That Can’t Be Him

Mia stared at the monitor, her pulse kicking up fast. The screen showed Ava asleep, breathing softly and evenly. But nestled beside her, like part of the bedding, was a snake. She squinted. That pattern—earthy browns and a pale underbelly—looked exactly like Nimbus.

But that wasn’t possible. Every night, she double-checked the windows and locked the nursery door—ever since the break-ins started on their street. Nothing had been open. Nothing had been disturbed. She backed out of the camera feed and rechecked the house. Everything was locked. No signs of entry. So, how was it in the crib?