Abomination, Chapter 2
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Abomination, Chapter 2
By William W. Kelso
At first I tried to stick to the storm drains and sewers, but that soon proved impossible. Even though I found I could fit through even most of the small diameter pipes the main problem was I didn't know my way around, and it was disgusting in the raw sewage portions of the underground tunnel systems. I might be a reptile now, but that didn't mean I liked to slither through shit and other vile stuff. So after a couple of days of wandering at random in the maze I realized the only way I could reach the university was by going on the surface. And in the big city that was a MAJOR problem. I was over twenty feet long, and was bound to be noticed sooner or later, even traveling at night was risky as lots of people worked at night, either doing legal or illegal activities, and to coin the old phrase 'the city never sleeps' was pretty apt. But I just couldn't stand the sewers any more, especially after unknowingly slithering into a huge holding tank of raw sewage, and having to swim in it for several minutes before I found an exit. It was horrible.
That evening, late, I exited the sewers through a manhole cover, after having to duck back down after a street cleaner almost took my head off. Once it had passed I lifted the manhole cover with the top of my head again, then quickly exited and took refuge in a nearby ally. From the smell, and not seeing any heat signatures, I knew it wasn't occupied. Except by rats, and they took off as fast as possible once I showed up. They were way too small to be of any interest to me as a meal, but they didn't know that, and whenever I'd moved through the sewer tunnels I'd always had a swarm of rats leading the way as they fled in panic. I guess I was their version of a monster, and I truly was that. Then I finally got a break. I was working my way from ally to ally, dashing across dark streets as fast as I could slither; which was surprisingly fast considering my size and bulk, when I heard a boats whistle, and stopped in surprise. Of course! The river! Why hadn't I thought about that before!! Anacondas were swimmers! With an eager hiss I turned and headed in the direction the whistle had come from.
It felt absolutely wonderful as I slid into the river; even if it was a bit colder then I'd hoped for. But it washed off the nasty crude from my subterranean adventure, and I'm sure I smelled much better even though the river wasn't exactly pristine. But I'd take it over liquid shit any day. But it was only a temporary refuge, the University was over a hundred miles away, out in the less developed countryside, and the river only came within fifty miles of the campus. Since I wasn't sure when to leave the river; no map, I had to make my best guess. But for now I enjoyed the swim, my powerful tail propelling me through the water at a fairly fast speed with ease. The only thing that slowed me down much was the heavy pack, which I had sealed with plastic, inside and out. I did NOT want to get what might be my only means of salvation wet!
After a few days travel I left the river after reaching the country, slithering up the bank and into a heavily wooded area. I was worried t the thick underbrush would be a barrier, but using my snout I was able to push through fairly easily, except for the damn pack which got hung up fairly often, so I was forced to keep to more open areas, which I didn't want to as this was a park and recreation area. And another problem was coming up, the bulge in my belly had finally disappeared, and I was starting to get hungry again. The constant exertion of traveling, the cool weather, and the fact I was cold blooded now was taking its toll, and now that my belly was empty I was starting to slow down and become more lethargic, and during the nights was holing up and resting. It was just too cold to move at night, and in the morning I had to bask in the sun for an hour or two before I was 'awake' enough to move on. This was slowing me down, a lot. So, time to find some food, and McDonald's was out.
I had hoped my large meal would have lasted longer, but my size and constant activity burned up calories like a furnace, and poor Debra was soon gone, my belly aching with hunger again. And being what I was now food soon became my main concern above all others;, even reaching my destination, the reptile part of mind taking over. So I stashed the pack, and went hunting.
The area I had reached had a lot of farms, both large commercial ones and family run ones. And I soon found what I was looking for; it was a large goat breeding farm. From my cover in the woods I watched as the goats grazed in large pastures. I was tempted to try and grab one right away, but it was just too open, the grass and other cover cropped down short. Anyone looking my way would see me, so I waited, with the patience of the serpent, the only thing moving my tongue. Then another development, as it began to get dark the goats wandered over to a gate, and a woman came out and herded them into pens! I gave a soft hiss, damn it! That would certainly make it harder to get my dinner!
I waited until night fell, and the lights in the farm house went out, before I slowly left the woods and moved across the open pasture. I could smell the goats, and my belly rumbled eagerly. I had gone totally feral at this point, my only desire being to fill the void in my stomach, I was as much a snake now as any other normal one. I reached the goat pens and there was no way to conceal myself from then, and they knew death was stalking them, and began to mill and bleat in panic. Quickly I slid under a fence by flattening myself a little, and with a quick lunge into the mass of panicking animals I soon had a nice big nanny goat in my coils, and began squeezing. Then it hit the fan.
I froze with a loud hiss as floodlights snapped on, and I heard voices.
"Bobby, get my rifle, I think those damn dogs are after the goats again!"
Then I heard the sound, and felt the vibration, of running boots. I was concealed from view by the goats bleating and milling around me and my victim, but I knew it was only a temporary respite. I was starting to panic a little bit myself, especially when I found I couldn't slide back under the fence with the still struggling goat in my coils! And NO way was I going to leave it behind! So I reared up and slithered over the top of the fence. As I pulled the kicking goat over the top I heard a woman scream,
"Sweet Jesus, John, what in the name of God is THAT!?!"
