"Then, so be it!"

  The ringmaster twirls her cane in the air and a strong gail force wind blows throughout the snake pit. The ringmaster laughs evilly, riding the current back to the rim of the hole. She looks down at Monica with a coy smirk.

  "Remember. You can use only the dagger I gave you. Any other weapon...And you forfeit Joaquin's life...And his freedom. He will belong to me. I feel he is mine already."

  Monica stares at the dagger on the floor of the snake pit. The gargantuan cobra observes her with suspicious eyes, waiting for Monica to make a move. Glancing over at Joaquin, Monica is unsure if she wants to go through with the test. If she forfeits now, Joaquin will be spared. He will be allowed to live. Yet, what kind of life would he lead? Forever beholden to the treacherous ringmaster.

  Monica steps forward and kisses Joaquin again. Her husband's tired eyes roll nearly up into his head, and he seems close to death. Monica sobs uncontrollably, pressing her face against Joaquin's throat. She whispers softly, while looking up into his nearly colorless face.

  "What should I do, baby? What do you want me to do? I love you, Joaquin. But if I don't win this challenge...? If I fail this test...? Joaquin, what do you want me to do? Should I forfeit? Do you want to live? Tell me what I should do. Tell me, Joaquin. Joaquin?"

  Joaquin is silent. He is barely able to breath. Talking takes more energy than he has. He settles for trying to blink, hoping his message is getting across. Monica shakes her head in a negative fashion.

  "I don't understand, Joaquin. What do you want me to do?"

  "What are you waiting for, Monica?" Percy's aggravating voice calls from above. "If you do not fight...You forfeit. Then, I can take you all the sooner."

  Monica's blood boils and she glares up at Percy, knowing he cannot see her face.

  "Shut the hell up, Percy! Grown people are talking. Servants should only speak when spoken to. Didn't your purple wearing whore master teach you that?"

  Percy immediately shuts up, peering over at his master with worry. The ringmaster is not amused. She leans forward on her cane, gazing down at Monica and Joaquin.

  "Percy is right. If you do not kill the cobra and take her heart...You have forfeited. You have yet to make a move. Why do you hesitate?"

  Monica leans forward and kisses Joaquin passionately. She sneaks a glance backward, eyeballing the silver handled dagger lying close by. Kissing Joaquin one final time, Monica observes the subtle headshake he offers her, his eyes pleading.

  "I have to do this, Joaquin. I have to try. I'll pretend the purple witch is your mother. I just love thwarting her. She never wanted us to get married. She had no idea how stubborn I can be when I really put my mind to something. I'll be okay, baby. I'm gonna get your lung back."

  "Nooo," Joaquin manages to utter in a soft whisper. "No, Monica. Let it be. Save yourself."

  "I can't do that," Monica whispers. "I can't do that, Joaquin. I love you."

  Stooping and picking up the dagger, Monica grips it tightly in her right fist. The cobra hisses and snaps its enormous jaws. The ornate purple pattern on the snake's otherwise black hood pulsates and seems to glow brighter. Monica's heart thunders in her chest, the sound of her own pulse pounding in her ears. The young woman's lips quiver with fear and anticipation. There can be no turning back.

  Monica growls and charges toward the head of the serpent. The cobra quickly uncoils its upper portion, rising high and rearing back. Monica leaps into the air and launches herself away from the striking head. The cobra barely misses biting its own coiled bulk. Incensed, the creature whips its head around, following Monica as she scrambles to get around its back. Striking again, the snake manages to snag Monica's hair.

  Monica shrieks at the close call. She shakes her head energetically, untangling the solitary fang caught in her hair. The giant snake is now more furious than ever, realizing its own life is also on the line. Hissing loudly, the cobra strikes out with its tail, knocking Monica to the ground.

  She rolls just in time to avoid being scooped up into the serpent's mouth. Her dagger lies a few feet away on the floor, where it fell when she sprawled involuntarily onto the ground. Reaching for the dagger, Monica cries out in pain as a second dagger pierces her left hand. Monica's body shakes uncontrollably as she yanks the dagger out of her hand.

  Metallic pinging, to her left and right, causes Monica to look up. Daggers of all sizes and lengths are raining down from the hole above. The ringmaster. The dirty cheat.

  Monica races toward a far corner, almost forgetting her duel with the serpent cobra. Her only thought is to get away from the dagger rain. The cobra has not forgotten.

  The serpent once again whips its tail, snagging Monica's left ankle and dragging her down. Monica is grateful the hail of knives has ended, as the snake draws her close. The bursts of condensation from the creature's large nostrils is hot against Monica's skin. She cringes away, as the cobra inches its enormous head in front of hers. The snake's hood flares outward and the furious beast hisses right in Monica's face.

  "Please," Monica begs. "I don't know if you can understand me. I hope you can. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to take my husband and go home. We never wanted any of this. You don't have to kill me. You don't have to do what she says. You can be free. Just give me my husband's lung. Just give it to me. And I won't have to take it from you. Please."

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  The serpent's eyes constrict and then dilate. It angles its head, studying Monica, listening to what she is saying. Monica takes this as a cue to continue.

  "Just...Cough up the lung. Give it to me. Let me have it. Neither of us has to die."

  The cobra hisses loudly and rears back its enlarged head. Releasing Monica, the snake bellows. The sound of the snake's bellow vibrates the entire pit. The snake writhes as if warring with itself, the creature's thick tail thrashing in the air.

