Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

Dark clouds loomed ominously overhead, ready to burst at any second. The air was thick and sticky, like the world was holding its breath for a downpour.

A group of men huddled on the ground, hands shielding their heads, wishing they could just vanish into thin air. They were practically shaking in their boots!

"Please, have mercy on us! We were just following orders. We never wanted to do something so awful!"

"Yeah, we didn't even know she wanted us to kidnap you. We thought it was just supposed to be a little scare..."

"We'll do anything if you let us go."

As they cried and begged, they dared to sneak a glance upward. But the person who had them so terrified just stood there, saying nothing. Curiosity got the better of them, and they peeked.

There she was, not the scared girl they expected, but confidently perched on a tiger with striking gold and white stripes. The tiger, usually a symbol of raw power, seemed as tame as a house cat, not even letting out a growl.

If they hadn't seen the tiger's wild side earlier, they might have thought it was a figment of their imagination.noveldrama

What was even more chilling was the sleek, black snake coiled around Fiona's arm, resting on her pale, cool skin, flicking its tongue as if waiting for a command.

Seeing these creatures, normally the stuff of nightmares, under the control of a teenage girl was a sight these men would never forget.

Fiona calmly stroked the snake, casting a withering look at the men, her expression dripping with contempt.

"Who sent you doesn't matter. I couldn't care less. But you've ticked me off, and for that, there's a price."

She followed up her words with a smile that was both sweet and menacing.

She hopped off the tiger, named Annie, looking down at the men from her new vantage point.

After a beat, she impatiently nudged the man who had been the most aggressive earlier. "You were the loudmouth, right? What's the matter? Scared now?"

The man tried to retreat, but with the wall behind him, he was trapped. All he could do was look up at her, his face tight with fear, "I was wrong! It's all on me, I didn't see clearly Please, have mercy."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Look at you, a big guy with no backbone. I haven't even started and you're already spilling the beans? Well, maybe I'll give you a shot to make amends. How's that sound?"

He nodded furiously, like his life depended on it.

Fiona's lips curled into a playful smile, her eyes glinting with mischief.

She called the tiger over to the man, her voice innocent, yet her words were anything but.

"My tiger's a bit hungry. How about we feed you to him for a snack? Hmm?"

Just a glance into her calm, steady eyes was enough to freeze him in his tracks.

He shook his head desperately, face ashen, trembling from head to toe.

"Please! No! I'll tell you everything! Just spare me!"

Fiona sighed with a hint of disappointment, stroking the cool scales of the snake on her arm, and lazily lifted her gaze, "I was hoping it could have some fun with you all. I've never seen what it looks like when a snake slithers inside someone."

Then, she suddenly turned her attention to the man who had tried to grab her earlier.

"You seemed pretty brave just now. Why don't you have a go with it? Let's see who's tougher, you or the snake. What do you think? Hmm?"