"It's the biggest fucking snake I've ever seen, a man's voice said, get out of the way!! I can't get a bead on it!"
Shit! I thought, and tried to move faster, still refusing to release my dinner. Just as the tip of my tail slid over the fence I heard a shot, but didn't see where the bullet went. All I knew was it didn't hit me! Inspired, I put on a new burst of speed as I reached the pasture, and the floodlights worked to my advantage now, it would take several minutes for the gunman's eyes to adjust to night vision. I had just made it into the woods when another shot rang out, and a small tree next to me took the bullet with a loud 'smack!' and a spray of splinters. By then the goats struggles had weakened, and I felt its heart slow, and finally stop as it suffocated in my powerful coils. But I didn't stop, and kept going for quite some time before I found a small clearing, and then slowly swallowed my delicious; hard won, meal head first. Then I found a decent hollow under a tangle of roots from a fallen tree and burrowed into the leaves and debris filling it, and fat and happy soon fell asleep.
The sound of dogs barking woke me up early the next morning, and sticking my head out of my temporary burrow I flicked my tongue and looked around. They were some distance away, but now I could hear voices too. Hunters! And I had NO doubt as to what they were hunting! I slithered out of my nice warm burrow, and a cold front had moved in overnight, and that was NOT good! I was sleepy, and lethargic, and if not for the warmth from my meal I would have been almost helpless. As it was, I was still much too slow to move very fast, and I knew they would catch up with me soon, but having no other choice I began to flee as fast as I was able. The dogs didn't worry me, I was much too big for them to be a danger, but men with firearms did. I doubted they'd be in a mood to try and reason with the giant talking snake man who'd eaten one of their goats.
And again I had some luck, coming to a fairly large and deep creek. But as I slid into the water I shuddered, it was frigid! I knew I couldn't stay in it for very long, but had no choice. I decided to go with the flow as it would be easier, and I'd cover more distance that way. After awhile the sound of dogs faded, but I kept going for about another hour, and finally came to a spillway, and there was an old abandoned mill next to it. I dragged myself out of the cold water, barely able to move, and found an old drain in the wall of the mill, and slithered inside. It ended in an old sub-cellar full of old junk and debris, the upper floor having caved in blocking the door and sealing off the cellar. It was dark, filled with rotted wood, leaves, and other trash. But most of all it was warm, or I should say warmer, then the outside. So I burrowed deeply into one corner, and coiling up I quickly fell into a deep sleep, exhausted. That night it snowed, and I slept for almost three months without even knowing it as my body shut down from the cold, my digestive system slowing down as well and my large meal sustained me for that whole time.
I slowly woke up, a little at a time, barely stirring at first. I was still a little colder then I liked, my mind slow and unfocused, but finally I uncoiled and slithered into a more open area of the old cellar. Bright light leaked in through a few small holes, and I felt an instinctive need to find the warm sunlight, and leaving the same way I'd entered I coiled up on a large flat rock and reveled in the warm sunlight as it soaked into my cold body. I didn't care if anyone saw me at this point, I just needed that warmth. I had NO idea how long I'd slept, and when I finally figured it out it shocked me. And as I slowly warmed up, and my metabolism sped up, I soon realized I had to go to the bathroom, bad! Surprisingly I was a little embarrassed about going in the open, so I moved into the shade of some trees and had a truly enormous bowel movement. And like other snakes I didn't pee through my hemipenes, it all came out in one big semi-liquid mass, a BIG liquid mass. It was gross. With a hiss of disgust I started to leave, but a glint of metal caught my eye. Curious, I examined the mess and saw a gold chain sticking out of it. I remembered Debra had been wearing a gold necklace while she had been raping me, and I guess she still had it on when I ate her. So carefully I pulled it out of the pile of steaming excrement, and it came out with a wet slurp, followed by a glob of mixed human and goat hair and a human tooth, and if I could have vomited I would have. Oh God, I thought. That horrible sight made me realize again just how much of a monster I was, no matter how 'normal' I might feel now.
I took the heavy gold necklace down to the creek and washed it off, and since I didn't have any way to carry it I looped it around my neck, with a shudder as I realized where it had been worn last. But I had a feeling it was pretty valuable, so didn't want to leave it behind. I returned to the lovely rock, and basked in the sun for several more hours before deciding it was time to move on, and find out where the HELL I was! And, hopefully, find the pack I'd concealed back in the woods. I decided to work my way back along the creek as it was the only reference point I had. And I was hungry again too, becoming increasingly ravenous as my body warmed up. It was time to hunt again.
Later in the day I reached the same goat farm where I'd had my little adventure, and gotten my last meal. I felt my saliva start to thicken and flow at the thought of a nice fat goat. It was amazing how my perceptions of what made a good meal had changed. As I carefully circled the farm to reach the side I wanted I came across a pasture that was largely overgrown with fresh Spring growth, the grass, clover, and weeds thick and lush. And it had eagerly grazing goats in it!
The goat I took never even had a chance to do more than bleat once, and the other goats pretty much ignored the short deadly drama as I dragged my struggling meal back into the dark woods, and feasted. Later, fat and happy, I actually managed to find the pack where I'd stashed it, and it was in perfect condition, the thick vinyl and additional plastic wrapping having protected the contents from elements, and I gave a deep hiss of relief. Then slinging it on my back I headed off to try and find out where I was, and how far the University would be.
