“What are you afraid of?” a short blonde-haired boy asked, peeking over the tall seat in the bus like a puppy would. His body swayed with the bouncy vehicle, and he struggled to keep his balance.

The older girl he was talking to was resting her head comfortably on her fist, looking out at the muggy weather. She tossed a few strands of her brown and blonde highlighted hair back and rolled her eyes. “What am I afraid of?” The boy nodded. “Well, I’m afraid of snakes. They creep me out.”

“Oh, yes. I’m afraid of those too,” the little boy said, shivering at the thought. “With the big fangs and the creepy eyes. The way they slither around and-”

“Thanks for describing them to me,” the girl said sarcastically. “What was with the random question, anyway?”

The boy shrugged. “Oh, you know, I thought it’d fit since we’re driving right next to a creepy forest. Anyway, what’s your name?”

“Kelsa,” the girl said with a smile. Then she shook a younger boy’s shoulders next to her, “And this is Leo. He’s my little brother.”

Leo flicked open his eyes and looked around, “Are... are we at Grandpa’s yet?” He had slightly darker skin than Kelsa, with short black hair that stood up in the front nicely. He was always an outside boy, and rarely ever seen inside unless the weather was absolutely terrible.

“Not yet,” Kelsa said, still looking out the small window.

And just as the boy said, there was a lush jungle on the right side of the bus, and it did give off ‘creepy’ vibes to everyone aboard. So much so that Kelsa shivered every time she looked at it.

There was something ominous and off about the forest. Which was odd. Kelsea and Leo had been to their grandparents' house many times before and never thought anything bad about it.

The little boy was about to say something else, when suddenly, something huge seemed to slam into the side of the bus. BANG! It tipped over onto two wheels and all the kids and adults launched out of their seats at once.

By the time the bus was on all four wheels again, Kelsa and Leo were lying on the metal floor, completely paralyzed with confusion.

Her heart pounded against her chest as she helped her brother up and dusted off any dirt that was on them.

“What was that?” Leo exploded. “Did we just get rammed by a plane?”

“Is everyone alright back there?” the bus driver wearing a dark blue uniform asked, looking up into the mirror to see behind him. The people on the bus nodded, and the driver shook his head as if it had happened before.

Kelsa looked through the back bus window and saw nothing but dirt and gravel on the road. “What could we have possibly hit?”

“Maybe a big beast hit us. Like Python,” the boy in the seat in front of them said.

Leo leaned into his sister’s ear. “Who’s Python?”

Kelsa shrugged. “Hopefully not a snake.”

“Kelsa and Leo, it’s your stop!” the driver shouted.

The bus stopped next to a beautiful rustic cabin with a horse stable attached to it, a fancy fire pit on the front lawn, and a little farm of animals in the distance. The windows of the cabin were crystal clear, and the small chimney gently blew out smoke into the wet air. One thing was for sure, their grandparents really loved to embrace the great outdoors, and the two kids loved that.

They stepped off the bus and breathed in the misty air. Luckily, the rain had stopped almost an hour before they got there. But the grass was still soaked from the downpour.

Kelsa watched as the bus drove away with a large gash on the side. Thoughts of a giant monster smashing into the side of it struck her harder than a rock. Maybe the little boy on the bus was right.

Leo seemed to see the gash too, because his eyes widened as the bus continued down the road. “So something did hit us.” He looked up at his sister. “Oh, boy, I saw this in a movie once, and it didn't end well.” He walked forward onto the short stone walkway which led to the cabin.

“What happened?” she asked, following him.

“You don’t want to know.” But after a few seconds, he abruptly stopped and glanced at her with worried eyes. “Kelsa, what if the monster comes for us? What if I have to see its scary red eyes?”

Kelsa scrunched her face in confusion. “Wait, why are you watching movies like that, anyway? And how do you know it’ll have red eyes?”

He knocked on the door weakly. “Because scary things have red eyes.”

The door opened, and an elderly short man stood in front of them, squinting down at Leo. The silver patches of hair around his ears and above his mouth gleamed from the light in the house. “Hey, Kelsa and Leo are here!” His voice appeared rusty and weak, as if he had just woken up from a nap.

