The Cursed Blessing

Chapter 7

" AREEEEEE YOUUUUU MADDDDD????!!" Chris shouted at Sirena as they tumbled down.

" NOTTTT REALLLY!!" she shouted back at him. They were falling so fast that Sirena almost couldn't breathe. Plus, the wind was rushing in their ears, making it impossible to speak or hear, so they had to shout at each other to be heard.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of falling, they reached solid ground. Chris couldn't stand. He wobbled around like a jelly and landed on a dead bush. "ARGH! I'm in a bush!" he exclaimed, trying to get out.

"At least, you're not wet." came Sirena's reply as she came out soaked in lake water. Chris got out and looked at her. He burst out laughing. Sirena looked really funny, well, to him. Sirena crossed her arms and walked ahead with a huff.

Chris laughed once more and ran up to her and pulled her back, before she fell into anything. " I was just joking. Besides, where are you going?" he asked. " I'm the one with the map. Here." he handed her a towel from his backpack.

" Thanks." Sirena wiped herself and looked at the map. "Where are we?" she asked.

"I'm guessing...here?"

"You're right! The heart must be that red glowing thing I saw!" she exclaimed. Chris was lost.

"Red glowing thing? Am I missing something?" he asked. " Sirena explained.

" Oh, ok. So, let's go! They started walking, and Chris almost got tangled in a spider's web.

"They spotted another lake ahead. "The map says we have to swim through it." Sirena said before Chris could ask.

" I knew I should've packed my swimsuit." Chris grumbled.

" You aren't the only one." Sirena replied.

They waded down the lake, and Sirena stopped. " What is it now?" asked Chris, annoyed.

" Did you see that? That ripple in the water?" Sirena questioned.

" No. What are you talking about?" Chris peered at the water. " I don't see anything." Before Sirena could reply, he said," Hey! Look at that thing! Its so cut..". He broke off halfway through his sentence as a snake jumped out of the water and swallowed the "cute thing" in one big gulp. Then it disappeared.

The snake swam back to them. Chris grabbed Sirena and pulled her out of the water and onto the rocks nearby. They narrowly missed being a snake's before dinner snack.

" Oh. My. God." Sirena almost fainted out of shock, but her fear kept her going. "I almost got eaten by a typical snake!" she exclaimed.

"Not just any snake." said Chris, who couldn't believe his eyes. " Its an anaconda.". He let that sink in.

"AN ANACONDA!!!" came the scream from his companion, as expected. " I thought it was a python." she said, gasping for air. At this point, Sirena was literally hyperventilating.

"Relax. Its fine. We'll be out as soon as we get an idea on how to distract it." Chris comforted her.

"Yeah. I'm sure everyone relaxes when they are almost eaten by an anaconda, and is stranded on a rock surrounded with water and an anaconda that's waiting for them to come in the water!" she exclaimed.

Chris gave up and rummaged around in his backpack for something to distract the anaconda. Sirena looked around, and then looked at him. She sighed, and suggested to use the towel to distract the anaconda. Chris agreed, and on the count of three, they tossed the towel into the lake and waited. Almost immediately, the anaconda jumped out and dragged it underwater. " Now's our chance! Let's go!" Chris called her.

They ran, or at least tried to, to the exit and emerged out of the tunnel, this time, standing on a cove.

Only now this time, the water became clearer and clearer until it was " Look! The water is crystal clear!" came the delighted voice of Sirena. Chris danced around joyfully, almost tripping over a huge stone. The entire place was deserted. They were the only people around.