I came to, and followed, a two lane country blacktop road until I found a road sign. I knew the small town it said was six miles ahead, and realized I was going in the wrong direction, damn it! So with a tired hiss, turned around and followed the road back the other way. It intersected a larger highway after awhile, and I saw a sign saying the University was forty miles down the road. Not as close as I'd hoped, but still, at least I knew where I was going now! And the area was fairly easy to travel in as it was mostly rural; the University itself was in a small town that it supported, and traveling was fairly easy even for something like me. It was still pretty cool at night, but I usually managed to find a nice barn or other cover to spend the night, and once when there was a late winter storm I holed up in a hay barn for almost a week, sleeping soundly burrowed deeply into the nice warm hay. Fortunately no one stuck a pitchfork into it and got an unwelcome surprise.
Finally I crested a low hill, and saw my destination for the first time, and gave a long hiss of relief. The campus was old, a mixture of original and newer buildings. And, to my delight, the grounds had lots of thick bushes, hedges, and trees; plus thick vines covered many of the buildings, perfect cover! And now the question was, what did I do now? Well, first, I had to find out where Dr. Talbot had her office, or even better, where she lived. Then came the really hard part, introducing myself and hoping she wouldn't drop dead from fright, or run screaming for the nearest army base with tales of snakezilla. I was hoping; praying, that considering her profession she would at least give me the benefit of the doubt, or shoot me and put me out of my misery. I was so tired of lurking in the shadows like the monster I was. I might be a beast, a monstrous freak, but I was still an intelligent creature, and living like an animal was taking its toll. And I was lonely, I missed having someone to talk to.
I figured the best thing to do first was give the campus the once over, and get the lay of the place. So I concealed my pack, and carefully worked my way closer to the campus grounds, using an overgrown drainage ditch for cover. Then I found an entrance into the campus's water drain system, and the main pipes were more than big enough for me to move through. Talk about luck! Then after it got dark I made a quick dash out of a drain and grabbed a map of the University off a billboard, and slithered to another drain I'd found earlier that had light shining down into it, and looked the map over. I quickly found the science buildings, and then the biology one. And to my satisfaction I was right next to it already! Things were going my way!
I left the drains and circled the building under the cover of the thick ornamental hedges and vines growing around it, the only sound despite my size a slight rustling. I froze a few times as late night strollers came by, but even with my large size I blended in perfectly in the dark shadows underneath the bushes, and on one noticed anything out of the ordinary. At least I wasn't near the dorms; most of the nighttime traffic was in that area. In the back of the building I noticed some small basement windows that were very low to the ground, and moving into the shadow cast by the building I inspected the windows, and BINGO, found one that was open, and slithered through easily. As I dropped to the floor I coiled, and rising up looked around. From the contents I was in a storage area, and other then the sounds of rodents frantically evacuating the area I was alone. Uncoiling I moved to the door, and listened carefully, testing the air with my tongue. I heard nothing, smelled nothing, and felt no vibrations. Chances were the place was empty at night, unless someone was teaching night classes. Deciding to chance it I opened the door, and slowly slithered into the hallway. It felt weird to be inside a building again after having lived in the 'wilds' for so long, and it felt wrong somehow, almost a little claustrophobic. I quickly found a stairwell; deciding against risking the elevator, and moved up to the first floor. As I had hoped there was a directory in the entry hallway, and I quickly found what I was looking for, 'Dr. Samantha Talbot, Zoology Dept., Third Floor, Room 23'.
I started up the broad stairs, and as I reached the second floor landing I suddenly heard, and felt, footsteps coming down the stairs above me! Aw Hell, I thought, looking for someplace to hide. I doubted I could get back down the stairs fast enough, but then saw something.
As the small group of students traipsed through the second floor landing and continued on down the stairs they didn't notice the cold emotionless eyes regarding them from inside a heating duct vent, the heavy screen slightly ajar.
I gave a soft hiss of relief as the students passed. I'd really had to act fast, and hadn't had time to pull the screen sealing the vent back into place all the way. But fortunately they'd been too concerned about a test the next day being given by someone they referred to as 'Mr. Douchebag', which I doubted was the teacher's real name. I waited for awhile, then exited and continued on up the stairs. I breathed a hiss of relief as the lights were all out on the third floor, and hugging the wall I moved slowly down the hallway hoping I wouldn't run into some late night janitor or something. And I could smell other reptiles, snakes and other kinds. Finally I found Room 23, and it had a brass nameplate on the door 'Dr. Samantha Talbot'. Home run, I thought. Carefully I reached up and turned the brass doorknob, and the door opened. Home base!
I quickly entered the office, and shut the door behind me. It was dark, no lights except for a dimly glowing clock which read '2:38', and of course no one was there. But it wasn't entirely empty, there was a terrarium in one corner, and a small boa raised its head curiously as I moved past. But other than him I was all alone. The office was fairly small, consisting of one room with a large desk, overflowing bookcases, the boa's home, and a couple chairs for visitors. The other room was a storeroom/slant work area with a small attached bathroom. Not very impressive really, I mean, for such a 'renowned expert in her field'. But then of course teachers don't get paid worth squat. I looked at several framed photos on the wall, and the same woman was in most of them, and I figured that must be the doc. Boy, she's a big lady, I thought, she was almost a head taller than most of the men in the photos, and looked like she could break them in half if she wanted to. OK, I was here, now what? I had thought about hiding in her office until she came into work, but nixed that idea right away. There was nowhere TO hide, not for something as big as I was anyway. So I finally decided to arrange a 'meeting'.