A woman appeared from the house and smiled at them. “It’s good to see you, kids. Here, come on in,” the grandmother suggested, guiding them inside the beautifully decorated house. She flicked a switch by the door and the fancy chandelier that hung from the ceiling lit up the house with a calming white color.

Kelsa sighed and felt her fear begin to fade. Being inside and away from the misty terrors of some night-occurring monster was one of the best feelings in the world.

But the feeling shot out of her when they all heard a shrieking hiss just outside of the house. It made Kelsa jump and drop her luggage on the ground. “Ahh! What... that sounded like a... s-snake!”

The grandfather picked up her dropped luggage with a straight face and sighed. “I’m afraid it was.”

An imaginary knife struck her chest. “It... was?” She heard herself swallow, and she stood as stiff as a board.

He nodded solemnly. “Yes. Python, the giant snake that thrives in the jungle, terrorizes people for fun and eats those who fear him. It’s a truly frightening legend that I try not to think about too much.”

Their grandma lightly smacked his shoulder. “So you tell them?” She turned towards Kelsa and Leo and gave each of them a hug. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. How about I read you an uplifting story before bed? Would that help?”

They nodded, hoping it would.

But alas, it didn’t help. The behemoth of a snake was still on Kelsa’s mind. The thought of a killer snake roaming around in the jungle next to them was too painful. She’d prayed multiple times and begged God to remove the thoughts, but nothing seemed to happen. The monster still hissed in her head, keeping her too paralyzed to roll over.

Sweat dripped from her forehead and onto the blue comforter. She tried to wipe it off, but her body wouldn’t obey her. And every little creek and sound of the house was eerie and unsettling. Surely no one her age should ever have to experience something so frightening. But then she finally heard it. The shriek. The cry. The hiss.

The giant snake had cried out from the forest with a loud screech of terror that reached Kelsa’s ears, and it made her faint out of fear.

The next morning, the savoring smell of her grandmother’s baking woke her up. It caught her attention, so she slowly sat up, wondering if the screech she had heard the night before was real.

But it must have been real, because her sheet was wrinkled, and the comforter was almost covering her head. I hope I didn’t scream last night.

She flipped the blanket off her body and stood out of bed, looking out the bright window. The sky was blue, the birds were singing, and the sun was glaring down at her like God was congratulating her for making it through the night.

The last thing I want to think about is that stupid snake again. Seriously, why hasn’t a brave knight killed that thing already? And does Python really eat whoever fears him? She shivered at the thought. I hope not. I’ve been deathly afraid of snakes since I was little… well, little-er.

“Hey, K. It’s Leo. Are you awake?” a voice asked outside her room with a light knock on the door.

Kelsa fixed the guest bed and opened the door to see Leo staring at her with a smile and his hands in his green jacket pockets. “What is it?”

“Breakfast is ready, and we’re waiting for you.”

She rubbed her eyes. “Alright, I’m heading down.”

“Okay,” Leo said excitedly, leading her down the stairs and to the large wooden dining table.

They sat down and prayed for their delicious meal. Then their grandma served the perfectly golden brown pancakes one at a time. “How did you sleep, dear?”

She reached for the maple syrup and shrugged. “Okay after I fainted out of fear. You know, if what you said is true, Grandpa, then I’m surprised Python didn’t break through the house and eat me for dinner.”

Her grandmother tilted her head with a look of sympathy. “I’m sorry. Maybe there’s something we can do to help you overcome your fear.”

“Cause if you don’t, we’ll all be dead,” her grandfather said firmly.

“Stop it, Robert! You’re not helping.”

Kelsa took a bite and hesitantly asked, “Where’d it come from, anyway? I’ve never noticed it until today.”

Her grandmother cut up her pancake and sighed. “We think it was chased here from another jungle. Like the legend goes; Python will kill whoever fears him, but will flee from whoever is brave enough to confront him.”

“I don’t care where it came from. I just want it dead and taken care of,” her grandpa said with frustration. “Because while it’s here, I can’t farm, I can’t hunt, I can’t do any of the outside fun I used to do.”

