Chapter 195 She Kills A
Snake
“Ryland, stay with me! You can’t fall asleep! Do you hear me? I’m ordering you–do not sleep!” Renee screamed, her voice raw with panic.
But Ryland’s consciousness was slipping further away, his vision clouded. He tried to force a smile for her, but even that small effort felt like a mountain to climb.
“Renee… I’m.
so cold…” he murmured, his voice barely audible.
“Cold? No worries, I’ll stoke the fire!” Renee responded quickly, her voice laced with urgency.
She hurriedly threw more wood onto the flames, shifting Ryland closer to the warmth. But when she touched his body, a shock of heat shot through her fingers–he was burning hot, dangerously so!
“Ryland, how are you feeling now? Is it warmer?” she asked, her voice trembling with concern.
Though the warmth didn’t seem to help, Ryland, not wanting to add to her distress, nodded weakly.
“Yes… I’m… fine… I just want to go home…” His words were faint, his eyes glazed.
Renee wrapped her arms around him tightly, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her insides. “Don’t worry. I’m right here with you. I’ll get you home. I promise, Ryland. I’ll get you home.”
“OK…” he whispered, before his body finally gave way to unconsciousness.
No matter how much she called out to him, there was no response this
time.
With no other choice, Renee left him by the fire and set off in search of fresh water. Living off the land wasn’t foreign to her–she knew which plants were safe to eat and which could harm. Soon, she found fruits to hydrate Ryland and wild herbs to keep hunger at bay.
But as she hurried back, a nagging fear clawed at her–what if something happened while she was gone? She pushed herself harder, and only when Ryland’s form came into view did she feel the first wave of relief.
That was until her heart stopped.
Less than two feet from Ryland, a snake–its body as thick as an adult’s arm -was silently slithering toward him, its movements slow and deliberate.
Renee’s breath caught in her chest as her eyes locked onto the snake, her heart pounding in her ears.
In that instant, everything around her seemed to fade into silence. All she could hear was the frantic thudding of her own heartbeat.
Desperate, she made a small hissing noise, hoping to draw the snake’s attention.
She continued to make sounds, trying to distract the predator closing in on Ryland.
The snake flicked its tongue and, as if sensing the challenge, turned its
head toward her.
Renee’s eyes locked with the creature’s, just a few feet apart.
A smirk tugged at her lips, her voice dripping with defiance as if daring the snake to understand her challenge. “Come on. If you dare, come at me! Let’s see what you’ve got!”
The snake seemed to catch her challenge, flicking its tongue faster. Its movements are quicker now as it twisted its tail and changed course, heading straight for her.
Perfect.
If only she had a knife in her hand, she could have pinned it to the ground with a single strike.
Instead, all she had was a sharp stone she had grabbed from the ground.
As the snake closed the gap, she didn’t flinch. Her body was steady, poised. Her feet shifted lightly, always watching the snake’s movements.
In the blink of an eye, when the snake was almost within arm’s reach, she launched herself upward, gripping the stone tightly, her body flowing like water as she struck with precision–aiming straight for the snake’s weak spot.
Her movements were fluid, decisive.
The snake writhed once, then twice, before falling completely still.
Renee stood over the now lifeless creature, exhaling a breath of disdain.
That was nothing. She’d taken down much bigger snakes before with ease.
The snake would make a perfect meal to help Ryland regain his strength.
Unafraid, she seized the snake and began heading back.
Who would have guessed that a pampered heiress like her could kill a snake with nothing but her bare hands in the wild one day? And then, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, she calmly prepared it for their
next meal.
