The Rising Flood: A Fight for Survival
Peering over the banister, Aditya squinted into the murky floodwaters below, hoping against hope that the water had receded overnight. But something caught his eye—a dark, indistinct shape drifting beneath the surface. His heart pounded as he leaned closer, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
“What is that?” he muttered, his voice barely louder than the steady rhythm of the rain. The object was large, sluggishly moving with the water’s slow current. The dim morning light made it difficult to see clearly, but as his eyes adjusted, the truth became terrifyingly clear.
The thing floating in the water wasn’t debris. Its smooth, glistening scales reflected the faint light. A massive snake, several feet long, drifted just beneath the surface. A grotesque bulge distorted the middle of its body—it had swallowed something large.
Aditya’s stomach churned at the sight. What had it eaten? The thought made his blood run cold. He took a shaky step back from the banister, instincts screaming at him to retreat. The house had already become a prison, but now, the floodwaters harbored things far more dangerous than just rising water levels.
The Flood Takes Over
Just hours earlier, Aditya had driven through torrential rain, trying to reach home before the river overtook the roads. When he had arrived, his house was already surrounded by water. Inside, his grandfather had been stubbornly moving furniture to the upper floor, refusing to leave despite the clear signs that the flood was only getting worse.
Together, they had hauled what they could to safety, pushing back against the inevitable. The night had been a sleepless blur of rising water, eerie alarms triggered by submerged cars, and the relentless pounding of the storm against the fragile house. The flood had swallowed the ground floor, and now, it threatened the last safe space they had left.
His grandfather’s fever had worsened, and their food supplies were dwindling. The storm was unrelenting, and despite their desperate attempts to signal passing rescue boats, no one had stopped for them. The house was still standing, making them low priority for evacuation—but how much longer would it last?
An Unwanted Visitor
Aditya’s thoughts snapped back to the present. The massive snake wasn’t moving aggressively, but the knowledge that it was there—hiding beneath the water—sent a wave of unease through him. He had to keep an eye on it.
Then, something changed.
The water rippled, and the bulge in the snake’s body twitched. His breath caught. Whatever was inside it wasn’t dead.
A deep sense of horror took hold as realization dawned. The snake’s meal was still alive.
Aditya swallowed hard. His grandfather’s frail voice called from behind him, weak but alert. “What is it?”
He turned, hesitating. “It’s…nothing, Grandpa,” he lied. There was no reason to make things worse for him. The fever was already making the old man delirious. The last thing he needed was another reason to worry.
But Aditya couldn’t look away. The snake continued to drift, its captive still moving within its body. He shuddered and forced himself to step away.
A Desperate Plan
They had to get out. Waiting any longer was a gamble they couldn’t afford to take.
Aditya paced near the window, running through options. They couldn’t swim through the flood—not with creatures lurking below. Their food was almost gone, and his grandfather was getting weaker. If they waited too long, they might not have the strength to escape when the time came.
Then, an idea struck him.
His grandfather had suggested a bizarre plan earlier—using empty water gallons as makeshift flotation devices. At the time, Aditya had dismissed it as fevered rambling, but now, it seemed like their best shot.
“Grandpa,” he said, kneeling beside the old man. “We need to prepare. The water might rise again, and if it does, we’ll need a way to float.”
His grandfather’s tired eyes flickered with faint understanding. “The water gallons,” he murmured.
“Yes,” Aditya nodded. “We tie them together, use them as a raft. It’s risky, but we don’t have a choice.”
It took effort, but they worked together, fastening the plastic gallons with rubber tubing from an old tire. It was far from sturdy, but it might just keep them afloat long enough to find help.
The Final Night
That night, Aditya lay awake, listening to the house groan under the weight of the flood. The rain had lessened, but the silence was worse. Every creak of the walls, every subtle movement in the water sent his pulse racing.
His grandfather barely stirred, his fever taking its toll. Aditya squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to stay awake. He had to be alert. Any moment could be the moment the house failed.
Then—a sound.
A low, dragging noise. Something moving. Inside.
Aditya sat up, his breath shallow. He turned toward the stairwell, peering through the dim candlelight. The snake.
It was inside.
A Race Against Time
Aditya’s body went rigid. The massive reptile had slithered up the staircase, its bulging body shifting as it moved. His worst fear had come true—the flood hadn’t just brought water into their home.
It had brought everything that lived in it, too.
He scrambled back, shaking his grandfather awake. “Grandpa, we need to go. Now.”
The old man stirred, disoriented. “What’s happening?”
Aditya didn’t answer. He grabbed the makeshift raft and dragged it toward the open window. They had to get out before the snake reached them.
The moment they slipped into the water, the cold hit Aditya like a shockwave. His grandfather clung to the plastic gallons, shivering as they drifted into the dark floodwaters.
The house loomed behind them, half-submerged, the snake now fully inside. It coiled near the staircase, its meal still struggling weakly inside its belly. Aditya turned away, pushing the raft forward. They had escaped—but they weren’t safe yet.
Hope on the Horizon
They floated through the submerged streets, guided only by the faint moonlight reflecting on the water. Their arms ached, their bodies numb with exhaustion. But then—a sound.
A distant motor.
Aditya’s heart leapt. He twisted toward the noise, straining to see. A rescue boat. This time, it was close enough to hear them.
“Over here!” he yelled, waving frantically.
The boat turned, its searchlight cutting through the darkness. Relief surged through Aditya’s veins as the rescuers spotted them. Within minutes, strong hands pulled them aboard, wrapping them in warm blankets.
They had made it.
His grandfather, weak but safe, leaned against him. “Told you my plan would work,” he murmured with a faint smile.
Aditya let out a breathless laugh. They had survived the storm.
As they sped away, the boat’s light swept over the remnants of their home. The snake was gone—perhaps it had slithered back into the water, taking its strange, trapped prey with it.
Aditya didn’t care. The flood had tried to take everything from them. But they had fought back.
And now, finally, they were free.
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