I surfaced with her. I gasped and my jaw slackened at the sight of her. The pained expression on Dagon’s face filled me with dread. He stared at her as if waiting for something to happen.
Coralia jolted and shuddered, coughing up seawater. She snapped her eyes open and stared at her father. He exhaled and embraced her.
A relieved look washed over his face. “You shall be able to breath underwater now. Everything has returned to the norm.” He kissed her on the forehead.
My chin took rest against my chest. I released the breath I had been holding.
Dagon had looked uncertain she would be back. After all, she was born on Earth, as a mermaid, and she had never walked on land until now. He could not know if what worked for him would also be effective for her.
The silence broke when I burst into hysterical laughter, a sort of half chuckle, half splutter, so happy was I to see everything back to normal.
“I should never have convinced you to try to walk on land.” I took a deep breath and exhaled with relief.
Dagon frowned. “It is time you left us. It is my turn to drown. My daughters know what to do, but I do not care for you to witness it. Leave now.”
My chest tightened and I hung my head as I turned to leave.
“Dracúl!” Coralia splashed on the water. “There are others like you. Others who move on land.”
I spun to look at her, brows crumpled with curiosity. Dagon swam to her side, placed his massive hand on her shoulder, and squeezed. She glanced at him, and he shook his head. She jerked away from him. “I do not wish him to be lonesome any longer, Father.”
“There are four of them.” She looked pale and her voice sounded breathy from her ordeal. “They live near the banks of a broad river located a short distance from here. Follow the coast and you shall find them. Join them and you shall never be alone.”
“Thank you, Coralia. I will never forget you.” I wanted to smile but could not.
“Nor shall I forget you,” she said as she waved farewell.
I nodded and waved back.
Dagon took her by the arm, and they swam away. I watched them until they disappeared in the offing. I did not belong with them, but perhaps I belonged with those who traveled on land. I wanted to find them, for I longed to fit somewhere other than on my own.
I set forth in search of the beings Coralia spoke of, gliding along the beach for miles, the sun beating down on me the entire way. I began to think I might have gone in the wrong direction. My tail began to feel as if it weighed a ton. A hollow, burning sensation assaulted my middle—hunger. I decided to feed and rest for a while then continue my quest after the sun diminished.
Since I left Coralia, I sensed the presence of another being. A mammal had begun stalking me. The feline’s deep-golden coat patterned with black rosettes caught my eye from within a scant grouping of trees. The cat’s chatoyant eyes followed my every move, stalking me, letting me know it had the same intentions for me as I for it.
I approached. The animal snarled and growled, appearing to be cautioning me to stay away. I moved closer still, and the cat scratched a nearby tree, leaving its claw marks—I supposed to give me further warning. I dismissed the beast’s threats and continued inching forward. The leopard crouched close to the ground and slinked through the grass toward me. Then it pounced, spitting with a high-pitched roar of fury as it knocked me to the ground.
I was momentarily disconcerted by the cat’s strength, giving it time to maul me. I received multiple bite wounds to my arms and deep lacerations on my face, neck, and chest where it clawed me. I seized the beast by the shoulders and thrust it to the ground where I had the upper hand. Without hesitation, I sank my teeth into its neck and fed on its blood. The leopard struggled fiercely as I drained it of its life essence. I stopped short of killing it and walked away from the purring cat.
Will the animal survive? Some part of me hoped it would. I moved on, feeling satisfied and revitalized. My wounds had already begun to heal. I coiled underneath a palm tree with plenty of shade, slumped exhausted to the ground, and leaned against its trunk. I fell asleep.
At once I began to have nightmares. The amorphous, sinister creature lured me away from the safety of the cave and into the forest. Alone with this being, I sensed dread and apprehension, yet I obeyed and pursued it. I followed the fiend to a river and began to tremble in fear.
