Peering over the banister, Aditya squinted into the murky water below, hoping against hope that the flood waters had receded overnight. But something caught his attention—a dark, indistinct shape floating in the water. He leaned closer, heart racing, trying to make out what it was.
“What is that?” he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible in the eerie silence of the flooded house. The object was large, sluggishly drifting just beneath the water’s surface. His eyes narrowed as he tried to focus, the dim light making it difficult to see clearly.
Then, in the faint morning light, the truth revealed itself. Its skin was smooth, glistening, and unmistakably scaly. A sudden chill ran down his spine as realization hit him. It was a snake—massive, easily stretching several feet long. And worse, something bulged grotesquely from its midsection.