A Familiar Mark

Mia stepped away from the monitor only long enough to grab her phone. She zoomed in on the paused image, her thumb trembling slightly as she tapped to enhance the resolution. The snake’s body was coiled neatly along the side of the crib, partially under the blanket. It hadn’t moved, but now she noticed something that made her stomach drop even further.

Just behind the tail, along the ridged pattern, was a small notch—barely visible unless you were looking for it. Nimbus had gotten that mark as a juvenile, trying to squeeze through the metal base of his old enclosure. It was the kind of scar you didn’t forget.