The screaming was getting fainter. The dark, rough walls closed around me. I tucked in my head. I remembered safety tricks if you’re ever in a situation like this: When you’re falling, tuck in your freaking body dude.

It wasn’t easy. My limbs felt like they were ripping apart, but unless I wanted a concussion or coma or broken ankle or just death, I had to do this. Click, my mind whispered as I finally managed to tuck my head and legs in. BRMP, THUMP CRACK! I hit the ground and blacked out.

The bottom of the canyon was nothing like I imagined. For one: it was scaly. Two: it was green. And three: it had freaking teeth. I was on the corpse of the python Thalia had killed. I jumped off immediately. Then I realized the thing was breathing. A chill went down my spine. A scream was building in my throat, but I gulped it down.

The python’s breathing was harsh and ragged. Its eye was bleeding. I backed away. Snap. DANG IT! I looked down and saw a broken twig. The python stirred. I saw a pile of steaming brown… NO. EW. What the heck was PYTHON POOP doing down here? I looked at the python. Silly question. An idea was forming in my mind. Something only stupid risk-takers would do. I jumped in the poop.

This is something a crazy kid would do, I thought. A crazy kid who loves poop. As if on cue, the python woke up. I resisted the urge to puke. Its eye was disgusting. It had pus swelling out and the dried blood had clotted in very weird places.

I regretted wearing shorts. The dung stuck to me like slime on the ceiling. (Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.) The python sniffed. If it smelled me, it didn’t do anything. It slithered off. I waited. I climbed out of the poop.

I stunk. Like heck. I needed a shower.

The python had gone left, so I guessed I needed to go right. I kept walking for what seemed like hours. My body went on automatic. My muscles felt like fire and my legs might as well have been made of lead. A wall popped up in front of me. Dead end. I dropped to my knees and curled up on the floor. I knew it was a bad idea to fall asleep, but I was tired and depressed. And covered in python dung.

Moonlight shined down on my face. My legs were sore. I woke up and turned away from the dead end. I’d walked two steps before I found green scales coiling around me. The python looked down on me. Its good eye seemed to say: WELL, WELL, a little girl for lunch. HOW DEIGHTFUL!