The day before Ivy League admission decisions were released, every boy in our senior class decided to take a "ritual dip" in the town’s old Holy Spring. They wanted to pray for the "Prom Queen," Chloe. I watched them as they started stripping off their clothes, ready to dive into the murky water. I hesitated, then spoke up. "I heard locals have been releasing copperheads and rattlesnakes into the springs lately. Maybe don't jump in." My boyfriend, Tyler, snapped at me instantly. "Maya, you already got your early admission to Harvard. Are you really that insecure that you have to sabotage our prayer for Chloe? This is pathetic. I should report you to the board; maybe they’ll revoke your admission for being such a toxic person." Hearing that, I was ready to just walk away. But then I saw Tyler pull out a mesh bag, ready to "release" some animals for extra luck. My heart stopped. "Those are Pit Vipers! They are extremely venomous and aggressive. Do not open that bag!" Chloe stepped in, smiling sweetly, insisting they were just harmless water snakes she bought from a local "collector." I called the Principal immediately. Luckily, a group of parents arrived just in time to stop them. They confirmed the snakes were deadly. The guys in class actually thanked me then. "If it wasn't for you, Maya, Chloe would have gotten us all killed." When the results came out, Chloe didn't get into a single university. She ended up at a bottom-tier community college. She left a suicide note—which was actually a manifesto—blaming me for ruining her "blessing ritual," claiming that's why she failed. Then, she ran away from home. That same night, my bedroom was crawling with Vipers. As I was bitten to death, I heard Tyler’s voice from the hallway. "If this bitch hadn't interfered, Chloe would be at Yale right now!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the spring. Back to the day they were all "praying" for Chloe. This time, I’m going to stand back and watch them die. 1 "Maya, you’re already set for Harvard. Why are you trying to stop us from helping Chloe? Are you really that jealous?" "I know your grandma got scammed by some 'spiritual healer' for fifty grand back in the day, but she was senile. We aren't." Tyler’s gaze was filled with pure disgust. Standing before the stagnant, muddy pond with the whole class, I realized I had been reborn. The phantom pain of a thousand fangs filled my mind. I forced a smile and stepped back. "I was just saying some springs have snakes. But since Chloe found this place herself, I’m sure it’s perfectly safe." Tyler looked satisfied. "It’s time. Let’s do the release first," Chloe said, pulling out a heavy crate. The moment she pulled back the tarp, I saw dozens of cold, slit-pupil eyes staring back. My skin crawled. In my past life, I stopped this. I saved them. And they repaid me by filling my house with venom. My parents died in their sleep. My entire neighborhood became a death trap. And Chloe? She went viral. She posted videos saying, "Maya stopped the ritual, so the snakes followed her home. Karma is real. Stay blessed." She became a "spiritual influencer" on the back of my family's corpses. "Maya, don't just stand there. Help us," Tyler barked. I looked at them—my "boyfriend" and the snakes. I felt a surge of cold fury. "I’m actually terrified of snakes," I said, backing away toward the road. "I’ll stay up here and record the 'miracle' for you guys. Good luck with the blessing." Go ahead. Feed the vipers. 2 Chloe grabbed my arm. "Maya, I know I’m not a genius like you. I don't deserve your help." "But first you claim there are vipers, and now you’re 'scared'? You’re just trying to imply I’m lying to everyone. I would never hurt my friends!" She started to sob. "Just go. Everyone, just go. I don't deserve the luck. I’ll just accept that I’m a failure." Before I could blink, Tyler slapped me across the face. "It's just a few snakes, you coward!" "You're just trying to bully Chloe!" He grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward the crate. I was shaking. "I'll stay! I'll record! Just let me go!" "Look at how pathetic you are," Tyler sneered, throwing me to the ground. The other guys laughed. "Being a nerd doesn't make you part of the team, Maya." "Ugly girls are always jealous of girls like Chloe. If she messes with Chloe again, let's just toss her into the water with the snakes." I promised I wouldn't leave. I held up my phone. Tyler laughed. "The 'snake bath' is supposed to be life-changing. If Chloe wasn't on her period, she’d be in there with us." The boys roared with laughter. "Stop it, you guys are embarrassing me," Chloe giggled. "Release them!" The moment Tyler opened the crate, the snakes slid into the dark, murky water like oil. 3 Tyler stripped down and waded in. After just two steps, he let out a sharp gasp. His face contorted, his muscles twitching. Chloe laughed from the bank. "Tyler! Is it working already? Is a snake wrapping around your... you know?" The other guys got excited. "Damn, that’s intense!" "Don't tell me you can't handle it, Tyler!" Tyler looked like he was in agony. But he gritted his teeth, his ego refusing to let him back out. "I'm fine! Get in here! Let's see who can stay in the longest!" I watched them all pile into the water. I smiled. Let’s see who dies first. Soon, every boy in the water had a look of sheer pain on his face. But they were all "Alpha males"—no one wanted to be the first to scream. The water was too muddy to see the blood. Tyler, the first one in, whispered, "Why does it feel so... swollen?" Chloe smirked. "I heard that in these springs, the 'energy' makes men more well-endowed. Maybe you should check for yourselves." They actually fell for it. They started checking themselves under the water, their faces lighting up with a sick kind of pride. 4 Swelling. That’s the first symptom of a Pit Viper bite. The second is tissue necrosis. Their "manhood" was literally rotting while they smiled. "What are you doing?!" a voice screamed from behind me. It was Mr. Henderson, our homeroom teacher. Tyler waved lazily from the pond. "Just getting a blessing, sir." Mr. Henderson’s face went white. "Are you insane? Look at the water! Those are Pit Vipers!" "They are highly aggressive and lethal! Get out! Now!" The boys froze. Chloe tried to intervene. "Mr. Henderson, you’re mistaken. These are harmless water snakes. I bought them myself." The second she finished her sentence, a scream shattered the air. A snake had breached the surface and latched onto Tyler’s face. Chaos erupted. The water turned into a thrashing mess of limbs and scales. As they scrambled for the shore, I saw it. Snakes were dangling from them—latched onto their legs, their arms, and yes, their "swollen" manhoods.
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