He knew the snake couldn’t move far—its enormous stomach made it impossible—but the thought of it rising from the water, its massive head appearing at the top of the staircase, filled him with a deep sense of dread. He couldn’t take his eyes off the stairs.
Aditya slumped down on the floor, feeling the cool tiles under his legs as he rested his back against the wall. The hours stretched on, and with the house now mostly empty of food, he found himself obsessing over the smallest details.