Leo finished drizzling chocolate syrup on his pancake and took a bite. “A world where I can’t play outside is a world I don’t want to live in.”

“Me either, kiddo.”

Kelsa took another bite of her pancake and glanced at her grandmother. “Do you think we could use your archery targets today, Grandma?”

She smiled big. “I was hoping you’d say that. Of course, dear. We can do that.”

A burst of joy opened up in Kelsa’s chest. She’d always enjoyed practicing archery with her grandmother. It was one of the many things she loved about spending a day or two at their grandparents' house.

Someday, she hopes to be as good as or even better than her grandmother. It was a stretched idea, but not entirely impossible. Archery had been her passion from the very first time she picked up a bow. And now, she hopes to eventually do it as a professional sport.

Leo wiped the chocolate off his chin and grinned. “Well, I’m going to teach Grandpa how to play Power Knight 2. It’s the newest best selling video game.”

Their grandpa raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I’ve heard about that game! I loved the first Power Knight. Count me in!”

They gave each other a fist bump and as soon as breakfast was over, they went to enjoy their separate activities.

Thwack! An arrow that Kelsa shot with her favorite bow pierced right into the center of the archery target. “Yes! I got another one!”

She gave her grandma, who was watching next to her, a high-five. “Nice job, Kelsa! You’ve definitely improved since the last time I saw you.”

Kelsa shrugged and pulled back another arrow. “Well, I practice a lot during my down time.” She let go and this time it struck right beside the other arrow. “I want to be as good as you some day, Grandma.”

The nice lady smiled big and held her hands in a praying position. “I’d say you already are.” Kelsa glanced at her with a look of disbelief. “When I was your age, I could barely shoot the target. It took me many years to learn how to shoot correctly.”

She laughed and shot another arrow. “The only reason I’m this good is because of you, Grandma. You taught me everything I know.”

And after a moment of silence, they heard a loud scream from inside the house.

Kelsa’s heart instantly exploded, and she slammed the backdoor open and ran inside. “What? What is it?”

Their grandfather and Leo froze in the same puzzled position, startled by her suddenly loud question.

“Umm, nothing,” Leo said slowly. “We just got clobbered by a muscular orc.”

“Ha, yeah we did,” his grandpa agreed. “What if we snuck around him?”

Leo’s face lit up. “Like a sneak attack. We'd get twice the amount of damage! Grandpa, you’re brilliant!” They gave each other a high five and pressed the continue button on the gaming screen.

Kelsa shook her head and said under their breath, “Just don’t yell so loud next time.”

But unfortunately, her grandpa heard her whisper, and he replied with, “Oh, I’m sorry, Kelsa. I forgot that you’ve been on edge because of the snake.” He turned to look at Leo. “Hey, we’ve got to be quieter next time, okay?”

“Okay. But there won’t be a next time. This orc is going down… now.” He scowled and mashed the buttons like a gaming savage.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a leftover chocolate cookie from a plate on the counter. Maybe some sugar will help me forget about that snake. She took a bite and swallowed with a pleasant sigh. But a thought came to her mind that she’d never thought of before. What if I was able to face my fear and kill it? Her eyes opened and a ray of joy began to burn in her stomach. Perhaps I wouldn’t be afraid of snakes anymore!

That one good thought led to another, and another, until the thought of seeing that slithering reptile didn’t scare her anymore. She thanked God and continued shooting arrows with her grandma.

But as the day went on, she would occasionally hear the beast hiss in the distance, and the trees tumble like dominos in the forest. She began to think that killing that snake would have to be a God-involved thing if she were to ever hope to win.

At one point during her bow and arrow lessons, she asked her grandma if it was possible to kill such a creature. And to her surprise, she kneeled down, placed her hands on her shoulders, and said gently, “Kelsa, don’t put it on yourself to try and kill Python. It is quite dangerous for reasons I don’t need to explain. But, you remember the David and Goliath story, right?”

“Of course. David was the smallest of his siblings, but he was the strongest in faith. He wasn’t afraid of Goliath because he knew God was on his side. He struck down the giant with nothing but a pebble and a slingshot.”

