Serpent Sarcophagus novel Chapter 3

The ambulance drove away. Looking at those snakes lying on the ground, I was a bit disconcerted after hearing my father’s words that I had to stay in Pearl’s place for a few days.

Seeing the snake bodies on the ground, the cleaner hurriedly clapped her hands together, turned towards the small Taoist temple of Chang’s and murmured something. But her eyes were staring at me with curiosity.

It wasn’t appropriate for me to stay there for long either. So, I took a taxi back, and applied for a leave of absence from my homeroom teacher.

When I got home, the door was still cordoned off, my mom and dad were standing in front of the door in pajamas. Surrounded by a swarm of people, my dad was giving a statement to the cops while my mom aside kept explaining the details.

Aunt Luth, who owned a noodles shop next door, giggled when she saw me, “Aurora, you were not home last night, weren’t you? It's a good thing you didn't sleep at home. Tut, David's wife, who lived upstairs, got entangled with the snake from your father's snake liquor.”

“What does it mean, entangled with a snake?” Hearing about her mentioning the snake liquor, I didn’t feel good about it. I kept thinking about David’s abnormal look last night.

A kind of strange and curious expression emerged on Aunt Luth’s face. Her eyes seemed to have been squeezed together like she was going to say something but didn’t dare to.

A few idlers who liked to wander off the streets were among the crowds. One of them said, “It means being shagged by the snake. I heard that the snake was still inside her private parts when Fletcher found it this morning. Fletcher pulled the snake out. Shame! That was her father-in-law!”

“It is really unusual! We all heard that living snakes entangle people, but who would think that this snake, which was soaked in liquor, could do that as well!” With a strange expression on her face, Aunt Luth said, “That David’s behavior was also abnormal. His wife died, but he straightly ran off with the snake. Well, now everyone suspects that he did it on purpose.”

“And the snake escaped?” I just felt chilly.

Aunt Luth got encouraged at once and was ready to elaborate more.

My mother realized I was back, when she saw me in the crowd. She snapped at Aunt Luth, “Don’t tell the kid such a horrible thing!”

Aunt Luth smiled apologetically, calling the crowds to eat noodles at her shop.

My mother quickly pulled me aside, “Why do you come back? The place is going to be ill-boding as someone died here! You should keep away from such things that will bring bad luck, for you will have the college entrance exam soon. You can live in Master Chang’s place. Ask him to draw an Amulet for you to get rid of your bad luck.”

She took out her phone. “I will transfer some money to you, you can live in Pearl’s home for a few days, buy them some fruits, small gifts and such. Play smart! Help them do some chores. Wash your own clothes! Don't be as lazy as you are at home, yes?”

She was quite generous this time and gave me one thousand. Then she waved at the motorcycle driver who was there observing the scene and asked him to send me to school, “Go to school first. I will pick up you and Pearl in the evening and fetch you some clothes.”

“Mom,” I grasped my mother's hand tightly, asked in a low voice, “Is there a snake-shaped jade in our family?”

My mother froze at my words, and she threw me a heavy glance, “how do you know?”

“Last night outside Master Chang's house, there were a lot of snakes. Master Chang got bitten and was sent to the hospital. The snakes were following me.” I gripped my mother's hand.

And I said quietly, “The black snake in my dream showed up. He told me that I had to get the black mamba jade bracelet and find the sarcophagus where the snake body was hidden.”

My mother was shaking, and her eyes seemed to be popping out.

“I heard a woman died in your house upstairs, and was killed by a snake in a nasty way, yes?” The motorcycle driver came near and asked curiously.

“Go away!” My mother's face fell, as she shouted at him, “Show some respect for the deceased!”

For the moment, there was no way for me to enter our apartment. Mother took me to the nearby milk-tea shop, whose owner was in the crowds watching the bustle. There was no one in that shop.

Just before my mother was about to say something, Fletcher's wife entered the shop, who was shouting and demanding my family to pay for their daughter-in-law’s life.

“Go home to ask your grandma. She knows much more about this matter than everyone! I and your father will come back after we make this thing done.” My mother protected me while cleaning a path to send me out.

She pushed me to the intersection, “Take a taxi back. Don't worry about the money, I will transfer some more to you later.”

There was a car parked just outside. The driver ran some unlicensed taxi business by sending people between the town and the nearby villages, and he was acquainted with my father as well. My mother asked him to send me back.

Sitting in the car, I saw Fletcher’s wife shouting, rushing to my mother, but only to be kicked to the ground by my mother.

Dominik Miller, the taxi driver, glanced back in the rearview mirror and said, “Are you the daughter of the Snake Liquor Dragon?”

Snake Liquor Dragon was my father's nickname. That was just what everyone called him.

I confirmed it. Dominik smiled light-heartedly, “Your father is in real trouble this time. This David is really...”

Dominik’s business ran all over the town, bringing him many acquaintances, and also, if not all, many sources of the story.

The snake raised its head slowly, hissing and flicking out his tongue.

David followed the snake, opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue, hissing.

Even from far away in the car, when I looked at the person and the snake flicking their tongues, I could hear a voice calling my name in my head, “Aurora, Aurora......”

Dominik had walked inside the woods. I patted the window, calling him back. But it seemed that he heard nothing as he did not attempt to walk outside.

Instead, the snake on David’s neck crawled towards me.

That inner voice in my head started to shout, “Escape. Go back and find the bracelet.”

I looked at the car keys and then the taxi driver. Having made up my mind, I swiftly climbed to the driver’s seat. What my dad taught me about driving flashed across my head.

Firstly, I needed to start the engine. Then I should step on the clutch, put it into gear, release the brake, finally press the accelerator and drive away.

David threw himself at the front of the car just when I started the car. He lay there, with his mouth wide open and his forked tongue stuck out, hissing bizarrely at me.

And that snake wrapped around his neck, came at me with its pointy teeth, as if it could penetrate the glass and land on my face.

I was too scared to hold the steering wheel. I couldn't even make a sound. I was trying to find the windscreen wiper button by clicking on the control panel randomly.

Just at that moment, a shadow flashed beside me, which was followed by a powerful jet of water that swept across the front windshield, sweeping both the snake and David off.

I turned to look at my side. A man wearing black was sitting next to me.

It was a handsome but pale face, whose owner seemed to be out of breath, his pink lips slightly parted, “Aurora, go back to take the bracelet first! Quick!”

“Who are you?” It was a rather horrible experience, considering it was the first time that I ever drove a car. My palms and forehead were all sweaty.

That man in black glanced at me and asked in a low voice, “I am Stowy Dracula. Don’t you remember me, Aurora?”