I rummaged around until I found a pad of paper and pen, then thoughtfully wrote a letter, using up half a pad until I was satisfied with it. It read:
'Dear Dr. Talbot, I am hoping you might be able to help me, I have a rather unusual problem that I feel you are uniquely qualified to help me with. I apologize for entering your office when you were not there, but once you've met me you'll understand why that was necessary. I would have sent an email first, but do not have access to a computer. I need to show you something, but can NOT do it in public. Would you be willing to meet me in your office tomorrow night after classes are over, say at 1:00 AM?? I apologize for the late hour, but again, it is necessary. I am leaving this necklace as a token of my honorable intentions. If you chose not to I can certainly understand. But please, I don't know who else to turn to with my problem. Thank you.'
I read it a final time, then; satisfied, I left it on her desk with the heavy gold chain and pendant lying on top, the large red stone glinting in the dim light from the clock. Then I left, my exit observed only by the fascinated boa. I returned to the basement storage room and took refuge behind several large crates in one corner, and settled down to wait out the day. It was nice and warm, and I dozed contentedly.
Dr. Talbot, known as 'Sam' to her friends and colleagues; which did NOT include the morons she tried to teach an inkling of knowledge to; to them she was Dr. Talbot and a holy terror; she actually expected them to do their homework, was rather surprised to find the unusual 'gift' on her desk when she came into work the next morning, and the just as unusual letter. At first she thought it was a prank, that is until she realized the very old looking chain and medallion was real gold, and the red stone was definitely a ruby, as her friend Dr. Prost; who was a geologist, confirmed, and obviously quite valuable. At first she was more irritated someone had just walked into her office, and fired off a nasty memo to maintenance to PLEASE fix the fucking lock on her door, already! It had been broken since Reagan was president!
She took Seymour out of his cage and draped the compliant boa over her shoulders, and sat back down at her desk. Having his slick cool scales rubbing against her neck always helped her to relax, and he was perfectly content to remain draped over her shoulders indefinitely. She'd found the small tree boa as a new hatchling during her last trip to the Amazon, and the small snake had hung around her base camp until she finally adopted him. He seemed perfectly happy with his new home, and she was fond of her pet.
"What do you think, Seymour, she asked, do we wait up for our mysterious visitor?" The snakes only response was to flick its tongue across her ear, then try to nose down under her blouse. "Uh-uh, naughty!" She said with a laugh, and set the snake down on the floor so he could snoop around. Hmm, she thought, OK Mr. Mysterious, I'll take you up on your intriguing offer, looks like I'll be burning the midnight oil. But first, a precaution or two.
I waited until I thought it was close to the appointed time, and then slowly and cautiously exited the basement. The building smelled, and sounded, empty. The lights were mostly off, and I couldn't detect any vibrations or scent anything, so went up the stairs to the third floor. The only light came from a few random hall lights and from under the door of Room 23, so it looked like she'd decided to take a chance. Nervously I stopped at the door, and gave it a soft tap. The response was instant.
"Come in Mr. Mysterious." A woman's voice said.
I flicked my tongue, but only detected the one scent, and felt some relief as at least she hadn't set an ambush or anything. Flicking my tongue again nervously, I said,
"Um, I don't want to ssshow myself yet. I'm, uh, disfigured. Tell me, do you believe in magic? In...in monssterss?"
"OK, the woman's voice said, is this some sort joke? Are you one of those Goth's or D&D types?"
"No, I said, but I wish I wasss. Look, I'll ssshow myself, but are you ssitting down? Do you have any...physical conditions, like a weak heart?"
"What are you, the elephant man or something? And no, I'm in perfect health." The terse reply came,
"Pleassse, I said, despite my...appearance, I mean no harm. I hope you might be able to help me, ssomehow." And I opened the door, slowly slithered inside, and coiled as far from the desk as I could, but my bulk took up much of the space in front of the desk.
As the door opened and a large scaly snout came through Sam blinked, it looked real but was at least five feet off the floor! Her first reaction was; a costume. Then as the rest followed and the impossibility coiled and regarded her with strange emotionless eyes not quite reptile, and not quite human, she almost fainted and had to close her eyes and take a long deep breath.
"D-Dear God, you can't be real." She finally stammered.
I looked at one of my clawed hands, and said, "I wissh I wasssn't. Sssss."
"Nagas don't exist, Sam blurted out, they're myths, fairy tales!"
"What are Nagass?", I hissed.
"You are! Half man, half snake!" Samantha said in a shaky voice.
"Isss that what I am? Hissss?" I said in confusion.
"Don't you know??" Sam said.
"NOOO! I said; rearing up and hissing loudly, I don't know WHAT I am!! All I know iss I'm a monssster! HISSSSSS! And I don't WANT TO BE!! SSS-SSSSS!"
Startled by the snake creature's sudden action and loud hiss Sam pulled the Desert Eagle she'd resting in her lap and aimed it at the huge beast, hands shaking.
