Noah was in his early twenties, and he loved garage sales you could find so many interesting knickknacks. He had a collection of stuff in the attic of the house, it was just stuff it was kept neatly in boxes or displayed on one of the three camping tables all arrayed under the one and only window in the attic. The place was very clean Noah made sure of that, he thought of the look on Vira’s face when he came how with yet another box full of stuff. Or junk as she called it but they had been married for a year now and had only owned the house for half of that, with the help of both his and Vira’s parents, Noah had just been absent-mindedly browsing until he spotted a book. It was old looking just like everything else there old chairs tables cutlery toys but this book caught Noah’s attention, it was leather-bound so it would go in hit old leather-bound books collection it also had no title and it had a strange texture he opened the book and read the first passage.

Within these pages are the many and numerous spells composed by Staer, the great and powerful.

Noah snorted a kids book, he thought to himself, explains the strange texture probably not even leather I’m still going to buy it though Noah walked up to the person running the sale.

‘How much for this?’ he asked.

The young teen looked at the book, ‘fiver’ he said sounding bord.

Noah handed the teen the money and walked across the street, to his car and got in on the way home Vira called.

‘Yes, most beneficent one’ Noah answered.

‘Your late’ Vira said, she tried to sound disapproving, but Noah knew her too well for that they had known each other since high school. And she knew how excited he got about things like this. An opportunity to go somewhere local to find stuff.

‘Well I can make up for it’ he said, ‘I got a book.’

Vira sounded sceptical ‘what book?’

‘It has no title’ Noah said, ‘but, he added the first passage is interesting.’

‘What does it say? Vira asked.

‘You will have to wait until I get home.’

‘Alright how far away are you?’ Vira asked.

‘Sixteen and a half minutes’ Noah said.

‘Good’ Vira said, ‘I’ll be waiting with some tea and bisects, then you can read some of that book to me.’

‘Sure,’ Noah said, unable to keep the smile from his voice.

‘What?’ Vira said curious.

‘Oh, nothing I love you, and I will see you soon.’

‘Love you to.’

Noah stopped in at the newsagents on the way home to pick up a T.V. guide. For the next few weeks were shaping up to be good. They had both got time off work for the next week and a half and we're planning to enjoy the time they had together. Noah foresaw many nights snuggled up next to Vira on the couch watching god only knew what, Noah pulled up in the driveway of their house, it was a small but it was on a large property, it was wood-panelled with an attic one bedroom with attached bathroom, kitchen and a combined dining living room. Over all the house was small but it was more than enough for both Noah and Vira to live happily, they didn’t go near the old dilapidated barn behind the house they were waiting on console approval to have it demolished.

‘Vira I’m home’ Noah called as he walked up and onto the porch, which creaked welcomingly like most of the house’s floorboards.

‘Sup honey’ came Vira’s voice from the living room.

Noah stepped into the house closing the door behind him, the laundry and toilet where directly to his left, and then the bathroom. Noah walked into the kitchen there was a door opposite him across the kitchen which lead into his and Vira’s bedroom, and then to his left was the lounge dining room, Vira was sitting on the couch watching a documentary on snakes this segment was about how cobras males seduced the females.

Vira looked up as Noah entered ‘fascinating stuff,’ she said indicating the T.V. she had dyed her hair purple.

‘Mmmmm’ Noah said putting the book and green guide onto the bench, Vira had a strange obsession with snakes ever since he had first met her ‘snake porn.’

Vira laughed, ‘it’s not snake porn it’s educational.’

Noah walked over to Vira avoiding the small round table and embraced her as she stood to greet him, ‘educational snake porn,’ he said, giving her an exaggerated pat on the back.

Vira playfully punched Noah's shoulder, ‘I’ve seen your search history’ she said.

‘It’s all educational’ Noah replied, smiling at their shared joke and kissing Vira on the cheek

Vira snorted ‘right you its tea and book time’ she picked up the remote and muted the T.V., then lead Noah into the kitchen, she had already boiled the kettle ‘green tea?’ she asked.

‘No’ Noah replied, ‘I’ll take and English breakfast thanks.’

Vira tossed Noah a teabag, ‘brew it yourself, your arms and legs are not pained on.’

‘I see how it is’ Noah said, ‘you can bake your own pie tonight.’

‘Maybe I will’ Vira said, then she smiled and Hugged Noah ‘it’s good to have you back’ she said into his shoulder, ‘I’ve missed you.’

‘Same’ Noah said hugging Vira back, they stood there for a few moments enjoying each other’s company.

‘So, are you gonna tell me about this book or what?’ Vira asked.

Noah snorted and walked over to where he had placed to book, and he lifted it up dramatically and read out the opening passage in a deep dramatic voice.

Within these pages are the many and numerous spells composed by Staer, the great and powerful, use these spells at your own peril as there is no way to reverse these spells.

Vira raised an eyebrow ‘interesting’ she said sceptically, ‘so why exactly did you buy this?’

Noah shrugged, ‘I liked the look of it.’  

‘So, what spell are you going to try?’ Vira asked.

Noah snorted ‘are you sure?’

‘Why?’

‘They cannot be reversed’ Noah said, in a deep exaggerated voice.

Vira laughed ‘alright them Mr wizard, put a spell on me.’

‘Which one?’ Noah asked.

Vira glanced at the T.V. ‘I’ve always wanted to be a snake, got anything for that?’

Noah looked down the contents page ‘there is a fusion spell’ he said slowly, ‘wanna try that out?’

Vira smiled, ‘sure let’s try that’ she said.

