Snake Ring

Snake Ring

The unforgiving sun scorched the sandy desert below; any creatures that could live in this environment had found some form of protection. It was noon the hottest part of the day a time when you really were not supposed to be wandering the desert without water. Poor James had no other option though as sluggishly moved through the bare wasteland wandering in a blind direction that he hoped would bring civilization. James knew that the chances of civilization being in the direction of which he was traveling were very small; so small in fact that James had wrote his last words in his front pocket in case anyone found him out here.
"Why I just didn't stay home eludes me… Minnesota would be nice and cool right about this time of year." James said aloud to himself; loose sand slowed him down even further as he traveled to what would more than likely be his immanent death. "I wonder if they shall serve tea this afternoon?" James pondered; the heat and dehydration were finally affecting his mind. James suddenly stopped… "My luck has turned for the better… finally ladies and gentlemen finally… WATER!!!" he screamed madly as he ran toward the oasis that he saw in front of him.
Leaping forward and into what appeared to be water James fell to nothing more than just sand. He just lay there thinking to himself that life had been cruel his entire twenty years of being… why should it stop now? In complete anguish James started screaming and punching the ground in front of him. "DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT ME!?!" He cried to the heavens; then in what would appear to be an answer the sand that he was laying on started sinking and James followed suit. As he continued to sink up to his shoulders panic set in; in complete terror he started thrashing and kicking which only resulted in him being pulled down even faster.
It was like being sucked into a vacuum when James was completely submerged. He couldn't breath, he couldn't see, and there was no possible way to move. He kept sinking for what seemed to be a lifetime and many thoughts passed through his mind but just like the loose sand he was unable to retain anything he thought of as it just sunk through forgotten. Just as all hope was lost James felt he could breathe again and he felt himself falling through air not sinking in sand. *Thump* James had fallen to a cool rocky floor; quickly he sat up and looked around the only thing visible in the pitch black was a clear blue pool of water that illuminated through the darkness.
Afraid that he was hallucinating again, James slowly crawled to the water and gently put his hand in the liquid. Surprise washed over him as he realized that he could feel the pool and it was very cold… perfect for him to drink. James got in a comfortable position and started drinking the water… for once it seemed that James had caught a break. A noise in the underground cave disrupted James sense of calm; realization hit James like a truck as he came to terms that he might not be the only thing down here.
Tension seemed to rise in the cave as James could hear the thing coming closer and closer. Against common sense James cried out "Who's there," the thing stopped and from the sound of it's breathing it was way too close to be safe. Then it spoke "Pleassssse don't be afraid I jusssst want to talk okay?" James listened to the voice and decided that it was definitely female; "She just wants to talk where is the harm in that?" He thought to himself. "Okay you want to talk, I will talk," James said to the woman; she seemed to be very shy but finally she replied "I want to come forward but promisssssse me you will not freak out?"
James thought that was a weird question but he promised not to and waited for her to come forward. His heart stopped as two bright yellow eyes emerged from the darkness which was then followed by a snake-like humanoid. "Uhhhh… please d-d-d-don't eat me," begged James. She seemed hurt by this but still proceeded forward and slithered over to James; James looked her up and down trying to decide what this thing was. The lower half of this being was that of a snake a long tail that provided movement. The upper half was human like with arms and a female body with a female cobra head.
Dark brown scales covered her entire body and she stood to be six feet and eleven inches tall. "I won't hurt you… here let me introduce mysssssself, my name isssssss Athena… what'ssssss yoursssss?" Athena said soothingly; James stared into her eyes and was surprised to find them not frightening but pleading… as if asking for a friend. He cleared his throat and stated "My name is… uh… my name is James," it was hard to concentrate with her gaze staring right into him it seemed.
James suddenly thought to himself "She has the gaze of a cobra that's it… wow a half human half snake." Athena stared at him a bit more before finally asking "Sssssssso how did you get here… I mean it'sssssss not like thisssssss isssss a popular ssssspot to ressssst?" The question reminded James of the unfortunate way he had came to be in the desert. "Well I was vacationing here in Egypt when my girlfriend dumped me and stole my stuff; she headed back to America without me. I couldn't take it anymore so I ran out here not even thinking about the heat or which direction I was heading."
Athena shook her head replying "She underestimates companionship," James looked up from the pool of water and back to the snake-girl. "What do you mean?" he asked her and she explained "I have lived down here my whole life after my parentsssss left me and I have not sssssseen anyone sssssince. I learned Englisssssssshhhhhhhh from the booksssss I wasssss left with but I alssssso learned my native tongue which yesssss, would be sssssssnake."
He could tell that she was very lonely having no contact with anyone and there was nothing he could do to help her. "That is terrible, why would they leave you if they are your parents?" he asked appalled by her parents actions; Athena sighed and answered "It'sssssss what all nagassssss do, they leave their children behind but I wassssss left alone becaussssssse I am more human like then naga." James nodded and realized he had seen her kind before but they were just legend to others around the world but right now he was holding a conversation with one.
"Why are you more human than the others to me you seem like the ones I have seen drawn pictures of on the internet?" James queried Athena; she looked down to the ground and sadly admitted "My father wassss a human and my mother wassss a naga… between the both of them my father was the nicessssst but my mother cared for me more." Life, it seemed to James, was worse to this nice person than it had ever been to him. Slowly James reached out and gently patted her scaly arm, to his amazement she was silky soft.
She flinched at first but she seemed to enjoy the contact as he continued to pat her. "I am sorry I feel really bad that this has happened to you… if there was anyway I could help you I would. I must be going though my plane is leaving shortly if you could point me in the right way I would greatly appreciate it." He said; Athena looked sad because of his sudden decision to go but she told him where to go. James was leaving when suddenly Athena called out "WAIT," quickly she slithered over to him and held out a ring that resembled a snake holding its tail in its mouth. "I want you to have this… so you won't forget me." She said; James took the ring and replied "Thank-you and no I will never forget you… I am sorry I have to go but I have school and work that is waiting at home for me."
Tears fell from Athena's eyes as James walked through the cave; he felt terrible for leaving such a nice person but he knew there was no way he could stay with her. As he slid the ring on his finger James wished in his head "I wish there was some way to be with her she really is lonely… only if I could give up my responsibilities that I hold so I could stay here with her." Before a minute passed James did not realize that life was going to give him and Athena a break.
Slowly black scales pushed out of James's skin and James stopped. His arms were becoming covered with the scales as they spread all over his skin. He cried out in terror as they reached his face; with an audible *THWACK* James fell to the floor and seen that his legs were starting to meld together. Athena rushed over when she heard the commotion; she gasped when she saw her newfound friend covered in scales and sporting a six foot long snake tail instead of legs.
James's head started popping and cracking as it took on the form of a cobra's head. From the side of his head to his back James felt what would be the poison glands for the king cobra push out and grow. His teeth took on the form of fangs and his two incisors became hollow and elongated; quickly they filled with his venom. The only thing left untouched during the transformation was James's eyes. He could see perfectly in the dark and with his new forked tongue he could taste smells.
"What… jussssssst… happened," James hissed as he stood on his new tail; he was at least eight feet tall now and he now looked down upon Athena. "I am not ssssssure… are you angry at me… I sssswear I had nothing to do with it." She cried; James just smiled and embraced her in a hug saying "No I could never be mad at you… we were meant to be together and now we can be." Athena smiled with him and to celebrate their new life together they embraced in a kiss that sent shivers down Athena's spine. She would no longer have to live alone for she had found someone that cared for her.

The End