“And God’s power,” she added. “I have no doubt that as long as you have faith, and it’s His will for you to defeat the beast, then you will. You are strong, Kelsa. No matter what you decide to do, I’ll love you just the same.” She gave her a hug and sent her inside for dinner.

Little did Kelsa know that this night would be the most frightening night she’d ever witness.

The kids sat at the table once more as the grandparents served dinner. Their grandma placed the hot casserole dish on the center of the table, along with a bowl of freshly steamed vegetables. “Thank you, kids, for helping me make the enchiladas earlier. It’s always nice to have some help in the kitchen.”

Leo gave her a beaming smile. “You’re welcome, Grandma. I always like to be a helper.”

“What?” Kelsa lightly smacked his elbow. “But yet when I was a few cents short at the ice cream truck, you never batted an eye.” He squinted his face in confusion. “You got your ice cream and even had money left over. Where was my helper?”

He chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head. “Umm… eating my ice cream.”

Their grandparents finally sat down with them at the table and held their hands together. “Okay, who would like to pray for dinner?”

Leo raised Kelsa’s hand in the air. “She does!” She glared at him. “What? You’re really good at it.”

Kelsa took a deep breath and folded her hands on the table. “Father, we thank you for the wonderful food you’ve given us. We ask that you bless it and let it strengthen us tonight. And, Lord, I ask that you will give me the bravery I need to conquer my fear of Python. Help us sleep well tonight. Thank you for everything. In Jesus’ name, amen!”

“Amen!” they said at the same time.

“Thank you, dear,” her grandma said. “Now, let’s dig in!”

One by one, they grabbed the spatula and took pieces of the enchiladas onto their plates. Leo tried to avoid the vegetables, but they insisted that he at least try them first.

As time went by, Kelsa only took a few bites of her food. It wasn’t that she disliked the meal, she actually quite liked it. In fact, enchiladas is her favorite dish. But the monster of the jungle kept holding her mentally hostage, keeping her from enjoying anything.

Kelsa glanced at her grandma and asked with a weak voice, “Can I take the rest of this in my room? I just want to be alone and sort my thoughts.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “You may.”

As Kelsa stood up and grabbed her plate, her grandpa said, “If you need anything, or get scared, we’ll be here for you.”

“Always,” Leo said, eyeing his older sister with a look of certainty.

She smirked back. “Thanks. But I think I’ll get some sleep soon.” She looked out the kitchen window at the dark, ominous sky. “The faster the sun comes out the better.”

She walked up the stairs and into the guest room. She closed the door and sat the plate of half-eaten enchiladas on the nightstand. But for some reason, her heart raced once again. Her palms were sweating excessively, and a faint hissing sound grabbed hold of her consciousness like a shark ate her whole.

When she turned around, she saw the scaly face of the snake staring directly into her sweaty face from right outside of the window. The red eyes pierced her heart with a hopeless, about-to-die feeling. It breathed in and out with puffs of hot air steaming up a small part of the window.

She dropped the fork on the ground and stood absolutely paralyzed. Indecision struck her, and she knew her life was over. Python had located her fear, and was now knocking on her window with his fangs to take her away forever.

Sweat now rolled down her body like a shower of water and her hands had no will to wipe any of it off.

But the snake did have a will. For some reason, her fear attracted him like a beacon, and he bashed his head into the window, shaking her room like an earthquake.

Kelsa tumbled to the ground just as she did in the bus, but this time, she didn’t get up. Instead, she grabbed the blankets and covered herself as tight as she possibly could. Tears poured from her eyes as she tried to make sense of the situation. But nothing came to her mind, nothing but fear.

The snake’s hissing was noticeably louder now that the window was cracked, and Kelsa was sure that by now she would pass out and wake up to a delicious aroma.

“Go away!” she shouted from in her thick blankets. “Just… go away! Please!”

She cried harder and louder with each passing minute. Nothing seemed to change.

It eventually got so bad that she hid under the bed and again begged God to get rid of the beast.

Clash! Clash! Clash! The continuous bashing of the snake’s head against the house was unbearable. And just when she was ready to give up, she peeked out of her blankets and saw a thick book that had fallen to the ground. She grabbed it and opened it to a page with a piece of blue paper on it.

