Hey guys! SO sorry for the longest wait ever! but here's another installment of Snakes of the Element! Please enjoy it!

Snakes of the Element: chapter 11: Creepy Crawlies
By p-t-rose

The Old House…

On their way to the old home, Al had to do his best to keep Ed from murdering Kaida with his bare hands. They had also been informed that the house was supposedly empty and was definitely abandoned and ignored. So what was the thing Kaida glanced at earlier? A chimera? It was very likely. But first, they had to go in and see.

"So…" Kaida gulped, but suddenly announced happily, "I'll go in first!" Then she took a step forward and reached for the entrance. Something yanked her back from the neck of her clothes.

"Oh no you don't!" Ed pulled her back with a grin. "I'm goin' in first!" She scowled.

"Yeah, right… now let go!" she escaped his grip, reaching for the entrance again. --Until she was yanked backwards again. "HEY! Who died and put you in charge, little man? HUH?"

"SHUT UP AND TAKE THAT BACK YOU BRAT!" Ed yelled into her face, spit flying everywhere!

"JUST CAUSE IT'S TRUE DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN RUB-no-SPIT IT IN MY FACE!" She glared and challenged him. "Mini man… pipsqueak… short stuff… half pint…"

"Army pup…! CRY BABY…!"

"WHAT? YOU TAKE THAT BACK! I mean it Ed! I'm no cryba…"

"As if… yes you are…"

"Why I oughta…"

"GUYS!" Al suddenly interrupted and pushed them away from each other. He was actually fed up for once. "All this over who gets in first? Jeez! You two argue over the most trivial things! HOW IMMATURE!"

The two went silent.

INSIDE the old house…

After venting, Alphonse had decided that he went in first instead so that Edward and Kaida would stop arguing. They ignored each other for a long while afterwards. The immense house overall was old, dry, dusty, and yet still very sturdy. The wooden floors squeaked along with the shutters outside and the doors to every room. There were barely any furniture left and the paintings on the wall seemed to stare directly at you. Then things went eerily silent as they slowly wandered its hallways.

"So guys…" Al broke the silence awkwardly. Ed and Kaida looked at him after glare glancing at each other. "I don't see anything so far… how about you?"

"Nothing…" They echoed simultaneously, then glaring again.

"I did see something upstairs earlier today when we came by…" Kaida offered. The brothers raised their heads. "…I swear, it looked at me too… Maybe… we should… go up and see?" A chill ran up and down her spine and their eyes widened.

"Yeah, why not…" Ed stiffened up like the brave young lad he is! "--Al, you go first…" He then showed Al towards a staircase.

"What? Why me?"

"…Because… uhmmm…" Ed thought. "Ah! Well you're obviously more mature than me, and Kaida and I will probably just start fighting again…!"

"Good point for once…!" Kaida agreed nervously.

"For once…?" Ed slouched.

"Gah…" Alphonse gave up. They used his own point against him for another, and very different, situation…! Then he took the walk up the staircase, and eerie feeling shadowing about them all. Edward and Kaida slowly followed behind the big suit of armor. It wasn't long until they realized that they had reached the top of the staircase and looking down both sides of a dark, wide corridor.

"N-no lights…" Kaida looked around anxiously.

"Psh… scaredy-cat…" Ed whispered, she heard him, reluctantly, but did not say anything but pout. "There's perfectly nothing wrong with the da—r…"

"ED WATCH OUT!" Kaida yelled and tackled him to the ground. Alphonse immediately found her purpose for her sudden actions and stood guard of the fallen couple.

"WHAT THE HELL—GET OFF!"

"NO PROBLEM WHEN I JUST SAVED YOU FROM…"

"GYAHH—AGH!" Alphonse yelped as he was abruptly thrown into the wall. Kaida quickly rolled off Ed and jumped to her feet, trying to look for whatever threw Al into the wall. But it was too dark.

"Dammit…" Edward, too, jumped up immediately and looked around. "Al, you okay?"

"Yeah!"

"There it is!" Kaida shouted and pointed towards the east corridor. And yet, there it was, standing in the dark corridor, idly. It was close to the floor but still enormous, creeping closer, stepping on one of each of its eight skinny and hairy legs. "It looks like a huge spider…!"

She wasn't completely correct, however. What seemed to be a giant spider now had what seemed to be clear insect's wings sprouting from gray feathers on its back. It wriggled its mandibles and its fangs hissed at the three of them.

YEAH! ...So I'm throwing a kind-of-suspense ending to this chapter... eheh... Well I hope you'll forgive me for the long wait! Please review! It really makes me pumped up for the next chapter! ...and the e-mails I get are awesome reminders and they really make me happy! lol I wish I could reply directly to each and every one of the reviews you all make without making them in a chapter... eheh...

REVIEW PLEASE! It helps...! see you all next chapter!