Lahana ran into the room. "Don't hurt them, Asalee! They are deities."
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you remember those fish I found? Well they turned into snakes! They are obviously deities in disguise! Now I must only take care of them and wait until they bless me and our home."
"Lahana, did you ever think the snakes could have eaten the fish and remained in the pot?"
"No, but I know-"
"How long have you cared for these snakes with no reward?"
"One month... but I know they will soon-"
"Lahana, get rid of these snakes."
"Asalee, I can't! We will be cursed forever!"
"Fine, but you can't have them in the kitchen. Take them out to the stable and care for them there."
Lahana solemnly took the pot and began carrying it to the stable to care for the two snakes.
"You better wash that pot twice when you're done with it!" Asalee called out to her.
One month later.
"What is happening?" Asalee was in the kitchen and turned to see her mother-in-law entering the kitchen, her face red. "Asalee, what is happening in this house? Why are there two snakes in a pot in the stable? Who is keeping snakes as pets?"
 |
| Source: flickr |
"That girl has lost her mind. I told my husband not to marry off our youngest son to such a bizarre girl. But no one listens to me! I will tell him to kill them when he gets back from the fields."
"Oh dear mother, please don't kill the snakes. Lahana will be devastated and she will be no use to me. I can't run this household for you with no help! Please, just tell her to take them elsewhere."
"Fine, she can keep them out by the orange tree."
A few hours later.
Asalee was getting worried. Lahana had not come back to the house after moving her "deities". The sun was setting and it would be dark soon.
"That girl!" she said rolling her eyes. She grabbed her shawl and went out to find her sister-in-law.
She walked out to the orange tree, holding her candle close to her, trying to stop the wind from blowing out her light. One moment she was walking, the next she was falling. Her candle went out, and she was left in the dark. What could she have fallen over in a flat field? Tentatively, she reached back to feel for what tripped her. She felt soft silk. Quickly, she fumbled for a match and relit her candle. Though she knew what she would find and didn't want to see, she knew she had to.
There Lahana lay on the ground, empty pot by her side. She touched her sister-in-law's face and moved her hair back from her eyes. She saw bite marks, two red points marked her dark skin where a pair of fangs had pierced neck.
Asalee said a prayer. "May the gods bless a girl who wanted only to please them. May she find true divinity."
Author's Note: In the original story, the two snakes truly are deities who are testing her. However, Lahana has very little evidence to believe they aren't average snakes. So I thought it would be interesting to explore what that story would look like if they weren't deities.
Sacred Tales of India. Dwijendra Nath Neogi (1916)
This is so much fun!!! It reminds me of "O Brother, Where Art Thou," where Delmar becomes convinced that Pete was turned into a toad. Your dialogue skills are awesome! This was a delight to read, and I loved the realistic rendition that in fact, the simplest explanation is correct (the snakes were just snakes after all). Thank you for a great read!
ReplyDeleteThis story is awesome! I am a huge fan of dialogue and you did an excellent job with it. I think it helps the reader personalize with the characters in the story. I also like the image you chose as well. I just laughed when I saw it because it reminded me of the title and the snakes were slithering. Lol. Any way your story is great and keep up the good work!!
ReplyDeleteHi Jillian,
ReplyDeleteThis story was so fun to read. I kinda was scared at the end. I think you did a great job. I only wish your author's note was longer. I have not read this story so I did not know what to related it to. I think it was a great story thought. Thank you for sharing. It was fun.