Page 16 of Creeping Beautiful

Because that’s what it’s in the middle of doing.

The entire body is wrapped around the bars of the upright cage, squeezing it with every bit of power it possesses. I lose a few seconds watching the serpentine muscles contract underneath the skin and then blink out of it when I hear the cage creak.

“What the fuck?”

“She won’t last long.” Gerald says that loud enough that I know the girl heard him. Though, he doesn’t have to speak loudly. Even with the hissing that may or may not be insects, this enclosure is very quiet.

She doesn’t move. No screams from this girl. No begging. Not even a squeak of panic when the snake contracts again, desperately trying to break the bars of the cage and reach the meal inside.

The air here is thick and musty. Like dirt on the ground after a hard rain. And I swear to God, I think there’s a bit of drizzle in here. Like this garden is separate from the rest of the world. A little walled-off piece of paradise.

If you’re a snake, that is.

Its skin is shiny and smooth, a little bit of green mixed in with the black and brown. It looks slick and slippery and a little bit soft, if you were to touch it. Just a glint of light here and there along the edge of the scales on the bend of its body ruins the imagery.

And the girl. She is a haunting figure. Shadows from the Land Cruiser’s headlights climb up her body at weird angles. Her blonde hair is straight and some of it is caught between the snake’s body and the bars of the cage, because it’s being pulled taut and tugging on her scalp.

Her dress is longer than the ones I’ve seen the other girls wearing tonight. But the space is so tight, it’s riding up her legs. Like she was squirming at some point and that was what she got for her trouble.

But her face is… angelic. Calm. Pale. No frown. No smile. Her lips are a flat line and nothing more. Like she finds herself inside cages trying to be eaten by snakes every now and then and this is no particular big deal.

She stares at me and a chill runs up my spine.

The whole thing is repulsive and evil, but creepingly beautiful at the same time.

“We’ve been withholding food for over six months.”

For a moment I think he’s talking about the child, but then I realize he’s referring to the snake.

“She has probably eaten some rodents and even a few of the smaller males, but there are no other large animals in the enclosure so she is very hungry tonight.”

Again, Gerald says this loud enough for the girl to hear.

She does not even blink.

“Can she fight?”

“Doubtful. She’s not smart, or talented, or even pleasant, if I’m being honest.”

“I can fight.” The small girl spits her words out, venom in her voice. “I’d kill you both with my bare hands if I wasn’t in this cage.”

“Not a great way to attract a buyer, Indie Anna.”

I let the little girl mesmerize me for a moment. I get lost in her future and potential. Then repeat her name back at Gerald. “Indiana? That’s what you call her? Sounds pretty trailer trash if you ask me.”

“Fuck you.”

“That’s quite enough, Indie. Remember your manners. Rich men don’t buy little girls with dirty mouths.”

“He’s not a man. He’s an animal like this snake.”

The bars of the cage creak again and this time I can actually see them collapse a little. The girl hisses when the hard steel presses tight against her shoulders.

“How will you even get her out of there?” I ask, because the head of the snake is positioned right over the top of the cage like maybe it’s considering swallowing the whole thing. Metal and all.

“She’s not getting out. Let’s go, Philip. We’ve seen enough.”

Philip starts the engine and we begin to roll forward. I wait for the girl to call out. To beg us to come back.