Losing herself as the days go by

I slowly walked into the lake and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I can see you are enjoying that." I turned and saw her. The sun glinted off of her skin. Part of her was submerged in the water, but I could see the rest of her. And I could see the part that became the snake. She was the snake.

"The Mother of Snakes," I said.

"At least we meet," she said. "I think that's what I'm supposed to say. I'm glad you could make it. I was worried there for a moment. I was having my doubts you could kill him."

"What? You wanted me to kill Boyd?"

"That was the test," she said. "To see how far you will willing to go. To see what you would do, my child."

"I'm not your child," I spat.

"I beg to differ," she said. "I am the Mother of All Snakes."

The water evaporated in front of me, vanishing away completely. Even the water on my skin dried up and I was left gasping.

"Do you wish to survive?" she said. "Do you wish to truly live?"

I said yes.

 -- April Chase