"NO, pleasse don't! I hissed, and recoiled submissively, pleasse! I won't hurt you!" Despite what I was I still valued my life, as strange and wretched as it had become."Pleasse, I ussed to be human, Ssssss, AND a ssnake, until a witch did this to me, to usss! Pleassse, I came to you for help!"
"A-A witch?" Sam said, lowering the massive pistol.
"Yess, I hissed, or a sorceresss, or ssomething. She did ssomething to me, and an ssnake, and we...we became THISSS! Ssssss!" And I reared up a little and spread my arms.
"Good Lord, Sam said as she put down the firearm, she believed him, no one could make up such an insane story, and the living proof was flicking its tongue at her. "What happened?"
And I told her; leaving out the rape bits, told her about how I'd been drugged, fed to the anaconda, then the 'witch' had read a spell and there had been the horrible agony, and when I woke up I was...like I was now. Two minds and bodies merged into one.
"Excuse me, Sam said, and picking up her cellphone she made a call, and seeing that it was upsetting her 'guest', she quickly said, "I'm just calling a friend of mine to let him know I'm OK, if I didn't call by a certain time he was going to call campus security. Oh, wait a second, "Bobby? Yes, hello, it's Dr. Talbot, everything's cool, it was just an old...friend wanting to give me a surprise visit. Yeah, OK, see you tomorrow."
"Sorry about that, Sam said, just a precaution, never can be too safe these days you know. Student of mine, about the only one worth the space he takes up."
Yeah, I thought, never know when a monster will come slithering into your office. But I couldn't blame her. I just nodded, and calmed down a little bit.
"Why did you come to me?? Sam asked, I mean, I guess I'm confused, I'm certainly no...witch, what makes you think I can help you?"
"You're a herpetologisst, I said, Ssss, you know about ssnakes, especially big ones. I ssaw the ssspecial on that nature channel. Maybe you can at least...tell me what I am, help me find someplace to live. You have no idea what it's like, being like thisss, not knowing what you are. Hissssss."
"Well, Sam said, I could give you a looking over, but I mean, it's...you're... obviously a reptile, and from the markings a green anaconda, but the rest...I...I just don't know."
"You ssaid I wass a Naga? I asked, are there more like me??"
"Yes, I said a Naga, Sam replied, but they're myths, like fairies or unicorns, so I very much doubt any exist."
"I exisst." I said.
"Oh Lord, Sam said, yes you do, even though I think I've probably gone nuts, but that doesn't mean other's do; but I guess since you do it means they might could, oh...this is just TOO weird!"
I gave a soft hiss of amusement, "I know how you feel. Sss-sss-sss." I said.
"Look, Sam said, I really don't have the facilities here to give you a good, er, exam. But the biology building does, they have a full veterinary clinic complete with an MRI machine and CatScan designed for, um, animals. I have access, and if you could meet me there maybe I could find out...something useful."
"Now??" I asked.
"No, it's too late, or early, Sam replied. But today is Friday; the place will be empty over the weekend. Could you meet me there tomorrow night, around ten o'clock?"
"Sssure, I said, can you let me in?? Ssss, I found a open window here, but might not be ssso lucky tonight. I'd hate to have to break sssomething."
"Um, sure, Sam said, meet me at the back door; it's nice and dark behind the building at night. I'll unscrew the light bulb over the door so there will be an even lesser chance of someone seeing you."
"Probably a good idea, I said, and I need to retrieve the bookss I told you about, and that necklace hass something to do with what happened too."
"You mean it's magical?" Sam said, looking at the heavy jewelry with new interest.
"Well, the witch was wearing it when she casst her spell, I said, ssso it could be."
"What about the witch, Sam asked, how did you get away from her? Couldn't you make her change you back??"
"I...ssshe had an accident. Sssss." I hissed.
"Accident?" Sam said.
"Yesss, I said, she'ss dead."
"Are you sure? Sam asked, if I could talk to her it would be a big help."
"Yesss, I said, I'm ssure. I...I ssaw her die. Ssssss." I didn't want to tell her the truth, that I'd raped her then eaten her alive.
"Well, that's too bad, Sam said. OK, well, it's almost six, and some of the student aids and teachers come in pretty early, so you'd better leave. Um, where are you staying?"
"Oh, I'll be around, I said, Sssss, I found a nice place to den up for now. I'll see you tomorrow night. Sssss." And I turned and left, shutting the door gently behind me.
Sam rewound the tape from the hidden camera she'd set up; another precaution, and watched it five times before she finally convinced herself she hadn't had some weird waking dream or gone crazy. There was NO way the huge creature was a prop or costume of some kind, she knew snakes too well, knew how they moved. And she could also tell how it was reacting from some of its body language. Fear, uncertainty, hope, but most of all, despair and sadness. But its story? About witch's; or A witch, and magic?? She watched the film one more time. Well, that explanation was as good as anything she could think of. There is NO way I'm going to get any sleep today, she thought, and she had a lot to do before tonight. After thinking for a minute, she picked up the phone, hit speed-dial, and said,
"Bobby, hi, it's Dr. Talbot again, cancel all my classes today, tell them I'm sick. I'm sure the students will be overjoyed. And by the way, your report on gecko's was excellent, A+. See you later."
