Something About The Crib

Still staring at the footage, Mia suddenly remembered something else—the crib. It wasn’t brand new. It belonged to Jake’s sister, who passed it down after her twins outgrew it. They’d cleaned it, of course. Scrubbed every inch, replaced the mattress, and added fresh linens. But it had come from the basement, where it had been stored since the move.

Mia stood up quickly and went to the storage room down the hall. Boxes still lined the walls, barely touched since they’d brought Ava home. She flicked on the light. In the far corner was the old terrarium, which was covered in dust. And underneath it, something long and pale. A shed snakeskin.