The snake cowered

Chatterbox: Chirp at Cricket

The snake cowered

The snake cowered in the bottom of the pit. It looked up as far as it could. There was a tiny piece of sky, just noticeable in the deep, dark depths. Suddenly, the opening went dark. The snake cringed back as far as it could.
A shape began to fall down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down…
Eventually, it thumped to the dirt, miraculously unhurt.
“Hello, snake,” it said. The snake shook in surprise, for it was understandable. 
“Who... are… you…?” the snake asked.
“I am the Huntmaster. And I need your help.”
“Myyy… help?”
The snake was not particularly smart.
“Yes, your help. I need a place to hide a very valuable item.”
“A… very… valuable… item?”
“Yes, a very valuable item. Do you know where I might be able to hide it?”
“How… big?”
The Huntmaster held her hands in the shape of a tennis ball.
“Ahhhh… follow meee…”
The Huntmaster followed the snake through a tiny tunnel, deep down into the earth. The snake popped its head up once, twice, thrice, quadrice, quintice, sextice, septice. Finally, it wiggled its way up into a playhouse. The Huntmaster wiggled up after the snake and buried the orb in a hollow. 
Task completed, it disappeared with a loud crack!

NOTE: This thread is for a scavenger hunt. I’m going to purposefully bottom it as soon as it appears. Please do not top it until you find it in the scavenger hunt. This is the second time I've posted this thread, so PLEASE don't top it until you recognize it.
submitted by sss
(February 4, 2019 - 4:24 pm)

back to the Chirp at Cricket

Purposely bottoming. Again, please do not top this thread until it applies to you. You'll know it belongs with your scavenger hunt if you recognize the word in bold. Thank you!

submitted by sss
(February 4, 2019 - 4:51 pm)

Does it have something to do with the blue dome over the Chatterbox? Sorry about topping this if it's not the answer, but this doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Also this might get more responses if you let it get topped :) 

submitted by Agent Winter, age Classified
(February 6, 2019 - 8:45 am)

Okay, no. It's supposed to be for the reunion scavenger hunt, and it's the SECOND clue, so people aren't actually supposed to see it at first.

The reason that the Huntmaster is bold is that the FIRST post will explain what's happening and introduce that I am the Huntmaster.

You know what, I'm just going to let this be topped and change the clue that leads here... 

My CAPTCHA says ragh. Yes, I am kind of in a rage. How smart of you. 

submitted by sss
(February 6, 2019 - 11:01 pm)

Well if it's a reunion scavenger hunt, then maybe you should post it DURING THE REUNION if you don't want anyone to see it until then

submitted by Faith C., somewhere
(February 10, 2019 - 8:21 am)

Okay, do you all want to know what my plan was?

I was going to post the actual thread for the reunion scavenger hunt on the reunion (which I actually did already, because why bother waiting). It would then have a clue that led to the last page of the CaC, where this thread would be. You see, when threads have only one comment, they end up on the last page. I posted this significantly before the scavenger hunt because I wanted it to NOT show up through the submitted by button and ONLY by going to the last page.

submitted by sss
(February 10, 2019 - 2:20 pm)
submitted by Chill, age Calm, Use Caps carefully
(February 14, 2019 - 12:41 am)

Guys...if a thread says on it that it shouldn't be topped until ___, don't top it... My heart goes out to you, sss.

submitted by .
(February 10, 2019 - 11:13 pm)