Sally Snake's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Sally Snake coiled around the dusty temple courtyard, her red scales catching the morning light. The old building stood silent and empty, forgotten by most of the village. She dreamed of changing that. Every Lunar New Year, she imagined crowds filling this space, vendors selling treats, children laughing at games. A thriving festival marketplace, right here. She slithered closer to the main temple building. Red paint peeled from the walls. Gold decorations hung crooked above the entrance. Snake motifs carved into the stone columns matched her own scales perfectly. The building felt right for her plan. She circled the courtyard three times, measuring the space with her body. Enough room for ten vendor stalls. Maybe twenty if she arranged them well. The temple needed work, but Sally saw its promise. This place would become her festival marketplace. A wooden cart sat abandoned near the temple steps. Sally examined it closely. Red and gold paint decorated its sides, though dust covered most of the colors. The wheels still turned when she pushed them with her tail. Perfect for selling goods. She could picture vendors rolling carts like this through the courtyard, displaying steamed buns and paper lanterns and lucky charms. One cart meant others could follow. Sally coiled herself on top of the cart, her body forming loops of determination. The temple would need repairs first. Then she would find merchants brave enough to try her vision. The marketplace would grow, one cart at a time. Movement near the water tower caught her attention. Three villagers gathered there, filling buckets and talking. They stopped by every day. The tower stood at the edge of the courtyard, decorated with red and gold designs that matched the temple. People always paused there to rest and share news. Sally watched them point toward the old temple and shake their heads. They saw only ruins. But Sally knew different. The water tower proved people already came to this space. They just needed a reason to stay longer. She would give them that reason. The festival marketplace would start here, with this temple, this cart, and these daily visitors who didn't know yet what this place would become.