Never-Ending Nightmare by Amanda Booloodian

Author:Amanda Booloodian [Booloodian, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Walton INK
Published: 2019-05-06T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

There was arguing, but it was being done quietly. Although I was half-asleep, I could still feel Vincent trying to dam back a crushing amount of emotion. His voice betrayed none of that, though, which is the only reason the argument remained quiet.

Drowsily, I stared up through the bug net and saw a star peeking out through a gap in the canopy. It winked out, it appeared, and then it was gone again. I wished that whatever breeze was swaying the tree tops would come down here and join us.

When it reappeared, I realized I had the perspective wrong. The swaying was much closer, and the thing moving was coming toward me, down from the tree.

"What the hell is that?" I hadn't meant to ask so bluntly, but I had a dawning suspicion that the thing was slithering down.

"What is it, Cass?"

"What's the… the—the big thing, coming down from the tree."

"Oh wow."

I hated how he sounded so calm. How could anyone be calm with a giant snake on the loose?

With my hands shaking, I searched for the zipper to the bug shield. My fumbling fingers seemed to take forever to get the flap unzipped. In my rush to get away, I stumbled out of the hammock, but Vincent kept me on my feet.

Vincent helped me stay upright, but he wasn't moving away. Why was he not running?

"It's only a snake," Vincent said. "It's not poisonous or anything."

"Just a snake?" I squeaked. When faced with a giant snake, I felt that I had the right to squeak.

It reached the strap to my hammock and I moved to hover behind Vincent.

"I'm sure he only wanted to get warm," Vincent said, watching the creature.

The thing was holding on to a limb and had already stretched down what had to be twenty feet.

"Wow, princess, you found tomorrow’s breakfast." Renick laughed at his own joke.

At least I thought it was a joke.

"What do we do with it?" I asked.

"We can encourage it to leave or move it," Logan said.

Tolman walked up, looking cranky, and I realized I must have woken him up along with everyone else.

An acute case of embarrassment arose.

Tolman glared at the snake as though it had personally harmed him.

The snake twitched and fell out of the tree. Tolman didn’t say a word—he only turned and went back to his hammock.

The snake twitched a few more times, then it laid still.

My mouth dropped open. Eyes wide, I looked at Logan.

He gave the tiniest of nods.

"I didn't want it dead, just… just…" My voice came out as barely a whisper. I'm sure my partners heard me, even if Tolman couldn't. I sniffed and tried to pull back from the situation. "I just wanted it gone."

"I know," Vincent said, stepping closer. "It was a misunderstanding, that's all."

Now I was shaking for a whole other reason. This felt even worse. Who does that to an animal? I mean, yeah, if there had been it or me, then you should go for it.

I chanced a glance at Renick.

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