It was a hot summer night. The windows and doors were wide open to let in what little breeze there was. I sat cross-legged on the wooden chair, reading The Class by Erich Segal, lost in my fourth reading of it.

I got angry when students threw Danny's piano out of the window just because he was making too much noise practicing. Then I heard a noise below my chair, a bang against the wall. My instinct compelled me to stand up on the chair. I picked up the torch on the desk and with the light I saw a dark, long and shiny snake crawled on the floor towards the corner of the room. It took refuge in the dark under my bed.

I yelled at my elder sister who was in the living room, watching TV. She showed up at my door, looking annoyed. I shouted " there is a snake under my bed," while still standing on the chair. She ran back, after about 15 seconds, she came back holding a torch in one hand and in another hand, a two-feet-long-wooden stick, kept for the emergencies.

"Did you have a look at it? Good or bad one?" she was walking back and forth at the door way.

" I think it was a bad one, too dangerous for us to handle."

" Should we wait for mom and dad? They won't be back within an hour. Should we give them a call?" she asked.

" No, let them stay at wedding, we shouldn't worry them. Just call U Kyaw."

She put the torch and stick on the floor. Then she ran off to U Kyaw, our neighbor, like a streak of lighting. I leaped out of my chair and dashed toward the door. Kneeling in the doorway, I peered underneath the bed where darkness clouded my vision. I reached for the torch and it cast the light on the dark scary creature. Its glittering eyes was scowling at me, its hood flaring and its mouth hissing. It was ready to fight the way boxers are getting ready for a fight in the ring.

My sister came back, U Kyaw was behind her. He asked me where it was. I pointed under the bed. He stooped down and looked at it. I handed him the torch.

" That's a bad one and too big. He might be following the mice."

" Can we make him run away? I asked. In my heart, I knew it was mission impossible. There were no cracks and holes both on the floor and on the walls. I just wanted to make sure.

" We can't let that bastard go. It's too dangerous. It can kill people. You were lucky to spot it on early. If not, I couldn't imagine the consequences." He answered me and picked up the wooden stick and went inside my room.

I stood against the wall and I tried not to look at it. Instead, I stared at moving pictures on TV but I didn't see anything. I heard the loud hitting noise. After a minute, U Kyaw stepped out of my room, gripping the stick in his right hand. I saw it, lifeless, hanging down at the end of the stick, its head cracked, blood dripping down.

I sat down on the floor with torch light on. I saw blood stains on the wall and floor, red and fresh.

Last night, I had a dream. Something with a injured head was staring at me.