Chapter Three

Serpent's Strike

Momo ran out of the bathroom, ignoring the yells to stop by the security guards running after her. Her body was vibrating with rage so much she could hardly contain herself as she burst through the front doors of the building and ran down the busy street. Tears dripped down her cheeks, burning once they hit the unnaturally hot skin of the teenager. Her entire body felt as if it were inflamed as she hid within the crowd, her heart beating unevenly in her chest as she willed herself to stay calm. If she didn't there would be too many corpses mangled on the ground for them to even recognize.

"How can something like that even take a human form for so long," Momo wondered aloud as she thought back to the form of the girl. "I'm bursting from the seams and here she is, standing so tall and proud. That bitch."

Seething, she walked down a road that led to a bus stop. She should get home in case any other issues happen to show up, she was more annoyed than anything. Ever since she entered this town her nostrils had burned met the scent of someone putrid. She had spent months searching for this individual, their scent and powers had leaked everywhere. Their bloodlust was visible like a beacon in an endless night. Momo could hear their message loud and clear. A call for violence, someone had gotten cocky and was devouring everything in their path. She would be included if she didn't quicken her pace and find the source.

And when she finally found a lead, that girl had to show up. Thinking of the teenager made her blood boil even hotter. Her smell wasn't obvious at first but when she entered the bathroom it overpowered her. She was a newborn, maybe no older than a few months or even less. It confused her at first why such a young one would leave their home alone, it was dangerously stupid to do so. And then the girl had the nerve to play dumb and ask about her so-called tattoo? She nearly let loose right then and there but she decided to just slap her on the wrist for now.

Momo stopped as she reached the bus stop and let her body calm itself. There was no need to be on guard anymore, she was alone. It was going to be difficult to convince her auntie that the interaction had been nothing too serious. The older woman was probably contacted already and if she had bothered to bring her phone she had no doubt the woman had called her in a rage. She couldn't blame her, the first day in therapy and she had already nearly burned a girl alive.

'I could have but I choose not to.' She reminded herself with a dark look on her face. 'I could have destroyed her but she was already scared out of her mind.'

It was hard not to feel a tad guilty for her actions the more she thought about it. A newborn misbehaving in any other circumstance wouldn't be too bad, but that stench was everywhere. She could feel it in the air when she interacted with normal people. She saw its influence spread to unfortunate individuals, children and adults becoming perverted characters of who they used to be. Some stupid teen roaming around with their true form so blatantly strong and fragrant only added to the issue. Her eyes opened as she got onto the bus, her eyes scanning the near-empty vehicle with caution.

Anyone could be the owner of the stench infecting this town and she needed to be wary. Auntie could only help her so much before it overtook her ailing mind too and then she'd have to rely solely on outside help. Her hand tightened against the large pole she stood against as the bus started to drive away. She had no time to waste, hopefully, auntie wasn't too angry and would let her spend another night searching. Her eyes worked best when her form was hidden from the naked eye. Darkness under a cloudy night sky served her the best in these types of circumstances.

Then she'd finally be able to strike. Her teeth hurt at the thought of it, her nose burned harshly as they passed a particularly bad part of town. It was corrupted before she got here but now it was even worse. A normal person wouldn't be able to see it but she could. Her eyes could see the way its residents were collared to whatever creature was doing this, they were chained to its control. It hurt her chest to be forced to smell it all but she knew if she even tried to take care of the town now she'd be punished. You can't just massacre hundreds without being caught someday.

Even if it's diseased, she had no right to purge it of everything tainted. Auntie forbade it and she needed to stay on the older woman's good side. So she watched it grow and grow, feeling more helpless as time went by. After all, she was fostering the young girl as family second, disciple first. She had misbehaved enough for this fact to become known, the woman warning her to control her tongue. Their kind could only do so much damage before someone came and silenced them permanently for their actions. Feeling her left arm, she felt the familiar movement of her form writhing beneath her skin sate her urge to feed.

'You know I'm here and yet you choose to dangle it all in front of me.' She starred at the town as they passed through its smog and shitty road.

Soon, her stop came and the teenager stepped onto the stone pathway leading to her destination. The path was hidden near a trail that led into the nearby forest area, with a sign warning any hikers not to leave its designated location or risk being lost to the terrain. She walked without any fear in her mind up the small hill that was man-made, designed to look like something in the owner's home country. Auntie had settled in this town years before she had even been born so the land she owned looked like something out of a fairy tale or nature documentary.

Orange trees with buds preparing to bloom sat in perfect little plotted squares, awaiting a groundskeeper to come and water its thirsty roots. They lined the rest of the path atop the hill before disappearing once the gate of the house came near. It was made of wood, hanging open for its residents to enter whenever they pleased without having to worry.

She felt at home somewhat in the large, manor-like cabin that waited behind the seven feet tall boundary. It reminded her of her childhood home back when everything was so much simpler and Auntie herself was nothing but a distant relative she had never laid eyes on before. Now, she was staying as a guest in the woman's rather extravagant home with no other place to escape.