She pulled a couple of books off a shelf, and then went into her 'library' and got a few more. She'd continue her 'preliminary' research at her house, her own PC was much better them the crap the University provided. As she left she scooped Seymour out of his cage, and told him, "Seymour, we are neck deep in it." His only answer was a flick of the tongue, and she gave his snout a kiss. "I know baby, I love you too."
I quickly returned to the basement, and exiting through the window I took to the drains and left the campus grounds via the same drainage ditch I'd used before. It was very convenient for huge snake monsters. Next I retrieved the heavy pack from its hiding place, and returned to the drains before it got too light out. I found the biology building on the map, and getting as close as I could I settled down to wait out the day. But I got no sleep as I stared fixedly into the dark, hoping...
Sam tried to sleep, but gave up. Instead she spent most of the time in front of her PC researching magic and Nagas. But nothing she could find said anything about creating a Naga with magic! They WERE magical, but so far as she could tell they were mostly born that way, not created, unless by a God or deity or some kind. And while some could create other Nagas by eating someone, and then rebirthing them as a new Naga, there was nothing about merging a human and a snake into a Naga. And most Nagas she found illustrations of seemed to be poisonous snakes such as cobra's, and/or had much more human features on their upper bodies. And none seemed to be part anaconda! Of course there was still much more research to be done, but it was a new area to her and not one she was familiar with. While she was an expert on snakes, magical ones were not included. Hopefully the books he'd mentioned would shed more light on the subject, and she was dying to see them! Magic that actually WORKED? Fascinating!
Sam let herself into the biology building as soon as she was sure all the staff and students had taken off for the weekend. She turned on the various machines she planned on using to warm them up, and then headed for the back door. She turned off the alarm, and the light, and propped the door open with a rock, then went back to get things ready.
As soon as it got dark I moved to the drain opening, and was relieved to see the light at the back door of the building was out. Flattening a little I left the drain and dashed across the parking lot, found the door was propped open, and went inside. Then; as an afterthought, turned the light on, didn't want a campus cop getting curious.
Sam heard him before she saw him, a gentle rasping sound of his scutes on the tile floor. "I'm in here!" She called. As he slithered through the door and into the exam room she leaned against the wall for support, despite having seen him the night before she was still unprepared for the sheer size and appearance of the strange hybrid. He paused, tongue flicking, and said,
"I'm ssorry, I didn't mean to ssscare you."
"No, no, it's all right, she said, it's just that...you take some getting used to. Please wait here, I want to turn on the door alarms so we won't have any interruptions."
I moved aside as she left, then looked around the room. Looked like your typical doctor; or vet's, exam room to me. Through another door I could see some complicated looking equipment, some with lights blinking. I started to enter to take a closer look, but she came back before I could.
"OK, now that you're here, Sam said, we can, er, get started. Oh Jeez, you're way too big for the exam table. Guess I'll have to do it while you're on the floor."
"OK, I said, do whatever you want to, I'll cooperate."
Sam felt a little nervous, and giddy too, as she inspected the huge serpents body. Its scales were sleek and shiny, smooth and dry though they looked wet, and ran her hands across them, enthralled. She'd examined large serpents before, but nothing like him before. My God, she thought, he's almost twenty-five feet long! And his body was almost as thick as she was, and she was a big person. She ran a stethoscope down his torso until she found his heart, and noted that it was beating slightly faster than a 'normal snake', the beats loud and regular. She looked into his eyes and shined a light into them, tried to determine the range of his hearing, and he watched her intently the whole time with his strange eyes, and when she held up a large thermometer he obediently opened his mouth for it, his large forked tongue flicking over her hand as she inserted it. Normally she would have used his cloaca, but didn't think he'd care much for that method of taking his temperature. And as she examined his body she found another unusual feature that raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. Over an hour later, she finally said,
"OK, I'm through with the outside, now for the inside."
I watched as she examined me, and when she ran her warm hands over my cool scales I found I liked that very much. She took her time, and I was surprised when she didn't say anything about my having two cloaca's, surely she'd noticed? I was kind of...embarrassed about that. Then when she finished I followed her into the other room so she could take a look 'inside' me. She took a blood sample first; ouch, and then she ran me through a couple of big fancy looking machines; in five foot sections, then asked me to wait in the outer room like any other doctor would. So I coiled in a corner, and did as I was told, and waited. There weren't any magazines, so I just stared at the wall.
Over two hours later she finally stuck her head out the door, and motioned for me to come in. Then she went over and stood in front of what looked like x-rays hung up on some viewing lights.
"OK, she said, ready for my report?"
I shook my head, hissing softly.
"You, she said, are one strange critter." Then she paused.
That's IT, I thought, disappointed. It took her over four hours to figure THAT out? I'd have thought that pretty obvious from the start! Or maybe she had other Nagas dropping in for midnight visits on a regular basis! I was about to say something, probably unflattering, when she continued.
"And also fascinating, Sam added. You are definitely a reptile, but have some features most reptiles don't. Your eyes are not quite 100% reptilian, so your eyesight is probably excellent, yet you also have night vision. You can see heat, can't you?" When he nodded she smiled, she'd thought so! "And since you can hear me without any problem your hearing is superior as well. And I'd hazard your senses of smell and taste as acute as any snakes."
