Snake on Nine Keys
Words for âwelcomeâ from around the world are stenciled across the windows, but you still feel like a stranger in a strange land. The deeper you get into this quest, the more isolated you feel.
You stare at the twisted sculpture that winds around itself and into the brightly-painted wall. This morning, the Watcher texted you only one word: âsnake.â Is this what he meant? The sculpture reminds you of an ouroboros â the snake that eats its own tail. You shudder.
âItâs beautiful, isnât it?â says a voice. The woman behind you is wearing black glasses and vibrant beaded earrings. âItâs called âThe Great Law of Peace.â The wood is reclaimed from trees that were here before they constructed the building.â
So. Not a snake then.
At a loss, you thank her, and decide to get some food and keep thinking. A few minutes later, youâre slurping down a bowl full of spicy noodles, hoping the heat will clear your head. The logo, with its cat eating noodles, feels like itâs mocking you. Snakes and cats, cats and snakes. You feel like a mouse caught in a trap.
After you finish eating, you stack all of the envelopes youâve received so far in front of you, and go through them one by one. No snakes there. Then you open the Watcherâs laptop again, and enter the password.
A new window has appeared on the screen.
