to be polite. None of us want to deal with or pet that slimy thing." 

Insulted and frustrated, I step back face twisting in anger, "Mew snakes are not slimy!" I boil with anger, "And I am normal! How is it polite to be... so twisty with your words." 

Cranky grumbled, "It's how normal people communicate." He waves at the pile, "Get rid of the rest of the snakes so we can get the wood." 

Stinging, I huff storming over to the pile. "Snakes aren't slimy." I  look thoroughly finding two more Mew's. The rest must have scattered. I turn towards the men angrily saying, "There shouldn't be other snakes. And you all are mean! Not polite or nice! Mean! And snakes are not slimy!" I storm off hearing Cranky growl, "Why do they keep her here? She's nothing but trouble." 

Trouble? I kick a rock watching it tumble a few feet before settling. How am I trouble? I follow the rules, I help out at the orchard all the time. So what if I have a hard time remembering names? A hard time reading faces or remembering details. And why do people get mad at me for not understanding their lies? If Straw Hat had just told me he was too scared to hold the Mew snake I would have dropped the conversation and taken the snake with me. I misunderstood the entire situation because of that. 

The mew's on me wiggle in my pretty dress pale blue dress. It covers my shoulders but not past the elbows, and it swishes prettily around me whenever I walk I have on a Grey smock too a bit like a cooking apron but not really. It has a huge front pocket where one of the snakes now rests. I filled it with trail mix, leftover chicken feed from the day before, and a few other random stuff I liked. I even have a set of garden sheers, sheived of course. I don't want to stab myself accidentally. 

Reaching the forest ground, I kneel releasing the cute Mew Snakes. They are hesitant to leave the warmth of my clothes, keeping me company until something draws their attention and they hurred away leaving me alone. 

I wish I could vanish into the forest with them. I wouldn't have to worry about lies and social politeness. I'd get a chance to enjoy a simple life with animals and nature. Animals tell you exactly what they mean, with no lies or misleadingness. Only intellectual creatures do that... 

Frustration boils over and I scream loudly, clutching at my head and rocking on my heels. Why can't people just say what they really mean? We have words for a reason! To communicate, to understand one another! I try so hard to understand others. I learned what smiles mean, and what frowns and tears mean. I struggle every day with trying to empathize with those around me! And yet, they don't try to understand me. No one does, no one not even my own siblings truly understand what goes through my head.