Another bash from the snake caused the room to shake, but Kelsa was too intrigued at what the page said. Along with the many words, one set of highlighted verses stood out above the rest, and she read them out loud, “‘The Lord is your protection. You have made God Most High your place of safety.’” She looked up and realized that He had provided an answer to her prayer.

“HISSSSS!” Python shrieked, as if reacting to her thoughts.

It’s working! She quickly looked back down and read the rest. “‘Nothing bad will happen to you. No disaster will come to your home. He has put his angels in charge of you. They will watch over you wherever you go. They will catch you with their hands. And you will not hit your foot on a rock.’” She climbed out from under the bed and stood firmly with the ends of the book drooping over her hands.

The snake outside the window stared at her once again, but this time its scowl slowly faded into a worry, as if it had no idea how she was able to resist such a fear.

“‘You will walk on lions and cobras. You will step on strong lions and snakes!’” Then she looked directly into the snake’s red eyes. “You have no authority over me! My God will deliver me from you. So go! Go! For my fear of you is gone!”

Python hissed once more, and unbelievably, he mouthed the words with a frightening whisper, “For now.” He turned his head and slithered back into the forbidden jungle.

After five solid minutes of amazement that the snake was actually gone, Kelsa, tired and exhausted from crying, fell to the ground and rested her head on the open holy book. He’s gone! He’s gone! she thought. For now…

Early the next morning, she woke up and got dressed. She put on her boots and leather hunting jacket. Then she grabbed a fancy bow from the closet and placed a quiver full of arrows on her back. “This should do the trick... I hope.”

Leo glanced at her as he walked by her room with his hands in the pockets of his green jacket. And when he did, he walked back and asked, “What are you doing, K?”

She flicked her hair back and stepped past him, walking back down the stairs with her head held high. “None of your business. Just please stay here.”

Without seeing his expression, she continued across the living room carpet and almost made it to the door when her grandmother asked, “Are you okay, sweety? We felt an earthquake last night.”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t an earthquake.”

Their grandfather’s eyes widened. “Was it…”

“Python,” she said in an almost angry tone.

They all gasped.

“He bashed against the house trying to break my window. If I hadn’t conquered my fear, he surely would have eaten me right then and there.”

They rushed to her and gave her a big hug. “Oh, Kelsa,” her grandma said with a broken voice. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“I can’t believe that slithering demon actually attacked my precious granddaughter,” their grandpa uttered.

Leo looked up at her with a look of sympathy. “I’m sorry, Kelsa.” Then he scowled and punched his own hand. “If that snake ever comes back, I’ll pound him to the ground just like I did to that orc!”

She laid her hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, Leo. But it’s no use. I’m heading out to finish off my fear once and for all.” She opened the door and stepped onto the stone pathway. “But don’t worry. I’ll make it back.”

But before she could make it too far, Leo caught up to her and grabbed her hand. “Kelsa! You’re going to hunt the snake, aren’t you?”

Kelsa nodded with a look of determination. “Yes. I’m tired of that snake scaring the life out of me, and keeping us from living life to the fullest. Someone has to be the one to do it, and I have a feeling it’s me.”

As stubborn as he usually was, he stuck out his arms and tried to block her from leaving, “You’re not going without me!”

She picked him up easily and placed him behind her. She messed up his hair and smirked. “No. I’ll be fine. Just go hangout with Grandpa. I’ll be back.”

And with that, Leo finally seemed to agree, and trudged back to the cabin.

Kelsa entered the ominous jungle and stepped over many dry bones from past animals and humans that had failed this difficult task. “Remember, Kelsa, it’s just a giant snake... with fangs and black dead eyes...” She took a deep breath and continued through the surprisingly dark jungle. Each snap and crackle from stepping on twigs made her flinch and quiver. And the further she snuck into the creepy forest, the more she began to regret ever entering in the first place.

But suddenly, she saw it. The very creature she’d been looking for, but honestly hoped she’d never find. The trees rattled, and the ground vibrated as the gigantic pine-green snake slithered towards her with the sword-sized fangs and deep, blood-red eyes. The hood of the snake extended out just as it would do to scare its prey.