The monstrosity attacked me, knocking me to the ground. I struggled but the creature had twice my size and strength. The creature bit me on the neck, as I have bitten countless animals, and began to draw life from me. An immense pressure and pain immobilized me. The light began to dim…
I opened my eyes. An enormous pressure on my face and throat still rendered me powerless. My eyes bulged from their sockets. I tried to get air, but only small, ragged gasps escaped my throat. While I slept, a snake had coiled itself around me. My heart raced. I narrowed my eyes and struggled to wrench the reptile off me. The serpent tightened its grip. My lungs burned. Regaining my wits, I used my claws and tore the snake’s head off. It went limp, and I yanked the remains from around my neck and slammed it to the ground. I drew a long breath and rubbed my throat, staring, my mouth agape, at the decapitated creature on the ground.
A face flashed before my eyes, an ephemeral glimpse of my past. Though gorgeous and extraordinary, the face made my skin crawl and I shuddered. I cradled my bald, red head and rubbed it, weary of these haunted dreams. I had a powerful yearning to know the lethal creature’s identity.
I decided to resume my search for the Earth beings. I followed the seashore as Coralia had instructed and came upon an area of fertile land in the desert. There were fruit trees, colorful flowered bushes, and lush green grass. Feeling jovial, I entered the oasis. As I strolled through this magnificent place, the most powerful scents accosted me. The fragrance of flowers, so sweet and strong, lingered in the back of my throat, mingling with hints of grass, rich soil, and bark. I watched lively, brightly colored birds fly from one tree to the next, creating a chorus of tweeting and chirping. The gurgle of cascading water gave me peace. This lovely place made a sharp contrast to the nearby wilderness.
Before long, I detected male voices and hurried to hide behind a tree stump. A moment later, two human boys, perhaps a few years younger than me, wandered by, talking and laughing together. I decided to follow them but remained hidden within shrubs. I trailed them for a few hours while they conversed, laughed, and played. Then a lilting female voice summoned them.
“Cain, Abel, come. Your father and I await you.” The younger of the boys pivoted on his heel and ran toward the woman’s voice, but the older boy continued to dawdle alongside a stream and headed in the opposite direction. I tracked him, quiet as a shadow.
The boy named Cain followed the stream to a scenic pond surrounded by tall, robust aquatic plants topped by dense clusters of long, thin, bright-green hairlike leaves. These plants formed grassy clumps, where I remained hidden. The boy plunged into the pond. He splashed, spattered, and chortled. I moved closer to take a better look at him. Strange how much he resembles my father.
I got too close to the slippery slope of the bank, skidded on the moist soil, and went sliding along until I tumbled and plopped into the pond. I flailed my arms and thrashed my snake tail, spattering water everywhere. I poked my head from the water and scanned the area. Our eyes locked. The boy jolted and gasped and scrambled out of the pond in a hurry when he spotted me. He stood by the water’s edge, gaping at me.
“What are you?” Cain squinted his eyes and wrinkled his nose.
“I am called Dracúl, but I do not know what sort of creature I am.” I averted my gaze, feeling disconcerted. “I intend to find out.”
“Leave the water and stand before me, so I may have a better look at you,” Cain said. His directive, more a command than a request, vexed me, but nevertheless, I slithered out of the pond and stood upright before him on my serpent tail.
The boy scrutinized me. “You are a mos
t curious beast. Why did you choose to be this way?” he said, his face still pinched with repugnance.
I frowned. “I chose nothing. I was born, and this is what I am.”
“Very well, who made you this way? Surely God would not make a creature such as you,” he said.
His words seemed cruel to me, they hurt, yet his face showed innocent curiosity. My body drooped, and I held back a torrent of tears. I wanted to slither away and hide forever from sight, but something held me there.
“There is only one way to create life, I suppose.” I stared at him, my lips quivering, and I wrapped my arms around myself. Why did he resemble my father so?
“Cain! Where are you?” The same female voice called for him once more. “Why are you not obedient like your brother Abel?” she said. Cain frowned.
“We are not the same, for you are a hideous creature.” The boy turned and hurried toward the woman’s voice.
