The Snake Princess

Chapter 3

"MIA... MIA..." it is my mom's voice.

"MIA.. Are you okay? Open the door, Mia.. MIA.. " She sounds terrified.

I almost reach out towards the latch when I remember what mom said on the phone. She said not to open the door for anyone, not even her. I am so confused.

"MOM.. MOM.. Is that you?" I yell back at her.

"Yes baby, it's me. What's happening? Why have you locked yourself in your father's office?" She questions.

"Mom, how did you get here so fast?" It should have taken her atleast twenty minutes to get here and its hardy been five minutes from when I came into the office.

"What do you mean? I was already on my way home. The party got canceled and then I couldn't find you anywhere and then I saw that the office was locked. Why are you locked in Mia? Open the door." she insists.

"Mom, you told me to lock myself in for safety when I called you." I am still confused. My mother has never acted like this before. What is happening? What should I do? I reach out for my cell phone but it wasn't there in my pocket. I must have left it in my parent's room when I went there to grab the book. I do not what to do, whom to believe. If this was my mom, then who was the lady on the phone and if that was my real mom, who is this?

"Mom, what was my favorite toy when I was a child?" This sounds childish, but what else have I got?

No answer. So it was not my mom then?

"Your favorite toy was a stuffed duck, Mia. You named him Daaddu. That was the only word you could speak back then. What is happening, Mia? You are really scaring me."

So it is my mom then. How else would she know about Daaddu? I carried that pink stuffed duck everywhere I went. She is crying now. I can hear her desperately banging on the door. I move towards the door to open it but there is a loud bang on the other side.

"Mia, do not open the door." I hear my mom's voice again, but somehow it sounds different. She isn't crying anymore, but she sounds more angry.

All I can hear is more sounds, like there are more people coming in. The crashing and banging. I have to get out and see for myself what is happening?

I take a deep breath and reach out for the latch but it didn't turn. I try applying more pressure onto it, but still no use. I suddenly remembered about the book. That is how I locked myself in. It has to be the way to open the door. The shelves on which the snake figurines and book were had disappeared during the room transformation. I look around and there is a craving similar to snake figurines on the wall. I go touch the figurines and suddenly they transform into the figurines like my dad's office and they are holding the book between them. I pull the book out and the room starts moving again. When it finally comes to a stop, I am in my father's office again. I run to the door and when I step out I am at the loss of words.