Viperess

• Charlotte Ives, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2013

Amber swept her auburn long hair to the side. Behind her black glasses, her eyes were drooping heavily. It had been a long day in the lab, studying a Boa Constrictor's blood after it had been experimented on. She was trying to find a cure or solution for the disease IBD (inclusion body disease), a disease that kills snakes. So far, things were not looking good. Amber was an ophiologist that dedicated not only her time, but her life to studying snakes. Not a moment went by when she wasn’t thinking about the next dissection or serpent investigation. Amber glanced down at her watch, it was time to go home. She threw her lab coat on her desk and started walking towards the exit. Amber was the last to leave and had to lock up. Cages full of fascinating snakes stared at her with luminous yellow eyes as she turned off the lights. She was now dark and alone, and not only reptile eyes watched her. Her ears suddenly became alert to the sound of hushed footsteps. With confused eyes she scanned the room. She couldn’t see who or what it was, but it neared with every step. Alarmed and alone she clumsily stood back knocking a cobra cage to the floor. Although it landed with an ear-splitting smash, she paid no attention as a frightening shadow loomed over her panicked face.
Crying out for help she scrambled onto the floor and in the process, knocking down more cages. Her frazzled hands covered her face, there was no protection from the tenebrous beast. Another cry for help, no reply. Just the sounds of her own sobs, unaware of what was going on around her. Cobras slithered towards her and wrapped themselves around her arms and legs. She helplessly struggled to release herself from their tightening grasps. With not a sense of hope she immediately expected the worse.
"I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die" she repeated to herself, aghast. With her strength weakened and her lungs breathless she laid there. The monster had disappeared but the snakes didn’t abandon her lifeless body. Death was approaching Amber. She started to close her eyes when pain stabbed her like a knife. She screamed in terror as the cobras bit her with their fierce fangs. Venom was now coursing through her blood and veins, there was no doubt now that she was going to die. The pain was unbearable as her body jerked from the toxins that were starting to take its toll on Amber’s defenseless body. But the reptiles didn’t stop sinking their fangs into her flesh. With her body now injected with deadly venom, Amber let the affects of death steal her from earth.
This is a snippet from a story I’m writing. This woman doesn’t die, she wakes up and discovers she has supernatural powers such as super human strength and being able to spit venom with her dagger fangs.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t use these powers for good.