4

 Yes, she was safe, at least for a moment. And she had to use it well. There was no time to rest. She had to prepare another weapon, something that would help her in the next battle. Because she was convinced that another battle would come. The beast wouldn't rest until one of them was dead. Or rather, until Lura was dead. It reminded her of a machine, programmed to kill, to not rest until it had completed its task. For some unspecified reason, Laura was convinced the snake was female, perhaps because she suspected her old acquaintance, whom she had so cruelly mocked? She didn't know why, but she was almost certain it was a female. And that meant she would fight to the death, that she was far more cruel than the male. That she would toy with her before killing her. That Laura would die in agony. No! – she practically screamed – I won't let that happen!! You won't win!

(... The man on the other side winced at the scream – do you want me to go deaf, you stupid bitch? ...)

She readied another weapon – this time it was a small, makeshift club, fashioned from a meat mallet combined with a potato masher – seemingly nothing, but it offered a chance. Better than nothing, she muttered. This time, she wasn't going to wait idly for the snake to crawl for her; she was going to find it and attack first. "Either I win or I don't. I'll go crazy if I wait like this," she muttered. She leaned out of the kitchen, but the animal's red, blazing eyes were nowhere to be seen. She moved forward, clutching her makeshift weapon tightly in one hand, and in the other carrying a container filled with a mixture of pepper, salt, paprika, and other strange and unfamiliar spices that Marcel had once left behind, hoping it would convince Laura that he'd like to have a home-cooked meal someday. It didn't. She walked, her bare feet barely touching the carpet, cautiously glancing around, turning on every possible light as she went. She didn't bother closing the door, already knowing it was completely unnecessary. She reached the dining room, where she overturned a heavy table and pushed it against the wall so the snake couldn't hide under it. Knowing that her bedroom held the most nooks and crannies, she decided against going there. The living room and pantry were left. After some thought, she decided against entering the pantry as well; too many shelves and too little space made it perhaps the most dangerous room in the entire apartment. In the living room, as brightly lit as the rest of the apartment, she carefully checked every corner. However, it seemed the beast had decided to lie in wait for the time being, waiting out the pain Laura had surely inflicted on it with the hairspray. She wondered if this had enraged it more? Or perhaps it didn't really matter at all? She walked around the living room, moving cabinets, overturning tables and chairs, and arranging them so nothing could hide beneath them. Suddenly, she stopped. The fireplace! How could she have forgotten about the fireplace?! But what to do with it? Unfortunately, the time for pondering seemed to be over, as a large head appeared in a hole in the wall. Laura swung her makeshift club, but the creature proved faster. The head disappeared, only to reappear a moment later, this time through another opening. Laura lunged toward the beast, determined to prevent this from happening, as the creature slithered into the room. She knew this would mean the end. After a few circles—the reptile was surprisingly fast—the woman felt her strength waning. One more circle, and I'm done for, she thought. As if sensing her mood, the snake poked its head again, this time into a hole on the opposite side of the room. Who talked me into an apartment with a living room in the middle of the apartment, surrounded by other rooms? Laura thought, lunging with all her remaining strength at the reptile. She swung with all her might, but again she missed. Again the snake mocked her and her efforts, this time hiding as slowly as possible.As if knowing Laura had no strength left, as if knowing she already had it. Taking advantage of the moment's respite, the woman sat in the corner, panting. "I can't, I can't anymore," she sobbed to herself. "I surrender." Her voice rose to a scream. "I can't anymore! I've had enough! Kill me, do whatever you want, just do it quickly. I don't want to suffer! But you will," something whispered in her head. Because that's what this is about. That, nothing more. To make me suffer. To make me weaken to the point where I can't move anymore. And then the beast will get me anyway. Finally, Laura understood the plan, a brilliant, terrifying, blood-curdling plan. She was going to die, yes, there was no doubt about that. She had known this, subconsciously, though she didn't want to admit it, from the moment she first looked into the serpent's blazing eyes. But what she suddenly understood with complete clarity hadn't yet sunk in. She already knew, understood why a snake. Snakes are fast, they don't tire easily. Besides, they're agile, they can slip into anything. They're quiet, terrifyingly quiet. The hiss they make when they pounce on their prey, the hiss the victim can theoretically hear, is, first of all, too quiet to be heard over the beating of a raging heart. Besides, as a rule, by the time you hear that hiss, it's too late. And that's exactly what awaits me. First, a slow death, mostly from fear, until I'm completely exhausted, unable to move. And then the beast, which is essentially just waiting for this, will get me. But why?! Why?! And for what?!But why?! Why?! And for what?!But why?! Why?! And for what?!

You know why... You know why... Maybe you don't understand it yet with your entire consciousness—that is, the part of it you can use—but you know... And with time, this knowledge will grow. Until you reach full awareness. Until you finally realize that not everyone can be picked on with impunity, that not everyone can be tormented with impunity. And then you will die. Don't be afraid, for now we're just toying with you. Or perhaps I should say: you," the man laughed, his laughter sounding strangely hollow and ominous in the silence that surrounded him. "You don't stand a chance. None. You didn't have one the moment that old man opened the door to your apartment for me."