Girl Thought She Found A Lizard In Forest – When Vet Sees It, He Tells Her: “Stand Back!”- Part 5

 

I'm Climbing It

Sheila declared, "I'm climbing it," as Dani turned to face Hollow Hill. Running up the hill's base, she made her way swiftly to the centre. She then fell to her hands and knees and crawled the remaining distance as if carrying an imaginary weight. Dani heard a horrible howling before she could ask her whether she was okay. The air filled with groans and screams, and suddenly something grabbed her by the back.

Get it off me

"Get it off me!" said Dani in a scream, closing her eyes and thrashing around. "Take that off of me!" It felt more like a monster watching over Hollow Hill in her thoughts than it did like a person. Still, it wasn't a monster. Rather, it was Mike, bursting with giggles and surrounded by his goonish friends. Like a toad, he had sneaked up on Dani and grabbed her shoulders from behind.

Outrage

"You piece of—, Mike." Then Sheila called him a name that would have made Dani's mother spit out of a soap bubble. Sheila stormed back down Hollow Hill, her face flushed crimson from fury over her friend's abuse. Mike chuckled, "You guys were so loud. We had like a half-hour to hide after hearing you coming from a mile away." Sweat ran down his blonde hair, and his blue eyes gleamed.

Sweating

Dani was perspiring as well. By Hollow Hill, it was unseasonably hot, hotter than it had been the whole way here. Dani wasn't sure if that was because it was in a clearing or not.  Hikers and teens from the high school who wanted to get into mischief frequented Hollow Hill. Did they all have the same nervousness? Of wrongness? Or was Danielle Michaela O'Leary the only one?

An Hour Before

You’re being a baby, Dani told herself. She then turned to face Mike and yelled, "Screw you." Her mother would have been furious, but she wasn't present, was she? Gleefully, Mike and his goonish companions, the tall, slender lad with red hair and the short, plump, dark-haired one, cackled. The tall, thin one responded, "We got ages ago. Way before you."

No one cares

"Nobody gives a damn", Sheila said. At that point, Dani pivoted and made the decision to climb Hollow Hill, if only to prove to the boys that she was fearless and unaffected by their foolish pranks. Sheila trailed behind her as she began at the base. It was simple in the first part. However, when they ascended further, they experienced the sensation of a lead weight bearing down on them. Dani had trouble breathing. She persisted nevertheless, reaching the summit.

The Sun

She felt as though Windsor, Maine was a million miles away as she gazed up into the brilliant light. From her perch atop Hollow Hill, Dani could sense the billions of years that this sun had existed. She fled back down, scared at her newfound sense of insignificance, as if something were hunting her (which, maybe, it was). Mike appeared somewhat taken aback, as if he hadn't anticipated her to make it up.

Water Balloons

Something hard and wet struck Dani in the back of the head before she could tell him to attempt to reach the top like she did. Mike glanced over her shoulder, his face brimming with resentment. Dani spun quickly. Water balloons. An enormous bucket of them. "This was planned!" "We can't get wet or my mum will ask questions," Sheila stated. "Guys, stop"

The tree

Naturally, though, the three lads started hurling water balloons at them with such fervour that it became clear why they had hidden in the woods to wait for them. Dani thought, I detest boys. Sheila was correct. They would be discovered if they returned drenched. So, avoiding the water balloons that were hurled in their direction, the two girls set off in different ways. Dani came to a stop twenty yards in front of Hollow Hill. She had noticed an old, twisted tree that appeared to have been taken directly out of the Sleepy Hollow movie that she and her parents had watched.

 Let Me Find Dani

The tree had a massive hole in it, just like the one from Sleepy Hollow. One that would keep the boys from seeing Dani until they became restless and fled. Mike's comment, "I'll look for Dani; you find Sheila," answered her question about whether or not to climb in. So, she entered.

Hiding

The tree hollow was roomy, dark, and had a faint old-wood scent. Thankfully, it appeared to be quite clean. Dani was only able to hear the sound of her own breathing because everything was so quiet. It was quite small inside for her. She was certain that neither the lads nor Sheila, who was among the tallest girls in their year, could have fit within the tree. So, she stayed hidden and silent as the guys chased after her with water balloons. It took a minute for her to notice it.

Come Out, Come Out

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" The small, fat friend of Mike's who had initiated the water balloon fight commented. Dani held her breath. She felt something tickle her hand and looked down. Using her other hand to cover her lips, she suppressed a scream. There was a little scaly black lizard on her hand. He had a lengthy whiplash tail and a big, broad back. His eyes were beady and black when he gazed up at her.