She eyed one of the home's many security guards who nodded at her with acknowledgment before going back to acting as if he were a mere gardener. Having stayed with her relatives in the home, she knew all too well that most of the staff here were not just caretakers and maids. They were not to be trusted with too much information, no matter how kind and protective they acted towards her. This was her auntie's land and she was just visiting in their eyes. No matter she was one of the woman's few remaining relatives that had what you could call a pulse.

Reaching the front of the house, she took off her heeled boots and put on the soft house shoes that sat by the door. Pushing open the twin doors, she was met with a warm room with the only light coming from a few candles lit on a dresser. Momo could see that a few pairs of shoes remained, meaning some of her cousins had left before she had gotten home.

No wonder it was so quiet, she thought to herself warily as she made her way out of the room and down the hall. She knew the older woman wouldn't be too pleased with her behavior, but she hoped that she understood her rash actions. Her body bristled at the thought of the newborn and their careless actions, her palm bleeding similarity to the girl.

The house itself was rather large despite its small appearance from the outside. There were rooms for all of its residents to stay in by themselves, along with a handful of guest rooms for visitors. Staff had their private rooms which her auntie had demanded be built before she had moved in, for their comfort and accessibility. Each bedroom was fairly modern with enough room to move most of your belongings into the closet without worry. Still, they had that reminisce of their homeland ingrained in them along with the house values itself weighing heavy on their minds.

Momo found herself in the hallway near auntie's bedroom, unsure about whether or not she should just barge into the women's room to explain herself. The matriarch of the house had the right to punish her whichever way she saw fit, being that she was here on business and not some show of familiar love. Still, her auntie cared for her and had at times allowed her to get away with some of her more bothersome behavior. But never had this behavior been so public like it was now.

"I wouldn't go in there just yet if I were you" A familiar voice chirped from behind her, Momo whipping around to meet the eyes of one of her eldest cousins staring at her with disappointment.

Her cousin Kaeo had moved in a few months before she had, coming from Thailand to stay with their auntie due to her failing grades. A beauty like most of their kind, she stood dressed in a simple dress with her long black hair down her back in a braid.

Her droopy eyes reminded Momo of a dog staring at their misbehaving master in misery, a look that was permanently on her face. She had merged into the system their family had rather easily due to her soft-spoken nature and tendency to act more on her logic than emotions. But this led her to become overwhelmed at times when her instincts desired to forgo all logic and made her a rather depressing person to be around.

Kaeo had her arms crossed around her chest as she pressed her lip into a thin line. "Auntie and I had to lie to those people about you. I can't believe you'd hurt a child so carelessly." Her voice weakened as she seemed to become upset at the thought of her cousin doing such a thing.

Momo rolled her eyes, she didn’t need someone preaching at her about her lack of empathy right now. Kaeo always acted as if they had to keep the same values they once had as normal people. In this house, you had to gain respect from those around you despite being a part of the family that raised it from nothingness.

It was the same outside the house within their community. Their kind had no morals when interacting with those lesser than them, no matter what consequences may happen from their actions. Her cousin was starting to piss her off from her tone, she wasn’t her mother so she had no idea why she acted as if her feelings towards her actions even mattered.

“I didn’t ask you to lie for me, so if you are trying to guilt-trip me suck it up.” Momo sneered, feeling her hand begin to sting as her anger got the best of her.

Kaeo narrowed her eyes staring at her with that same somber expression that she hated so much. “I’m not trying to guilt-trip you. I just want you to realize that your actions are affecting all of us. And I had to lie for you Momo, you're my older cousin.”

“So? Just because we’re family doesn’t mean we have to look out for each other Kaeo. You and I are just distant relatives boarding at the same house temporarily, after this we’ll never speak to one another again.” She said purposely hitting each anxiety she knew the younger had about them never seeing each other after they parted ways from auntie’s home.

"T-That's not true and you know it." Kaeo looked hurt as the words crushed her. Her bottom lip wobbled as she continued to try and reach her dangerous older cousin. "You're just trying to hurt my feelings but I'm not going to listen to you act like this. Auntie's angry right now so you'll just piss her off more by going in."

Shit. Momo wavered, wondering if she should take the fifteen-year-old seriously. She was sensitive to others so in her eyes auntie being missed could just be the woman annoyed by her actions. But she could be right and going into the woman's bedroom was like entering a lion's den.

"She told the maids that you're on cleaning duty for the next month." Kaeo continued with her hands anxiously playing with her braid. "None of the chefs can make you any food so you have to cook for yourself from now on. She might even take your allowance Momo for the next year."

"Bullshit that allowance is from my inheritance she can't take anything." She whispered as a maid made her way past them, pushing a cart of treats most likely for their younger cousins.

Each cousin had their parents send down money for them to live comfortably. The older ones had the money wires directly to them, so she was unsure how auntie could stop her from getting it.