  Monica falls to the ground and scrambles to look for her dagger. The floor of the pit is littered with daggers, many of which look exactly the same. Monica struggles to remember where she was when the serpent swept her up into the air. Spying a dagger on the floor, in that area, Monica leaps over the snake's writhing coils and snatches the knife up.

  "Monica..." Joaquin mutters weakly.

  Monica glances over her shoulder and races toward the flailing cobra.

  "No, Joaquin. I have to do this!"

  Scrambling as high up as she can, Monica braces herself and plunges the silver handled dagger into cobra's scaly flesh. The cobra bellows even louder, its eyes rolling with agony. The serpent's tail thrashes more wildly, slamming into the walls of the pit and even the body of the snake itself.

  Monica manages to maintain her grip, in spite of her injured hand. She rips downward with the knife, cutting deeper into the snake's flesh. Unhinging her knees from around the serpent's body, Monica lets gravity do the rest. The snake's body is split by the downward motion of the dagger, peeling open like a banana.

  The cobra's angry, agonized bellow is replaced with a peal of death. Monica's heart goes out to the creature. It never really had a choice in the matter.

  From her spot on the floor, Monica watches the serpent's body sway to and fro. With a final bellow, the giant cobra pitches forward. Dead.

  Blood covers nearly every inch of the floor, and most of the wall. Monica gingerly steps around pools of blood and innards. There is only one organ she needs now. No, make that two.

  Straining to turn a portion of the serpent over, Monica digs inside of it, looking for the creature's heart. After several deep cuts with the dagger, Monica locates the still warm organ. She removes the cobra's heart and grips it in both hands. A smile explodes onto her face. She did it.

  Monica climbs to her feet. Confident in her victory. She holds the warm organ up for Percy and the ringmaster to see.

  "I did it, you old witch! I have slayed your cursed beast. Now, let Joaquin go!"

  The ringmaster grins and shakes her head. A split second later, she appears beside Monica. Monica takes a step back, surprised by the ringmaster's swift action. The ringmaster reaches out and grabs Monica by the chin. She draws Monica's face close and stares into the young woman's eyes.

  "Not so fast, dearie. Maybe you should have inspected your dagger more carefully. The dagger I gave you had a purple stone in the middle. The dagger you used to slay Petunia had a blue stone in the center. You lose."

  "Nooo!" Monica wails. "You can't do this! The dagger...You purposely made sure I would mistake the daggers. You cheated."

  "You did not understand the rules. Why would I suggest you only use your own dagger...If there would be no others? You lose. You may go back to your home. Joaquin stays with me!"

  Atop the hole, a disappointed scream rings out.

  "No, Master," Percy's cries. "You said I could have her. You promised she would be my new Alice. You can't send her away. Please, Master."

  The ringmaster inhales deeply and rolls her eyes. Waving her cane in the air, the ringmaster lets loose another barrage of daggers. The daggers travel upward and out of the hole, many of them skewering Percy. The stunned clown stumbles backward, yanking at a knife embedded in his left eye.

  "Huh? Huh? No. Master!" Percy wails, before sprawling backward onto the tent floor. Also dead.

  With a satisfied grin, the ringmaster strolls over to where Joaquin is chained to the wall. Monica is already there, kissing Joaquin's face and apologizing profusely.

  "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry."

  Joaquin weakly reaches up to touch Monica's cheek. He offers her a thin smile and shakes his head.

  "Nothing to be sorry for," Joaquin whispers, before breathing his final breath.

  Monica weeps and continues to kiss Joaquin's face. She wipes at the blood covering his mouth and chin. The ringmaster none too politely shoves Monica out of the way, replacing Monica's kisses of love with vile kisses of lascivious passion.

  "It seems I now have need of both a pet and a lover. You will have to fill the position of both for a time. Welcome, Joaquin."

  As Monica watches in horror, Joaquin's chest again rises and falls. A loud exhale escapes his lips and his eyes draw open. No longer are Joaquin's eyes molten brown, they are purple and hungry, looking to devour any who should look upon them.

  "Joaquin?" Monica says in disbelief.

  The ringmaster smirks and kisses Joaquin wetly. The new Joaquin's face tenses to match the cruelty in his master's countenance.

  "He's not your Joaquin anymore," the ringmaster says. "Run along now. We are done here."

  Before Monica can reply, the ground begins to shake. Everything around her slowly crumbles. Percy's body, which fell very close to the hole, topples in and lands with a hard thud. Monica flinches and looks away. Soon, the noise in the pit is unbearable. Monica crouches low, covering her head with both arms, a long scream issuing from her throat.

  ======================================

  "Ms. Berry," a tall young doctor says.

  Monica raises her head from the table, her eyes red from crying. She looks around the family waiting room in confusion. Huh. How did she get here?

  "Uh...Ms. Berry. You are Ms. Berry? Ms. Monica Berry?"

  "Yes. I'm Monica Berry. Is it about Joaquin?"

  "Yes, Ms. Berry...I'm afraid it is."

  Monica's blood runs cold at the young doctor's statement. She grips the edge of the nearby table with a slender hand.

  "What is it? What's happened?"

  "We prepped your husband for surgery, Ma'am. We tried to get off all of the excess fluid. But there were complications. He didn't make it, Ms. Berry. He's gone. I'm sorry."

  "Fluid? Surgery? What are you talking about? Joaquin survived his surgery. What is this? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

  "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I truly am. Excuse me."

  The young doctor leaves the room as Monica climbs hurriedly to her feet.

  "Joaquin survived that surgery! What do you mean?"

  In the back of Monica's mind, the ringmaster's cruel laughter plays as if on a reel.

  The End of Story Two