Stolen Breath

1

Fueled by the need to know if the rubies are indeed real, I become braver. I step even closer so I'll have enough room. Then I lift both hands and place them both side by side on it's back. The reaction is instantaneous and I notice three things at once. 1. The room begins to shake and rumble, like the worst of earthquakes. I barely keep upright. 2. The snake's eyes open, revealing jet black irises and they stare directly at me. And 3. As soon as I touch the serpent, all breath is pushed from my lungs. There isn't a whoosh of air or anything. One minute there was air in my lungs and the next, there wasn't. I fall to the ground then, gasping like a fish out of water. I clutch at my throat and will my lungs to breath, with no results. I start to panic and I can feel my face turning blue.

I don't even notice the shadow that is suddenly cast on me from above. I slowly look up and see a man. A man with jet black eyes and two ruby stones hanging from his ears. The serpent. But how? How could that snake suddenly become this? Was it my touch? No don't be silly, Aatami , this isn't one of those princess movies where your touch frees the prince. Little did I know that I was wrong when I said that. I was very, very wrong.

With all those observations running through my head, I actually forget I couldn't breath. But once I look up the the man/snake again, fear and my lack of air slice through me like a knife. I don't claw at my throat again, I just look up at him. I know my eyes must be pleading "help me" but he doesn't acknowledge them. His eyes seem far away, but his voice is directed towards me. The words come out big and booming, sounding as if from a different being entirely. "You have awoken me, daughter of Adam. For thousands of years I have slept and now I am awake. I am thankful to you for that. But for a daughter of light to awake the prince of darkness, there is always a price. So the air that you once took for granted will be taken from you. Someone with so little air could not tell of what she has seen. From this time onward, you shall be cursed, to live a long, long live and to do so with little breath. Remember, the Prince offers you his thanks."

And with that being said, he disappears.

Just poof, gone. No smoke or hissing like in the movies, just he was there and then he wasn't.

I can feel a little bit of air coming back into my lungs, but I know it will never be enough. What did he mean by a long, long life? Will I live for thousands of years as he has sleep for that long?

Who was he? Why did he curse me and then thank me? What will happen now? I want to scream but when I try, a sound I can only compare to sand paper comes out. Am I cursed to never speak again also? I've got to get out of here, I've got to get out! I manage to crawl over to the door I entered from and reach it's handle. It's locked. I jerk it up and down, frantically trying to get it open. "Help, please somebody help!" I scream hoarsely. "I-I can't breath, help me!" I gasp out, quieter this time.

I throw myself against the door and sob. I'm so confused now. I came into this room and found the most beautiful animal in the world. And when I touched it, it took away my breath and cursed me. How could that happen? Why me?

Fear strikes me now, for the second time and I scream again. I manage to pull myself up and get ready to hurl my self against it. Right as I'm about to, it suddenly opens. A boy, about my age steps through with a scared look on his face. "Are you ok?" He asks, stepping toward me. Suddenly my knees give way and I start to fall. The boy reaches out and catches me. I lean into him, but then I stop. There, on his arm is a tattoo of a serpent, a blue serpent with scales of glass. I gasp and look up at him. "What is that?" I whisper. "It doesn't matter. Shh, you should sleep now," he replies with a voice like velvet. I start to feel tired and then I feel myself being pulled in to the pitch blackness of his eyes.