Chapter 2
Inside the dimly lit room, my dad was lying on the bed, having sex with a huge, jet-black anaconda.
I clamped both hands over my mouth, terrified that even a breath would give me away.
From that day on, my dad spent every night together with the anaconda, as if they were married.
And Selena, the "lost woman", just stayed, acting like she belonged here, and became my stepmom.
It was as if my father had fallen under a spell. He obeyed Selena's every word, showered her with whatever she wanted, and never once raised a hand against her, even when drunk.
He had never treated my mom that way.
He even treated me better, a little.
I still had chores all day, but at least I didn't go hungry anymore, and that was all I wanted.
However, deep down, I knew that Selena wasn't human. I knew that enormous anaconda I saw every night was her true form.
I tried telling Dad because I feared that she would kill us.
Unfortunately, he never listened. Sometimes he would beat me for even mentioning it.
Eventually, I stopped talking about it until one day, Selena's belly started growing.
The bigger it got, the happier my dad became. He was expecting a new baby.
He treated Selena like she was holy, like he was worshipping some living saint.
He even brought in the local doctor, and the guy confirmed that Selena was definitely having a boy.
My dad nearly wept with happiness. Even his eyes softened when they landed on me.
After that, as long as I stayed quiet and took good care of Selena, I was safe from his fists.
As Selena's belly grew, strange things began happening around the town.
Lauren Garcia's newborn grandson went missing, and she ran through the town, screaming her head off in panic.
She searched every corner of the town, but the baby was nowhere to be found.
Then a man who lived next door had his one-year-old son disappear as well.
He said the child had been lying soundly in bed at night, and by the next morning, he was gone.
That was when gossip started spreading. A lot of people said the disappearance only began after Selena showed up.
Later, Mark Carter, the butcher, had his four-year-old son vanish. In a frenzy, he came to my house, wielding his cleaver.
I cowered behind the door, peeking out as Mark and the parents of the missing kids confronted my dad, their anger palpable.
"Bring that witch out, now."
"It's gotta be her. She took my grandson."
"Exactly. Kids only started vanishing the moment she came to this town."
My dad shouted, "Are you kidding me? You should blame yourself for failing to watch your kids. Why are you dragging my wife into it?"
He stood firm in the doorway, not letting them get an inch past him.
I had never seen anything like this before.
When my mom was still alive, some guys from the town frequently came over to our house to harass her.
Because there were so few women in the village, those men had secretly set a rule—any woman could be shared among them.
That was why my dad never stopped them. Sometimes, when guys walked out of my mom's room, he would even greet them with a smile.
And this time, he was standing up for Selena, as if daring the whole town to come near.
Someone said, "It was the damn witch who snatched my child."
"Why on earth would I take your kid?" Selena said.
Selena came out of the house, swaying her graceful hips, a teasing smile playing on her lips as she surveyed the crowd.
Even though her pregnancy was now obvious, every glance and smile she cast seemed to enchant the men around her.
Mark, who had been so angry just moments ago, went completely quiet the instant he saw her.
He said softly, "Ma'am, I—"
Selena smiled. "You come crying to me because your child is gone, huh? Tell me, do you want me to give you another one?"
The men who had lost their children all left, and even Lauren, who was still trying to argue, was dragged away by her husband.
I stayed hidden in the shadows, trembling like a poor puppy. I secretly stared at Selena, whose entire being seemed to mesmerize everyone around her.