The thing had me in its grasp before I could say AAAAH. The air was getting squeezed out of my lungs. My breathing became almost as ragged as the snake’s. Black spots danced against my eyes. The snake shrieked and let me go!

It thrashed as splinters came from nowhere and edged in between its scales. I looked around and found a rope. And Thalia on a ledge shooting splinters out of a wooden bow. “GO!” She yelled, still shooting splinters.

I climbed the rope. “Oh God, Jaxx, have you turned into Tom or something? Ya STINK!” Thalia exclaimed.

I grinned at her. “I’ll explain later.”

The moon soaked into me, and I took a breath of fresh air. I didn’t see the others. I yelled down to Thalia to start climbing. I hauled up the rope. She took my hand and I helped her up. “Thanks,” I said, breathlessly. “You need a bath,” was her reply.

I told her to shoo, and I took a bath in the pond and washed my clothes too. Once I was done, my hair was dripping wet, but I didn’t mind. I touched it. It had grown to look like something of a girl’s haircut, but ridiculously short though. I still didn’t care, but I was glad I was starting to look even more like my own gender and not the gender my father wanted me to be.

My father.

Wow, I hadn’t thought of him since he got eaten. Couldn’t say I actually cared. The guy had been pure evil. Still, he’d been my only family…

I shook that thought away. Way better to be with nice friends than one awful parent. Plus, when I got home, I’d contact my godparents and THEY could take care of me. Was possible my dad had chosen awful godparents though.

Jaxx, I chided myself. You’re thinking too much. You just got out of a canyon. RELAX!

I entered the tent where I found everybody sleeping. Except Thalia. She was in her sleeping bag, staring at the top of the tent.

“Night,” I said to her. No response. I was kind of getting worried, but I was too tired. I flopped on my own sleeping bag and drifted off.