My entire body trembled and I collapsed to the ground, large, red drops falling from my eyes. I clutched my burning chest. Dragging myself on my forearms, I went to the pond’s edge to look at my reflection in the water. “I am hideous!” I yelled. “The human boy is right.” Why was I so cursed? Why did I not resemble my handsome father?
I covered my face with my hands and laid facedown on the ground. “Oh, how I yearn to have my father’s likeness. Perhaps then everyone I meet would not despise me, and I could find a home and companionship. Life is not worth living alone.”
I turned over and stared at the sky, pressing my palms to my forehead. A deep longing to look like my father, in his angelic form, filled me. I closed my eyes and a strange sensation coursed throughout my body, like a myriad of tiny ants crawling underneath my skin. Waves of heat passed through me, and I sensed intermingled pain and ecstasy. I opened my eyes wide and stiffened. I sat upright with a jolt, and something cascaded over my shoulders. I gasped and raised my trembling hands to my head—I touched hair. Thick, soft hair grew from my head and fell onto my shoulders. The breeze played with the strands and brushed it toward my face, causing it to tickle my nose. As the filaments of hair danced in the breeze, I caught a whiff of Frangipani blossoms. I ran my fingers through my hair, buried my hands to the wrist in it. I did not come across my horns. They were no longer there.
I chuckled and caught a glimpse of my hands. They were no longer clawed; they were no longer red. I gasped in disbelief as I stared at them. I crawled to the edge of the pond to stare at my reflection again. I swallowed hard and took a deep, calming breath, but when the heart soars, calming oneself is difficult.
I splashed water on my face to wash away the dirt and blood tears. My mouth hung open when I stared at my reflection. I was unable to move. Looking away seemed impossible. I leaned closer to the water, panting, and continued to stare through narrowed eyes at the image in the pond. I looked like my father.
I admired my chiseled features and luminous hair the color of night. I stuck my tongue out and distorted my face in silly, humorous ways to see what I would look like. I threw my head back and shook with laughter. I rolled around on the ground. I stopped rejoicing and returned to the pond’s brink. What if I looked again and this proved to be an ephemeral daydream? In order to be certain my new form did not change, I had to glance again.
“I am beautiful!” I exclaimed to the wind. I gawked at the skin on my arms, torso, and legs. “I have legs!” No longer the color of blood, I would be able to blend with the humans. I had a handsome face with bright things on it—bright eyes, bright skin, and a bright cheerful smile.
I clambered to my feet and stood on two legs for the first time. My wobbling quickened memories of Coralia. I tottered like she had when she first left the water. I practiced walking to and fro until I mastered the ability. I walked on land like my father. I bounced on my toes, overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. I knelt by the pond to regard myself in the crystalline water one last time. My face also resembled the face of the boy called Cain. Why? I must find him and get answers.
I followed the boy’s footsteps to a spectacular place near the river with many fruit trees, flower bushes, and vines. Hidden, I watched Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel interact. They were a family, and I longed for what they had. To be surrounded by loved ones was better than sunshine. I waited for Cain to venture off unaccompanied and confronted him again.
“Cain!” I called. He whipped his head around and stared at me.
“Who are you?” He stepped back. “How do you know my name?” He glanced at me sideways and shot me a suspicious look.
“I am the creature you encountered at the pond. The one you called hideous.” I still felt the sting of his words.
The boy looked confused. “How is this possible? You were a red, horrid, snakelike creature.”
I straightened my spine and held up my palms. “This is my true form.” I did not know this to be true or false. “Come with me, and I will show you something remarkable.”
He chewed the inside of his lip, looking tentative, but followed me nevertheless.
We strolled to a nearby fizzing stream, and I knelt at the edge. I gestured to him to do the same. He fell to his knees reluctantly.
“Look at your image in the water,” I told him.
He stared at his reflection. “So, what is so remarkable?”
“Now, behold my face next to your own.” I pointed at my reflection.
The boy looked. He gasped and his eyes opened wide.
“The resemblance is uncanny.” I smiled at him but he frowned in return.
