The Snake That Killed Me Became My Guardian

Chapter 2

But it didn't attack. It curled up beside my hand and went still.

I didn't dare move. I lay awake until morning.

As I was leaving, Vanessa followed me to the door, unwilling to let her fun end so soon.

"I'm not keeping it for just a few days. Even after it heals, I'm not sending it away. You seriously don't mind?"

I buttoned the jacket of my diner uniform. "It's your decision, and the consequences are yours too."

Our other roommate, Beth, tried to stop me. She looked at me expectantly.

I knew what she wanted. She wanted me to stand up to Vanessa for them, but she didn't dare say so in front of her.

Why should I?

I had fought back in my previous life. But when it all went wrong, neither Beth nor Joanna had spoken a single word in my defense.

I kept walking. Only when I reached the stairwell did I hear Beth quietly urging Vanessa to at least ask Ms. Collins, the new hall director.

"Erin said yes. What are you afraid of?" Vanessa's voice held a smile. "Or have you changed your mind about applying for a single room next year?"

The hallway fell silent.

An RA couldn't decide who got which room or take away anyone's financial aid, but she could submit disciplinary reports.

Beth had panic disorder and was applying for a quiet single room.

Joanna depended entirely on financial aid and campus jobs to pay her tuition.

A disciplinary mark on either of their records could jeopardize that support.

That fear was how Vanessa kept them under her thumb.

I returned from the roadside diner at 10:30 that night.

Vanessa had gone to a fraternity party. The white snake had been abandoned in a boot box.

A new wound circled its belly as if someone had tightened wire around it. The edges were already turning black.

Beth poked her head out from behind her bed curtain and frowned at me. "Erin, could you talk to her again? There's no way I'll sleep tonight."

I glanced at her. "You can talk to Vanessa yourself."

"She'll retaliate!" Beth's voice rose with agitation. "You aren't afraid of her, and all the professors like you!"

A faint scraping came from the box. One green eye appeared at an air hole, its gaze moving between Beth and me.

I suppressed a shiver. "You can email Ms. Collins or request a room transfer."

Beth gripped the curtain, staring at me in disbelief. "That doesn't stop you from talking to Vanessa too!"

"You're the one who wants the snake gone. Why is that my problem?"

I took my clothes and went to the bathroom. As I shut the door, I heard her call me selfish.

Hot water ran over my wrist, and I remembered the ring of bite marks Vanessa had left there in my previous life. Any sympathy I had left hardened into resolve.

I couldn't repeat those mistakes. I absolutely couldn't.

After midnight, the box kept knocking against the floor.

Vanessa woke up and kicked it. When the white snake continued to struggle, she slammed a hardcover textbook onto the lid and shouted irritably, "Shut up! I'll feed you tomorrow!"

From the top bunk, Joanna quietly asked if it might be hungry.

Vanessa rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head. "I didn't even eat dinner. You think I have time to worry about a snake?"

Vanessa didn't love the white snake. She only loved watching me fear it.

In my previous life, the more frightened I became, the more she carried it around like a treasure.

Now that I hadn't screamed, the snake had lost its purpose.

The box eventually went quiet. I couldn't sleep and lay awake until dawn.

Vanessa still didn't feed it the next day.

She left early and came back late. Occasionally, she lifted the lid to make sure the snake wasn't dead, then ignored it again.

By Sunday, the sickly sweet smell of decay filled the dorm. The white snake no longer had the strength to lift its head.

I had expected Vanessa to do this, so I had emailed a wildlife rescue center in advance.

The staff member on the phone told me, "It isn't a local species. It looks more like a mutated, highly venomous kingsnake. The storm has closed the mountain roads, so Monday morning is the earliest we can get there."

He repeatedly warned me not to touch it with my bare hands. I only needed to secure its container and leave it a small dish of food and water.

After hanging up, I did exactly that.

The white snake bared its fangs the moment it saw me approach.

Images flashed through my mind: Bella's bloody hand, my father lying by the stairs, my mother covering Bella with her body. My wrist jerked, spilling water onto the carpet.

I stayed crouched in front of the box. If I did nothing, it might not survive the night.

But if it died, wouldn't that give Vanessa something else to use against me?

I wouldn't give her the opportunity.

"I'm going to help you now, so don't make any sudden moves."

After speaking softly, I put on thick gloves, supported it with a towel, and transferred it into a clear storage bin with a locking lid.

The wound needed a veterinarian, so I didn't touch it. Following the rescuer's instructions, I kept the snake warm and dry and bought feed from a pet store.

At first, the white snake refused to eat. Only after I stepped several feet away did it slowly approach the food.

Its body trembled every time it swallowed, but its eyes never left me.

Its stare made my palms sweat. Several times, I nearly locked the lid and fled the room.

Only after it finished eating did I realize I had been biting my lip. Blood had already run down my chin and dripped onto my collar.

"I don't want to become someone like Vanessa, so I saved you." My voice was hoarse. I emphasized each word when I repeated, "I saved you."

The white snake understood.

It slowly slithered over and touched its head to the spot where my finger rested against the clear wall of the bin.

After that day, it no longer bared its fangs when I approached. Instead, it came to the edge of the bin and raised its head to look at me.

Early Monday morning, the storm caused a landslide, and the rescue center postponed the pickup for another two days.

I changed the water and checked the locks every day. I also saved every email and call record.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ms. Collins and a campus safety officer knocked on our door.

Vanessa, Beth, and Joanna were already inside.

The clear bin had been moved onto my desk. Beside it lay my receipts for the heating pad and feed.

"Ms. Lane," the officer said, "someone reported that you've been keeping a snake in the dorm."

Vanessa folded her arms. "What Erin did is completely unacceptable. We all tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen."

Beth wouldn't meet my eyes. Joanna opened her mouth, then said nothing.

Vanessa had planned it perfectly. First, she starved the snake until it was close to death, forcing me to intervene.

Then she turned every act of kindness into evidence against me.

Disappointment clouded Ms. Collins's face. The officer's frown deepened as he flipped through his notes.

"The report isn't just about keeping a snake," he said, looking up. "Vanessa Grant filed a formal complaint. She claims the snake attacked her repeatedly, left dead mice in her bed, and bit her lower leg. Security footage supposedly shows it entering her room at night. She believes you trained it to terrorize your roommates."

My heart sank.

This wasn't a minor complaint. She was accusing me of harassment and endangering other students.

Campus Safety would open a case, and my name would be entered into my conduct record.

Next month, I was sending recommendation letters and applications to three graduate schools.

This accusation could ruin me.

"Erin, it only listens to you. If you weren't behind it, why would it attack me for no reason?" Vanessa could barely suppress her smile. Ms. Collins looked more disappointed by the second.

Beth lowered her head. Joanna looked away.

The officer walked to my desk and reached for the clear bin. "We'll need to take the snake into custody as evidence. Ms. Lane, please sign this investigation report."

They had no idea I'd been preparing for this since the day I decided to save the snake.

"Wait," I said. "Before I hand it over, don't you want to hear who this snake really belongs to?"

The officer stopped and turned around in surprise.

I reached into my pocket and held up my phone for everyone to see.

The screen lit up with a long list of recordings. Vanessa's smile froze.