home. He didn' t even wait for me to move out. She walked

out my furniture. "This all has to go," she declared, wrinkling her nose at the

g up my rugs, replacing my life with her own serene, minimalist aesthetic.

y trip," she called it, her voice sickly sweet. "To the private

me a look that was both a plea and a

I w

in the reptile house, the air thick and humid. In the center of the room was a massive gl

can we see it up close? Please?" she cooe

Dallas said, but there was

" she whined, p

ordered the keeper to open the glass enclosure an

oblivious. She stepped inside, her eyes wide with a childish curio

uch one?"

d answer, she move

g speed. Its head rose, its forked tongue flicking, its bla

bed Alanna and pulled her behind

lef

ent, liquid grace. In a blink, it was on me. Its body wrapped a

ouldn't breathe, couldn't scream.

house, Alanna had "accidentally" stumbled, spilling her water

inty what it was. A lure. Somethi

cident. She was t

w struggling would only make the python squeeze harder. I forc

Dallas roared at

rs streaming down her face. "We can't

ent saint trying to protect a poor, misunderstood c

en another. My vision started to go dark a

ised but unable to get a clear shot with Al

e of them yelled at Dallas.

Dallas's arm. "You can't! T

zed out of me, Dallas did the unthinkable. He turne

," he murm

I saw him

ength, I forced his name

thetic, gur

wait for it to calm down!" she said, her voice filled wi

ly took a shot. It must have been a lucky

. The python' s body went slack, slit

ng for air, the world spinnin

arity, that if it had been up