"I do have some trouble with electronically produced sssounds." I said.
"Hmm, Sam thought, it might be because the sound waves from a speaker vary some for naturally produced sounds. While humans can't really tell the difference, maybe you can. Interesting." It bore more looking into. She continued, "You're cold blooded, but your body temperature seems to be slightly higher than average; for a snake, possibly due to your impressive size, you'll retain body heat for a longer period. And while your upper body; your torso if you like, has some human features your skeletal structure is primarily reptilian. Your head is reptilian, but your brain case is larger. The most human features are your arms, and though fairly slender the muscle mass in them is denser, so I would speculate you have incredible strength in your arms, probably as much as in your coils. Your grip would be...deadly. And now the most interesting bit. See these two scans?"
And she pointed to two of the x-rays, or whatever they were, and I nodded, not having the slightest idea what she expected me to see.
"These, Sam said, pointing at one of the scans, are hemipenes, your penises. They are NOT in the usual place; they are more in the location you would find on a human, not a snake. And this, she said pointing at the other scan, is a female cloaca, and that next to it is a womb. You are a hermaphrodite, and while not entirely unheard of in the wild, it is for a snake. And one other difference between the two, all your waste will be voided through the female cloaca as would any normal snake. Your, um, penises seem to have only their primary function, if they are functional."
Oh yes, they are, I thought as I remembered how it had felt with Debra impaled on both of them. "I think the anaconda I was merged with wasss a female, I said, maybe that is why I'm ssuch a freak, why I have both sexesss."
"Oh, oh dear, Sam said, I didn't mean to imply you were a...freak! Far from it, you're unique, one-of-a-kind, you're...you're beautiful!"
That caught me a little off guard, and I ducked my head and hissed in pleased embarrassment. Frightening, impressive, horrible, those I could understand, but beautiful?
"D-Do you really think I'm beautiful? Ssssss? I asked softly, but...but I'm a monsster."
"No, Sam said, you're not a monster. Different, strange, yes, I'll admit that. But you're no more a monster then I am. People call things monsters just because they're different, or don't understand them. Frankly, I know plenty of people that are monsters as far as I'm concerned."
"Why am I more ssnake, then human?? I asked, I thought I was sssupposed to be half and half. I think the witch was ssurprised when I wassn't."
"I'd guess, and I'm theorizing mind you, that since the snake was so much larger, and you were, um, inside of it when you both changed, that the bulk of your body was just absorbed instead of merging evenly. Actually, that might have been for the best."
That sounded right, I thought, I had felt myself literally melting and liquefying inside the snake. I shuddered at the memory of that horrible feeling. "Why isss that better?" I asked.
"Well, she said, for one thing merging a human spine with a reptilian one would be very difficult, and I'm sure you would have had some horrible back problems, and with a more human torso you probably couldn't swallow your food, and a snakes stomach and intestines are designed for complete bodies, and I have no idea what cooked food would do to you."
"Makess sssense, I hissed, do you think you can help me??"
"Change you back? Sam said, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. Frankly I have NO idea how you were merged in the first place, it's scientifically impossible, at least in any way we know of now. But with magic?? Who knows? Until you showed up I had always considered magic a bunch of superstitious nonsense."
"Sspeaking of magic, wait here." I said. I left the vets office for a minute and retrieved the pack from a garbage can in a snack area where I'd stashed it, and brought it back with me. I set it down on the floor in front of her, and said,
"Here, thesse are for you."
"These are the..." She started to say.
"Magic books, yesss." I finished.
Eagerly she began unwrapping the large heavy pack, "My, she said, these are well packed!"
"Didn't want anything to happen to them, I've been dragging them around the countryside and through sssewers for monthss." I hissed.
"Sewers?" She said.
"Yesss, I said, had to remain out of sssight."
"Oh, OHH, she said, I understand. It must have been...well, not nice."
"It was grosss and disgusssting." I hissed.
One of the first things she pulled out was the small heavy bag of gold, and the wad of cash.
"Is this what I think it is?" Sam asked as she looked in the leather bag.
"Yesss, I said, it'ss gold. It wass the witch's, sshe hass no more usse for it now. The money was herss too. You may have it. I have no need for it."
"Oh, I could never accept this, the gold and jewelry is worth a small fortune!" Sam exclaimed.
"Pleassse, I said, take it. I have no usse for it, what would I do with it??"
"Well, I, uh, thank you, I'll think about your kind offer.", Sam replied. Her department could certainly use some new microscopes and other equipment. Then she took out a few of the books, and was amazed.
As she bent over the books and concentrated on them I moved a little closer and gently flicked my tongue in the air, she smelled, and tasted, nice. And it was nice to be able to talk to someone again. I felt at ease with her as she had no fear of me.
"My God, she said, some of these are hundreds of years old, and most are in Latin! Good thing I can read it fairly well. Some are published works, mainly histories and stuff, but some are handwritten, and look like genuine spell books! Any you say a young witch had all of these??"
"Well, I replied, she looked young, but I guesss that could have been from a sspell."
"Amazing, simply amazing!" Sam said as she took out book after book. Some were portfolios with loose pages, others crudely made, while others were beautifully bound and illustrated. Then she glanced at her watch, it was almost 6:00! The time had passed much more quickly then she realized. Quickly she started stuffing the books back in the bag.