He continued to scowl. “Why are our faces so similar?”
“I do not know,” I said. “Perhaps your mother has the answer.”
Cain shrugged and crossed his arms. “Who are you? Where do you come from? And why do you bare everything? Have you no shame?”
I drew a long breath, shook my head, and looked at my nude body. “My mother abandoned me as a child, and my father no longer draws breath. I grew up in a dark forest, and a vicious monster tried to take my life.” I hung my head. “I have been alone most of my life. No one has taught me to have shame. I grow weary of being on my own.” I looked into his eyes. “Would you like another brother? I am not much older than you.” I held my breath in anticipation of his response.
Cain pressed his lips together, and I beheld a hint of compassion on his face.
“I think we would get along better than my brother Abel and I do.” He gave my shoulder a nudged. “Yes, we can be brothers.”
I let out a harsh breath and embraced him. My facial muscles hurt, as they were unaccustomed to the smiling regimen I put them through.
“Perhaps we should wait awhile before presenting you to my mother and father,” Cain said.
My face sagged. “Sure.”
Cain and I met every day. He brought me some of his own garments to wear, and we spent many hours together during the day. Weeks passed in a blur and our bond grew, and as he had anticipated, we got along far better than he ever had with Abel. I taught him how to hunt like my father had once shown me. He seemed fascinated by the way I drained the animals of their blood before handing them to him to take to his family.
“Why do you do that?” he asked once.
“Do what?” I said, feigning confusion. I was ashamed to have to derive nutrients in this manner, but then I had no choice.
He looked at me sideways. “You understood my question. You bite the animals and drain them of their blood. Why?”
Heat bloomed on my face, and I looked away. “I need lifeblood to survive. I do not know why this is so—only that it has always been this way.” I fidgeted and continued to stare at the ground. “I fear losing your friendship.” My last words were but a breath.
He gripped my shoulders and I looked at him, my face hot and my eyes stinging. “I do not spurn what you do, my brother,” he said. “Your actions intrigued me.” Cain wore a smug expression on his face. “I want us to be brothers forever.”
I smiled so big my whole face cri
nkled. “I too want for us to be brothers forever.” We laughed and embraced again.
“The time has come to introduce you to my family.”
I stared at him wide-eyed, my mouth agape. I hailed, waved my arms in the air, and leaped with excitement to finally meet Adam and Eve. A peaceful and ethereal feeling came over me. I danced like a leaf carried by a soft breeze. Soon I will be part of a family. Cain watched and chuckled at my folly.
I threw my head back and yelled, “I am so happy!”
“That is clear,” Cain said, rolling his eyes at me. “Let us depart this place and go to my… our family.”
We ran toward Adam and Eve’s home by the vast river and stopped at a grouping of trees a short distance away.
“Dracúl, you stay here behind this tree, and I will go ahead and get my mother and father to come here. I will give you a sign when the time comes for you to present yourself.” I agreed without hesitation, and he proceeded to find his family.
I leaned against the tree’s wide trunk, biting the corner of my lower lip and fiddling with my hands. At last, I would have a family. I would never be alone again. I imagined the beatific expression on Adam and Eve’s faces when they finally looked upon me. My pulse raced, and I trembled with excitement.
I jolted and my heart leaped to my throat when I caught Eve’s smooth, dulcet voice. I peeked around the tree. She and Adam were being led by Cain.
“Where are you taking us?” Eve giggled as she tried to keep up with her boisterous son. “What is so special out here that you drag us from our routines?”
Eve and Adam glanced at each other, and he threw his hands in the air. Abel trailed behind, acting oblivious to his brother’s antics.
“I am curious, my son, for I have not seen you this zealous in quite some time,” Adam said in a soft voice.
“You will both know soon enough.” Cain continued forward, pulling Eve by the hand.
I pressed my back against the tree and gripped the trunk. My heart galloped in my chest. I had bathed and tidied my hair. I also wore some of Cain’s finest garments. What will they think of me when they see me?
Son of the Serpent Page 3