Recently, a middle schooler in Auburn, Alabama, experienced an unexpected surprise during a school photo session. If you take another look at the photo, you’ll see why: ‘It was scary.’

This young girl is Brooke Mills, who was just starting seventh grade. To mark the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year, Brooke decided to take a special photo.

The picture was taken by her mother, ShaneJoy Mills, who ended up capturing something quite unexpected…

Initially, everything seemed perfectly normal. The back-to-school picture of Brooke seemed adorable at first glance. But when her mother took a closer look at one of the photos, she was in for a real shock.

‘Lord, it was scary! I got two pictures and said ‘show your teeth please, baby!’ Then I saw the snake,’ Mills told WRBL.

‘I said ‘Brooke come here’ and she looked at me like I’m not done taking pics! So I said ‘Brooke get away from the tree now.’ I said it calmly, but I’m sure my face said it all.’

The snake, apparently well-fed, had blended so seamlessly with the tree bark that it was hardly noticeable. Observers on social media have identified the snake as a rat snake.

The post has been shared hundreds of times, bringing attention to this unusual photobomb. Thankfully, the only thing this snake wanted to do was ‘strike’ a pose in Brooke’s back-to-school picture!

What would you do if you were in this mother’s or daughter’s shoes? Share your thoughts with us!