Fritzi called when they were having dinner, asking about the barbecue party they decided to hold tomorrow. Candace was so happy that she started to dance. Linford smiled and made her sit on his lap, giving her another kiss.
Cristelle was pretty serious, “Candace, you can’t eat too much tomorrow. Remember?”
Candace rubbed her tummy. She hadn’t had too much food today.
****
The next day, Fritzi drove her fancy car to pick Cristelle and the babies up. Linford didn’t even bother to be polite this time, sitting in the car directly. Yanni also got in. They went to the place they had booked. After checking in at the hotel, they went down the hill and found a beautiful opening in the forest. This was not far out of the suburb. Linford’s other mansion was just nearby.
Candace watched as Yanni and Linford set the tent for them and started the fire. She also helped them a little when they did that.
Cody was helping his Mom and Fritzi prepare the food.
“Why don’t you join your dad?” Fritzi asked, smiling. She thought boys were more into setting up tents and starting the fire.
Cody looked away, pouting, “I don’t like him.”
Fritzi was curious as she tried to rearrange the plates of raw ingredients, “Why?”
“No, why,” Cody huffed, “I just don’t lie like him.”
Cristelle shook her head, knowing there was nothing she could do to change the boy’s perspective.
Meanwhile, in Bradley’s old house, Clara just got the information about Cristelle’s current location. She called Zoe immediately.
“Zoe, Cristelle went to a family barbecue today.”
Zoe didn’t understand her purpose instantly, “That bitch! She’s enjoying her life, huh?”
“Yeah, that place she’s at right now is a great location for a picnic. But a couple of years ago, they said there were still dangerous wild animals there to hurt hikers. After that, people stopped booking that place for camping.”
Zoe got a bit excited, “What animals? Snakes? I hope there will be a couple of venomous snakes there. So they could bite her head off. Wait… Clara… Are you telling me to…”
Clara laughed, “I’m not telling you anything, silly. My Grandma promised to help your family, but you also should try to cling to Johnson’s House. You’re not an idiot. You know Jasper’s feelings for Cristelle, right?”
With that, Clara hung up the phone. Zoe finally realized her friend’s purpose instantly.
****
After they’d roasted everything, they started to enjoy their meal. Candace wanted to go to the bathroom. Cristelle thus wiped her hands and brought her daughter to the nearest toilet in the forest.
“Be careful, sweetie. Call Mommy if you need me,” Cristelle was waiting outside. The stall of the toilet was pretty small.
After peeing, Candace saw a snake staring at her near her feet.
The girl started to scream.
“What’s wrong, Candace?!” Cristelle got in instantly. But the scene she saw made her blood curdle. A black and white snake was jumping up at her daughter.
“Candace!” Cristelle screamed as she lunged forward, protecting Candace in her arms as she felt the bite of the creature on her shoulder. She bolted out of the stall. But Candace was still screaming. The snake followed them.
“Don’t be afraid, honey. Don’t be…” Before Cristelle could finish her sentence, she had already collapsed to the ground. She couldn’t even move anymore.
Before she passed out, however, she pressed Candace under her body so nothing could ever hurt her. The snake was gonna attack again, but Linford bolted forward, thrusting the metal skewer into the creature’s head.
“Shit! Where did it even come from?” Yanni was completely stunned.
“Mom! Mom!” Cody called out to his Mom as both he and Fritzi followed Linford and Yanni. They both went pale as they saw the dead snake.
“Don’t come any closer!” Yanni said as he gestured at Fritzi, “Could you find a box for me, Fritzi?” This snake was quite small. But it was a highly venomous snake, the coral snake. They must be cautious before making sure it is completely dead.
“How’s Mom? Did she get bitten?” Cody croaked.
Candace was crying her lungs out. Linford didn’t even look in her direction as he tore Cristelle’s cloth, sucking out a mouthful of blood from her shoulder and spitting it out.
“Are you out of your mind? It’s a freaking coral snake!” Yanni screamed. The venom of the snake was strong. It could kill a person within a second. Cristelle had been bitten a couple of minutes ago, and she ran away from it in a hurry. The blood had probably already circulated all over her body by now.
She probably wouldn’t be able to make it this time.
Linford sucked another mouthful of blood out and spat, “Fritzi, go fetch the lighter and knife. Yanni, go get the antivenom in my house. It’s just nearby… Cristelle can’t move now. Hurry up!” Linford was now shivering while she roared.
Fritzi and Yanni thus started to act. Cody was so scared as he saw his Mom’s face turn pale. His eyes reddened as he pulled the crying Candace in his arms.
“Will she die?” The boy choked on his tears as he asked Linford.
It was Linford’s first time seeing the boy act like this. No matter how tough the boy appeared to be usually, he was just a kid.
Linford felt soft for his son as he said gently, “She’ll be fine. I promise.”
Cody swallowed back his tears, “Okay, I trust you. You’ve got to save her. You must find a way to save her.”
Linford almost cried himself while trying to save Cristelle, “I will. I will save her no matter what.”
“Here… Mr. Bradley,” Fritzi handed Linford a knife, pulling the two babies back so they could stay away.
Candace watched as Linford buried the tip of the knife into Cristelle’s arm. A gush of black blood came out as Linford put the lighter closer.
The girl cried even louder.
Cody covered her mouth, coaxing gently, “Shush… Candace. You can’t be so loud. You will distract Dad.”