"We have to go, she said, some teachers might come in to get a ready for next week. I don't want them to find us here!"
No shit, I thought. "But what will I do, where will I go??" I hissed in growing anxiety, I hadn't thought of that yet!
"Um, well, you'll have to come with me! Sam said, I'll pull my SUV around the back, and you can hide in the back until we get to my house. It's a big old place, I have plenty of room."
"Um, look, are you ssure?? I hissed, I can alwayss hide out in the woodss. It'ss not sso cold now. And I can...hunt."
"Hunt?" Sam asked, not quite sure what he meant.
"Yesss, I said, I have to eat, you know." I didn't go into details though.
"Oh, OH, yes, of course, how...stupid of me, Sam said, but for now you can come with me, you will NOT sleep out in the woods! If you get hungry I can find something, er, suitable for a snake your size. I don't mind at all, it will be nice to have someone to talk to! And you ARE fascinating."
"Well, OK." I said.
Quickly she pulled the x-rays off the viewers, and gathered up all the other results of her tests, and stuffed them in the bag with the books.
"We need to hurry, she said, I'll turn off the alarms, and you wait by the back door until I pull around, and when I pop the back hatch get in as fast as you can, oh, and bring the bag, I can't budge it."
Yes Ma'm! I thought, and as she left she turned out the lights, and I grabbed the bag; didn't seem that heavy to me, and headed for the back door. Soon I saw a big older model SUV pull up, and then back up close to the door, and exiting I slithered into the back and coiled as low as I could. She jumped out, shut the door, turned on the alarms, hopped back in, and we were on our way. I really, really hoped we didn't get stopped by a cop. I'm sure she'd have hard time explaining the huge snake monster in the back, and I'm sure 'He's a pet' wouldn't do it. But we made it without incident.
Another quick dash and I was in the house, and safe. And it WAS a big old place, two stories with a large basement she'd made into a kind of studio/workplace. I followed her down to it, and she unpacked all of the books and laid them on top of a large workbench, and I could smell them. Old leather and dust, a musky unpleasant smell. While she looked them over I snooped a little, poking around the basement. I found an easel with a sheet over it, and curious took off the sheet and it was a partially completed painting. It showed a lazy looking river meandering through dense jungle, and I felt a tug at my heart. Home, I thought longingly. Suddenly I realized she was calling me, and turned my head to find her looking at me.
"I'm ssorry, I said, I was jusst looking at your painting, it'ss very nice."
"A hobby, she said, afraid I'm not very good, I just tinker every now and then."
I looked at the painting again, and said, "I like it. I really appreciate thisss, you know, your helping me. I...I didn't know where elssse to go."
She blushed a little, and said, "Well, thank you. Now I don't know about you but I'm exhausted, and we need to find you a place to sleep. I have a guest bedroom that hasn't been used in years, but is has a good bed."
"Could I ssleep with the others." I asked.
"What others?" She asked in surprise.
"The other ssnakes, I said, I can ssmell them."
"I...I don't see why not, she said, but it wouldn't be very comfortable."
I gave an amused hiss, and tapped my scaly body. "I've been sssleeping in the woodss and ssewers, I said, anything is more comfortable then that! Ssssss!"
"OK, come on then". Sam said, and led me to another door, and opening it we entered a temperature controlled room lined with small to large terrariums and aquariums. It was a small zoo, and as I'd known there would be there were other snakes. And some were quite large. Each one had a tag on it with a name. Names like, 'Sebastien, Gretchen, Pip, Mr. Binky, and others, and I hissed in amusement. The floor was carpeted, and the lighting was muted and dim giving the impression of ambient natural light. I coiled up in a corner and got settled in, feeling right at home.
"Thiss isss fine." I hissed.
"Well good night, or morning, ah..., what IS your name, anyway?" Sam asked.
"George, I said, just call me George." I said sleepily.
"OK, and you can call me Sam.", she said as she turned out the lights.
"Goodnight Ssam." I hissed as the door shut. Even without the lights on there was still some from lighting in some of the cages, more than enough to see by. But soon I fell asleep, warm and comfortable for the first time in I couldn't remember how long, and even more importantly, safe.
As Sam took a good hot shower she thought about her strange guest, and felt a shiver run through her body. God, he was so beautiful! She'd had a thing for snakes and other reptiles ever since she was small child and kept a pet lizard in a shoe box. That interest had turned into her life's passion, and she threw herself into her work with the enthusiasm of a zealot. Snakes fascinated her, so slick, so smooth and streamlined, their forms so simple and perfect. She'd always had several as pets, some for many years. Her largest snake, a reticulated python named Sebastian, had been her pet for twenty years and he was over fifteen feet long. Though she admitted it was kinky, maybe even a perversion, she liked to let Sebastian sleep with her sometimes, and she usually slept in the nude. She'd let the curious snake crawl over her body; sometimes masturbating as he did, and snuggle next to her for warmth, and it really turned her on. That was as far as it went though, she knew coupling with a snake was pretty much impossible, she just didn't smell right, and wouldn't have appealed to a cold blooded reptile as a mate. But she had to admit she did have fantasies, and as she lubed herself with hot soapy water the wetness between her legs wasn't just from the water.
The End
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