cold

[Thomas Jerome Newton]

i dreamed a girl i once slept with brought a snake into bed with me. it curled against my stomach, silver and spitting, its head level with my eyes. i held up the sheets against it, whispering, 'emily, emily, its going to bite me, its holding its head up like its going to bite me,' and she told me not to worry. my dream shifted, as dreams do, and i found myself standing at an old-fashioned sink, rinsing the blood from a snake-bite on my finger. emily stood behind me, watching, running her palms along my back.
'im sorry, i didnt know.' she said.