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Mom shot up. “That’s not a flowerpot. Aella, quick! Into your room and call the police.”
I didn’t waste a second arguing with her. This wasn’t the first time desperate smackheads broke in, thinking a pretty little flower shop would have a full till and little security.
I ran for the hallway. Mom wasn’t behind me.
“Mom, come with me!”
“Right behind you, baby.” Mom shot across the living room. She reached for Dad’s chrysanthemums.
The door blew off its hinges. I dove for the ground, crying out as the flying wood scraped across my back and crashed into the wall behind me.
“Aella!”
I pushed up on shaking hands as they came into the room.
I screamed.
What is it? What is it!
My mind rebelled—spinning out into a dark, small corner of my soul to hide.
A snake.
There was no other way to describe the shining green scales and slithering, legless body than that of a snake’s, but it was attached to the wrong head.
My jaw cracked, throat choking on a silent scream as the woman’s head sniffed the air.
She was naked on top. Her only claim to cover was long, dirty, tangled braids that swayed before her chest and tickled the floor. A strange collection of ancient Greek letters tattooed up and down her arms—ending where lethal claws began. She snarled and a row of impossibly sharp and jagged teeth reflected my pale face.
She would’ve been pretty if there wasn’t half a snake where her legs should be.
“W-wh-wh-what is it?” I rasped.
“—la, run! Run now!”
Mom’s scream pierced my fog. Scrambling to my feet, I spun for the hall leading to my room. My phone was in there, sitting on my bed. We needed help. The police. The National Guard. Anyone. Everyone!
If I could just get to my room—
“Arf!”
I threw myself back so hard, I wrenched off my feet and crashed on my back.
The dog forced itself where it did not fit—bowing and bending the walls as it shoved from the back door and into the hallway.
Fetid, hot breath leaked through sharp teeth, standing my hairs on end. Its head scuttled me into a corner by nearness alone, while the other snarled at Mom, and the other barked at the snake woman.
“Three heads— It has three heads— Three heads— Three— Three—”
“He, notit.”
Roars trumpeted in my head. For a moment I couldn’t place where the strange voice had come from, then the snake woman’s mouth moved again.
“Rude little thing, aren’t you? Ssstupid too.” She spat on the floor. “Impossible to believe you’re going to amount to anything. I could kill you right now, and I bet all you’d do to protect yourself is wet your drawersss.”
“No! Stay away from her!”
Mom threw Dad’s flowers at the creature’s head. The pot cracked her on the nose, spurting a disgusting, foul-smelling black liquid from her face.
