Sun Kissed

DELETED CHAPTER: Snakes (part 2)

DELETED CHAPTER: Snakes (part 2)

"What was that?" Sofi wondered.

Toni held onto her protectively. "I don't know, but it sounded close."

The hissing sound came and went again. It sounded closer this time.

"Let's get out of here," Sofi said just before she took off along the banks. Toni took hold of her hand again and ran alongside her. Together they jogged through the forest, trying to escape the approaching hiss. The surrounding plant life became denser and denser, and sunlight became scarcer as they ventured deeper into the tropical forest. 

It wasn't long before Sofi and Toni ended up in a circular clearing where they were caged in by thick, compact tree trunks. They stood back to back, trying to keep their eyes peeled for whatever was hunting them. Suddenly, the strange, loud hissing stopped and all that could be heard was Sofi's and Toni's frantic breathing. 

After a few minutes, they calmed down and Toni whispered, "Don't worry. I think they're gone –"

As if on cue, a black dart sailed through the air and planted itself directly in Toni's neck. He slumped to the ground in unconsciousness. After letting out a startled scream, Sofi took off towards the wall of plants and squeezed herself between two massive tree trunks. Once she got out of the clearing, she stumbled on in near darkness. The hissing started up again and was so close that Sofi sweat in fear. She shrieked in desperate terror when she looked up and saw two figures in the trees above her, jumping from limb to limb. Whatever they were, they were following her.

Light finally seeped between the cracks of the dense jungle and Sofi leapt for it. She found herself in another circular clearing where her two followers soared in after her. They landed before her and Sofi finally rested her eyes on their forms. 

Two snake Encantados stood before her. She had never seen one until now, but she could remember Amancio describing them to her. They were slender, with sharp, long bodies. Their eyes were angular and dark on their olive skin. Their hair was black and their clothing was meager rags made out of snakeskin quilted together. And together the Encantados stunk of swamp water.

"Look who got lost in the forest, Jorge," said the Encantado on the right. The one on the left said, "What should we do, Alonzo? Should we help her find her way back home?"

"That would be the right thing to do," said Alonzo as he waved his long, skeletal finger in the air. "But if we let her go, then none of her human friends will come and find her."

"Yes, you're absolutely right. Let's keep her around so more humans will come out to play."

"Yes, but in the meantime we should eat one of her eyeballs. She only needs one."

"Right, I agree. And I'm sure it won't hurt if we peel back just a little bit of her skin."

Sofi scrambled to her feet and tried to tear past the hungry snakes. They caught her by either arm and shoved her back against a tree. Before they could throw themselves at her in a feasting frenzy, someone descended from above and landed swiftly in front of them.

Red hair set the dark clearing ablaze. Sofi let out a cry of relief when she laid eyes upon her rescuer. Amancio was standing firmly between her and the serpents.

The slithery Encantados recoiled in fear. Jorge whispered to Alonzo, "I thought that we already dealt with the babysitter."

Alonzo whispered back, "No, this is his student. Remember, the one he warned us about?"

"Oh. So what are we supposed to do again?"

"We kill him."

"Say that to my face!" Amancio hollered over their uncouth whispering. The snakes turned their gaze back on Sofi and Amancio.