Kaeo grabbed her hand, pulling her aside roughly so no one else could interrupt them. "Do you think your parents wouldn't let her do that? That they would stand up to auntie of all people!"

Momo didn't want to admit it but Kaeo had a point. Auntie did favor her in some ways but this was bigger than anything before. "Fine. I'll talk to her later. Still, just because we are cousins doesn't mean you have to look out for me. We are predators and behavior like that makes you prey Kaeo. And I wouldn't like to be the one to have to eat you."

***

That night Lea dreamed of a snake wrapping its body around her neck and smothering her. She remembered the way its eyes looked unnaturally human with an iris and pupils were blown out wide as they stared into her own. Its fangs shone brightly in the nearly pitch-black abyss, becoming the only light basked in silver. She could still feel the desperation clouding her mind once she woke up in a cold sweat, her throat too dry to even let out a tiny shriek. It played with her, letting her claw at it with her small hands in a futile attempt to break free from its grasp.

With it came the image of a woman, changing places with the snake right as it squeezed the last breath from her throat. The woman towered over with a slim figure that was paler than most, her nails digging into the younger girl's flesh as her grip tightened. Feline-like eyes became darkened as her resistance began to fade to her horror. Cold, ice blue lips met her own as the woman took it from her forcibly. The gesture wasn't romantic but predatory, no consent given as she stuck her tongue in the other's mouth to devour her from inside out. She didn't recognize her but she could see the way her eyes sparkled with delight as she awoke in a state of panic.

Exhausted, Lea found herself on the floor next to her bed with someone standing over her with worry on their face. They had long brown hair that touched her shoulder as they tried to shake her awake from her nightmare. The thought of being touched by someone right now was too much for her to handle. Instinctively she moved away from them, a look of worry on the woman's otherwise gentle face as she pulled away.

"Jesus christ you scared me, Lea." The woman, a friend of her older sisters named Yaya, sighed with relief once she realized she wasn't hurt from the fall.

“Sorry…” Lea said feeling smaller than ever as Yaya helped her off of the ground and back onto her bed. She had been resting ever since she got her hand bandaged and taken home by her distraught older sisters who caused more than a scene once they heard her side of the story.

She had tried to tell the center's leaders what she had seen, stupidly believing they'd listen to her. But they claimed that Momo had no tattoos and that she had cut herself on her own. It frustrated her as she had no recollection of ever being cut in the first place. Still, her palm sat bandaged in her lap, throbbing from how severe the damage was. It made no sense to her why they would believe she'd ever do something like this to herself. She needed both of her hands. There was no way she could play lacrosse with a bum hand, it was near impossible to even flex her fingers without feeling her skin crawl with discomfort.

Her sisters thankfully took her side in the matter, demanding to know where Momo was so they could talk to her personally. The girl had gotten away from security and ran into the busy street to escape questioning. They had contacted her relatives who repeated the fact that she had no tattoos and never had asked about getting one done.

The woman they spoke to on the phone sounded horrified with the news, but not convinced that she was telling the truth about it. They also said that she wasn't violent, making her oldest sister get angry with the implications of what they claimed. Everything became too much for her and she asked to go home before it got any worse.

She just felt defeated. "Did they ever call back about finding Momo?"

Yaya shook her head, rubbing her back once she saw how conflicted the teen looked. "Don't worry about that for now, your sisters and I are going to help you regain your strength. That woman doesn't matter right now, your health does."

Lea felt her heart drop, laying back down on her side as Yaya brought her blanket off of the floor and back over her body. She wanted to ask more but the nightmare and the events the day before left her exhausted. She could feel the tiredness in her body with the way her legs ached and her chest felt heavy. Everything felt like it had been flipped upside down and now she just didn't know what to do. All she knew was that her mind was playing tricks on her and that Momo was the only one who could verify she wasn't going insane and hallucinating.

Standing above her, Yaya offered what could only be described as a sympathetic gesture in her gummy smile. Unlike most of her sisters’ friends Yaya was soft-spoken and someone she trusted to be looked after. That's probably why she had been sent in to check on her, only to find the young girl in such a vulnerable state. She flushed in embarrassment and pulled the blanket up higher to hide.

It was hard not to fall into a fit of tears and chest-heaving sobs. Her emotions were running wild as she knew her family must be in turmoil with the news of what happened. Her poor mother, she began to fear, would become overwhelmed with finding out she had been accused of harming herself and getting into a fight with another girl out of the blue.

"Wait!" She cried out weakly, stopping Yaya from leaving the room just in time.

Lea licked her lips feeling blood from how dry they were on her tongue. "Did my mom come home yet? Does she know what happened?"

"Amari told her what happened over the phone a few hours ago," Yaya said looking sympathetic as she tried to keep her voice calm. "Your sister said that your mother is going to handle it. Don't worry about it right now Lea you need to rest." She left the room, closing the door with a soft click.