Chapter 1

A year ago, I saved a little white snake.

I thought it was just a simple act of kindness. But then she transformed into a breathtaking beauty and insisted on "repaying" me by marrying me.

To make matters worse, a "Social Suicide System" suddenly latched onto me, threatening me with total public humiliation if I didn't play along.

Looking at her teary-eyed, innocent face and then thinking about my own future, I could only say, "This time, I was well and truly screwed."

*****

My name is Charlie Foster. I was a fresh-out-of-college office drone. I'm hardworking, honest, and just wanting to live a quiet life without any drama.

But who would have thought life wouldn't just give me drama; it gave me a snake.

A year ago, I was grabbing lunch at a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

As I passed the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of a tiny, snow-white snake coiled on a cutting board. Its eyes were watery, staring at me piteously.

The chef was sharpening his knife with a look that said it was destined for rattlesnake chili.

I don't know what came over me. I emptied my pockets and "bought" that little white snake on the spot.

The chef looked at me like I was a total idiot.

Honestly, I felt like one too. But looking at that tiny, cold creature in my hands, I felt a strange sense of "saving a life is its own reward."

I named it "Snow."

Snow was well-behaved. Usually, it just coiled up in a corner of my desk, stayed quiet, and never caused any trouble.

When I pulled late shifts, it'd occasionally slide onto my hand; that cool touch actually helped my frayed nerves relax.

The problem was, this snake grew like a weed.

At first, it was only as thick as a wooden stick. But just a few months later, it was as thick as my wrist and stretched over six feet.

Having it coiled in my bedroom was like living with a full-grown python.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Lately, Snow had become increasingly clingy.

It didn't just coil up anymore; it started wrapping itself around me, loop after loop, while I was fast asleep. That chilly sensation would often jolt me awake in the middle of the night.

I'd open my eyes to find its massive head resting on my pillow, those vertical pupils staring straight at me.

Sometimes, it'd even flick out its red tongue and lightly lick my face and neck.

It hissed, its voice low, with a weird, strangely cloying undertone.

At first, I figured this was just its way of being affectionate. After all, I was the guy who saved it, so it made sense for it to be fond of me.

That was until a few days ago, when I stumbled across a post online.

The title jumped out at me: [When your pet snake starts coiling around you, watch out! It means... it's sizing you up for dinner!]

I was speechless.

In that moment, I felt my blood run cold. I stared at the photo in the post, a massive python constricting a person whose face was contorted in pure agony.

Then I thought about Snow's ever-growing size, the increasingly frequent "cuddles," and the way its tongue flicked against my skin...

My throat tightened, and my hair stood on end. It wasn't being affectionate; it was taking my measurements.

It was calculating whether it could swallow me whole or if it needed to wrap around me a few more times to squeeze the life out of me first.

Once that thought took root in my mind, it spread like wildfire. My head was filled with horrific images of Snow unhinging its jaw to swallow me alive.

I barely slept a wink that night. Watching Snow coiled in the corner, as still as a stone, I felt like it could snap at any moment and turn me into a midnight snack.

I couldn't just sit there and wait for the end. I decided I had to release it into the wild.

I felt a pang of guilt and a hint of sadness; maybe it really was just being sweet. But you only get one life. I had no intention of becoming a snake's Sunday roast.