ISABELLA REMEMBERS THE snake.
The way it bit her even after it was dead.
I am the snake, she thinks. I am dead. But I have one bite left.
She landed atop the bones of the other girls. Last time, the fall had knocked her out and she didn’t experience the full pain of the impact. But this time, she remained conscious, and as her bones shattered, the instant agony had been unlike anything she’d ever felt.
She wanted to die right then and thought about putting the gun, which she’d somehow held on to, against her temple and pulling the trigger.
But she’s a fighter. She proved that once before, and she will prove it again.
She crawled down into the creek bed to a small overhang she remembered. A nice place to hide from the elements.
Or a Texas Ranger.
Her face is gushing blood, but the bullet only took off part of her nose. It hurts, but it’s not the most painful part of her existence right now. Only adrenaline and hate are keeping her going.
She hears him coming, calling out Fiona’s name.
Isabella crouches inside the small rocky cave, holding the gun close to her chest.
I have one bite left.