‘Alright’ Noah said, ‘I will need you, a snake and then I just chant this incantation.’

Vira indicated the T.V. ‘there are some cobras.’

Noah nodded ‘that should work’ he looked to his wife than to the T.V,. then she chanted the words in an exaggerated tone.

‘Willest ye turneth mine wife unto the snake.’

‘Wait hold on Vira’ said, ‘it that I can’t be it seriously?’ both Noah and Vira were laughing.

‘I have no I dear why I even did that?’ Noah chuckled, ‘any how-‘  stopped speaking he looked at Vira at her hands, they were changing she had claws now and dark purple scales were making their way up her arm, the scales on her inner arm were a pail creamy colour.

‘Holy shit Vira’ Noah gave a strangled cry, ‘your hands.’

Vira looked down at her hands and shrieked, she tried to stagger back but her legs where amalgamating, melding together, growing into a tail. She fell over backwards thrashing on the floor, her face began to change elongating, her hair moved and changed turning to flesh and scale, a cobra hood. Noah watched unable to help or do anything as Vira changed before his eyes.

‘Holy shit’ Noah breathed, ‘Vira are you?’

Vira slowly got up using the bench for support she was not used to her tail, before she had been just shorter than Noah now he was only up to her chest, her torn clothes were only just protecting her modesty. her hands came up and felt around her snout and muzzle her face had changed it was a unmistakably a snake’s but with human-like characteristics, Noah could see it was still Vira it was the eyes, they were still hers even if she had changed Vira opened her jaws and Noah saw a black forked tongue.

‘H-h how Noah’ Vira sounded like she was panicking, she looked behind her at what her legs had become her tail trailed behind her for several meters. She made a hissing sound that may have been dismay, she turned back to Noah she reached out a hand.  

‘Noah,’ she said ‘it, it’s still me.’

Noah took an involuntary step back, then quick as a snake Vira shot out of the room the end of her tail caught Noah he stagged back he heard the front door slam open. Noah hesitated for a second then sprinted after her, he got to the front door in time to see her purple tail disappear into the old barn, he did not hesitate to run after her, the inside of the barn smelt old everything inside was falling apart Noah heard a slithering sound up ahead.

‘Vira’ he called.

‘Go away’ she said from somewhere up ahead ‘oh what am I going to do, I’m a fucking monster now and there is  no going back’ Vira sounded like she was on the verge of tears, ‘how, fuck, why.’

‘You’re not a monster’ Noah said slowly making his way towards the sound of Vira’s voice, ‘your still you, still Vira, you can come out of the shadows.’

There was a rustling noise, ‘I-I can’t not like this ever, what I have become it’s not your fault but-‘

As Vira was speaking Noah stepped around the wreck of an old tractor, Vira had curled herself up resting inside her own coils her hood was drooping and she had her face buried in her scaled arms. Noah put a hand on her shoulder she gave a hiss of surprise.

Noah sat down next to Vira leaning against the tractor, he found her hand with his, her hand was bigger than his now. The scales on the top of her hand were hard but smooth and a deep purple, the scales on the bottom of her hand were soft and a creamy colour, the soft scales extended all the way up her inner arm.

‘I still love you Vira’ he said looking up at her.

She replied with a sad sounding hiss she looked down at Noah she squeezed his hand gently, ‘you may accept me but who else will? And then what you go out to go to work? what will I do sit here? hide? If someone sees me.’

Noah stood up ‘we can work around this, me and you, we can make this work.’

Vira uncoiled herself standing at her full height, she had the same soft creamy coloured scales running from her lower jaw all the way to her navel, ‘no’ she said shedding the remains of her clothes, ‘you live your life I will live mine.’

‘Wait Vira, hold on you can’t just.’

Vira hissed her cobra hood rising, ‘don’t follow me’ and then she was gone.

What have I done? Noah thought to himself, how do I fix this? He ran out of the barn, but he could not see Vira at all, she must have gone into the forest he thought what, what can I do? then it came to him Noah ran back inside and grabbed the book.

Vira slithered forward until she was perched just on the bank of the river it was not too deep, she bent down and cupped her hands collecting the water so she could drink it, she brought it up to her muzzle, maybe I should not have run of how am I even going to eat?

There was a rustle from behind her Vira turned, someone familiar yet different came out from under a fern, she gasped ‘Noah what have you-‘

Noah rushed towards Vira and hugged her wrapping his arms around her felling her scales on his, she was still taller than him something he was going to have to get used to, he curled the end of his tail around hers putting his head on her shoulder.

‘Noah w-why did you change yourself, h-how.’

‘It was easy I just felt so bad, this was my fault that this happed to you, so I figured there was no way I was going to leave you like this. And there was no way I was going to let you run away like that without saying goodbye.’

Vira embraced Noah back ‘you are a fucking idiot’ she said her tongue flicked out tickling Noah's muzzle, ‘so what do we do now were both nagas?’

‘We have two weeks’ Noah said into Vira’s shoulder, ‘we will work it out, and I have a spell book remember?’

Vira embraced Noah back, he in turn and stroked the back of her Cobra hood drawing a content hiss from Vira. Eventually they both made their way home, It did take some time to get used to their tails as they made their way through the house holding hands. They collapsed on the couch winding their tails around each other, and Vira fell asleep one hand clasping Noah's hand, fingers intertwined and one was trailing off the couch, Noah looked through the book looking for a spell that could help them he kissed Vira gently.

‘I will work out a way around this I promises’ he said, gently stroking her hood.