The Geek Revolution ✓

22 | snake

I FREEZE INSTANTLY. LEAH'S EYES flicker to me, but I only see this as a vague movement in my periphery.

I am looking straight at Benjamin, who hasn't heard the screaming. Almost everyone waves it off, thinking of it as some sick joke. But who would joke about that? I actually can't see anything in the water, aside from Benjamin's legs, lazily kicking up and down.

Someone else screams, stumbling and causing a domino effect. Then I know without a doubt that the girl was telling the truth, and the Monarchy is to blame. People now are either running away from the tank, or towards it — phones primed to video, or with concern on their faces.

Then I catch a momentary glimpse of it, blocked by the bobbing of heads and waving of hands. A massive, writhing serpent tossing about in the water, inching up towards Benjamin.

It feels the bottom half of me has been pulled into a black hole, because from my waist down, there's only a negative space, no feeling, nothing. My gut is being dragged down into that black oblivion of fear, my mind following suit. A faint buzzing is all that's left in my head. I couldn't possibly string together a thought right now, let alone talk.

All I can do is run towards the tank, slightly unsteady on my feet.

"Benjamin!" I yell, waving frantically and running towards him. He's bobbing like a stick in the sea, rubbing his blue face with blue hands, alleviating nothing.

I can't believe it, all this pandemonium and he still hasn't figured it out. Though to be fair, he looks on the verge of falling unconscious. I suppose the division between cheering and screaming is slim, and he might have not noticed the difference in the crowd's emotions. For a few moments, he's unperturbed by what's happening around him.

Except, Benjamin is a naturally perceptive person. It's not long at all before he looks around, confused as to what changed. He looks to me for answers, searching my face. I'm still choking on words, but bring up my hand to tell him to look into the water.

So he does, and I swear, his skin pales so much, it's transparent.

Benjamin pushes away from the centre of the tank, latching onto the edge and pulling his feet up the sides of it. "Shit. Fucking hell. What the fuck? That better not be venomous!"

Though I've been shocked out of thinking too much, a flicker of surprise registers in my brain, because this is the first time I've heard Benjamin swear so profusely. He still clings to the edge of the tank, looking frightened beyond belief. I don't know how I managed to retain this, but a phrase from a nature documentary flashes in my mind like a warning sign.

Snakes draw towards the closest heat source as they are cold-blooded, and require external heat energy to warm themselves.

Remembering this makes me curse my brain, since all it does is tell me that the snake will chase Benjamin until one of them is removed from the tank. Drew has climbed the ladder, perched precariously on the top rung and is in a grapple with Benjamin, trying to pull him out.

With tremendous grunts, Drew manages to heave Benjamin's torso out of the tank and climb down the ladder a bit, to give him space to get out. He looks so cold; his lips deep purple and his teeth chattering a mile a minute. Why is he that cold? Landing with a loud squelch, Benjamin drops down the ladder.

His hair is dripping wet, his shirt all soaked and clinging to his toned abdomen. I know Benjamin's actually pretty strong, considering the fight he put up against Reece at the start of the year, but right now he looks impossibly fragile. I unravel his jacket from around my waist and drape it around his shoulders.

Benjamin grasps the lapels of his jacket with blue, shivering fingers. I peer up at him desperately, gauging his condition. When he meets my eyes and gives me a small, reassuring smile, I release a relieved sigh. He'll be okay.