Kelsa was beyond paralyzed with fear and regret. A feeling that hit her like the previous night. Apparently, her fearless thoughts didn’t last forever.

The snake continued its glare at her with a quiet but eerie hiss. She screamed, but the sound of it slithering through the jungle muffled it. “Face your fear, face your fear,” she kept saying with her eyes closed. And as soon as she opened them, the snake opened its purple jaw and hissed, “TTSSSSSSS!”

She screamed again and ran, but tripped over a small stone and fell to the leafy ground. “Oh! It’s over! I’m dead!” She gripped her boot tightly and cried out, “I don’t want to die!”

The snake called Python stuck out his tongue and hissed angrily as his tail caught her off guard and snatched her like a lasso.

Kelsa struggled to grab her bow and pulled back an arrow, aiming it directly at the snake’s forehead. But Python saw this and tightened his tail so hard that Kelsa’s muscles retracted and let the arrow fling off the bow and right into Python’s extended hood. “TSSS!” the snake shrieked in pain. He threw her out of captivity and into the trunk of a tree.

“Ahh!” Kelsa tried to yelp, but the wind was so knocked out of her that she could have sworn her lungs were obliterated. “I…”

After Python stopped shrieking in pain, he slithered closer to her and again hissed in her face.

Kelsa looked down and closed her eyes tight. It’s over. There’s no way God can save me now. I’m all alone in the jungle about to be eaten by an evil reptile.

But the battle wasn’t over. What happened next? Well, that’s what Kelsa calls a miracle from God.

Out of nowhere, an arrow flew through the air and sliced one of Python’s fangs clean off his mouth. The pain was so strong that it slammed the giant snake to the ground with a loud THUMP!

Kelsa opened her eyes, stumbled up, and turned around to see her grandmother with a bow and silver arrows on her back. “You didn’t think we were going to let you do this by yourself… did you?”

“Yeahhh!” her grandfather shouted, and swung a large sword at the beast’s fragile tail.

“Let’s do this!” Leo screamed, and climbed onto the snake’s head. He stepped on Python’s cheekbone and opened his giant eyelid. “Yikes! He really does have red eyes.” He pulled back his fist and punched the snake right into his wicked eye.

Python lifted his head and shook Leo off his snout in anger. “TTSSSSSSKK!”

“Why are you helping me?” Kelsa asked as loud as she could.

Her grandma helped her up and smiled. “My dear Kelsa. Sometimes, the only way to conquer fear is to conquer it together. So what do you say? Shall we finish this once and for all?” She gave her one of her silver arrows.

Kelsa nodded and pulled back the arrow on her grandmother’s bow. She aimed it again at the forehead and shouted, “Today the Lord will give you to me. You shall fear me and my God! And I will feed your body to the animals of your very own jungle! Be gone, fear!”

Her family cheered as she let go of the arrow and it struck square through the snake’s forehead. Python, one of the most feared monsters in the world, fell to the fearless will of a little girl, her brave family, and her beloved one and only God.

Python tumbled to the ground and created a cloud of dust flying in every direction.

Kelsa took a deep breath and felt her fear of snakes lift off her shoulders completely. She walked over to the snake and picked up the fallen fang. It was twice the size of her arm and it sparkled in the sudden sunlight peeking through the many leaves.

Leo gasped and examined it carefully. “Whoa, this thing is huge! I mean, so was Python, but…”

Their grandpa scratched his head. “I’m not sure we have a trophy case big enough for that thing.”

They chuckled, and Kelsa turned toward her family. “Thank you. I… I guess I never realized that we could face each other’s fears together.” They nodded and formed a group hug. “I just can’t thank you enough. You guys came at just the right time.”

Her grandma shook her head and pointed at Leo. “No, thank your brother. He’s the one who told us we had to help. He said he had a terrible feeling in his gut.”

She leaned down and smiled at him. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thank you, Leo, for not listening to me. It means a lot that you cared that much.”

They hugged and Leo said, “Of course, K. You’re my sister, and I love you.”

“I love you too. Now, let’s get out of here. The animals here have a meal to eat.” They all laughed and walked out of the jungle together… completely fearless.

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