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“No!” I shouted, hesitating at the opening of the alleyway.

Binx saw the snake and threw herself at Clarence, knocking him off his feet. They rolled a few feet barely missing the snake’s strike.

Binx then crawled under the other SUV parked on the street, dragging Clarence with her.

I must help them—but how? We can’t face this thing!

“Here!” Grove tossed me a roll of vet wrap. I used it, tying it around my fingers so I could still handle a weapon without bleeding everywhere. (I wouldn’t be able to move any of my fingers individually, except my pointer finger and thumb, but it wasn’t like I was going to punch the snake out.)

I flexed my hand and, satisfied with the results, called out to Grove. “Thanks.” I drew my shoulders back preparing to run back out into the street.

“Andwhereare you heading?” Grove demanded, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me back into the alley.

“We have to go help Binx and Clarence!”

Across the street, the snake tried to wedge its head under the car but its skull was too thick. It flicked its tongue, and Binx screamed—a yelp of hot pain, not fear.

“No, we need to radio for help,” Grove said.

I put my weight in my heels, so he couldn’t pull me any farther. “We can’t just leave them—they’ll die!”

Grove shook his head, the near-constant dreamy air he had to him draining into the hard haunted lines of his face. “If we don’t survive, no one will be alive to radio this in. Wemustget the word out.”

The snake monster encircled the car, coiling its body around it. As it started to pull its body tight, it squeezed the car shattering the taillights and crushing the bumper.

The crunch of metal echoed off the buildings around us, and Clarence shouted. I could almostfeelhis terror.

Something settled in my stomach, and I turned back to Grove. “Youmust survive to radio Sarge. I’m going to help them.” I shook his arm off and stepped out of the alleyway.

“Blood—you’re going against task force policy!” Grove hissed after me.

“I don’t care,” I said. “I’m a slayer. And slayers never leave anyone behind.”

Grove cursed me out—at least I’m assuming he cursed me out. I saw his lips move, but I couldn’t hear him over the groan of the slowly compressing car.

I have about twenty seconds to come up with a plan.I can grab its attention, but Binx and Clarence are probably too hurt to help. And there’s no way I can take this thing on by myself.

The snake must have scooped Clarence and Binx up by this point because the car was about 3/4ths the size it was originally, and the snake had managed to get one of its coils underneath it.

Now. I have to distract it, now, or it will kill them!

I sprinted at the monster, jumping on one of its lowest coils and climbing as fast as I could.

Its body moved underneath me threatening to suck me in and crush me. I frantically climbed, getting to the top of the mound it formed around the car.

Approaching from the side, I threw myself at its face grabbing its cobra-like hood. Clinging to it with my knees and feet and holding as much of my weight as I could with my left arm—thank you, one-armed pull ups, I’m sorry I ever doubted you were necessary for my training—I yanked my gun from my shoulder holster with my free right hand.

The snake shook its head from side to side trying to dislodge me. I held on, my leg muscles burning, and flicked my gun’s safety off. I waited until the snake paused long enough to hiss, then shot it in the eye.

It reared back with a hiss. My knees started to slide on its scaly hood, so I flicked the safety of my gun back on just before it flung me off. I was tossed across the road, hitting the street with enough force to make me roll.

I rocked my body to keep the momentum going, folding myself into one last roll that let me spring to my feet still holding my gun.

The snake abandoned the car and slithered toward me. Since snakes don’t have eyelids both of its eyes were still open, and the one I’d shot was bleeding—I’d gotten him good.

Stop congratulating yourself—you still have no plan!

I sprinted down the street, going about half a block before I looked back to confirm the snake was following me.