Chapter 1

One sunny afternoon, Mia noticed the water bucket was nearly empty. She looked at Lily, who was playing with her wooden blocks on the floor.

"Lily, I need to go to the well and get some water," Mia said, kneeling beside her. "I'll be back in just a few minutes. Will you be okay here alone?"

Lily nodded without looking up. "I'll be fine, Mia. I'm a big girl now."

Mia smiled and kissed the top of her sister's head. "I know you are. Stay inside and keep playing, alright? I'll be right back."

She grabbed the empty bucket and hurried out the door. The well was at the end of the lane, about a five-minute walk. Mia walked quickly, her heart light. The sun was warm, and birds were singing in the acacia trees.

At the well, she lowered the bucket and pulled it up, full of cool, clear water. She was about to head home when she saw her friend Naomi walking toward her.

"Mia! Come see the new puppies at my house!" Naomi called out, clapping her hands. "They're so tiny and cute!"

Mia hesitated. The puppies sounded wonderful. But then she thought of Lily, alone in the house.

"I can't, Naomi," she said. "Lily is home by herself. I need to get back."

Naomi pouted. "Just for five minutes?"

"Sorry, not today," Mia said, and she hurried away, the bucket heavy in her hands.

When she reached the house, she noticed the door was open wider than she had left it. A strange feeling crept into her chest. She set down the bucket and stepped inside.

"Lily?" she called.

There was no answer.

Mia's heart began to beat faster. She walked through the main room, past Lily's blocks scattered on the floor. Then she saw her.

Lily was lying on the ground near the back door. Her face was pale, and her eyes were closed. Next to her, a long green snake slithered away into the grass.

"Lily!" Mia screamed, running to her sister's side. She dropped to her knees and saw two small red marks on Lily's ankle. The skin around them was already swelling and turning purple.

Mia's hands trembled. She remembered what her mother had told her about snakes. Some were very dangerous. This one had a flat head and green scales. It might be a mamba. The thought made her feel sick.

"Lily, wake up! Please wake up!" she cried, shaking her sister gently.

Lily's eyelids fluttered. She looked at Mia with confused, sleepy eyes. "Mia... my leg hurts..." she whispered. Her voice was weak.

Mia knew she had to act fast. She scooped Lily into her arms. Her sister was light, but Mia's legs felt like jelly. She ran out of the house, down the lane, toward the village clinic. Tears streamed down her face, and she couldn't breathe properly, but she didn't stop.

"Help! Please help!" she shouted as she burst through the clinic door.

Nurse Amara, a kind woman with gray hair and gentle hands, looked up from her desk. She saw Lily in Mia's arms and immediately rushed over.

"What happened?" Nurse Amara asked, taking Lily from Mia and laying her on a bed.

"A snake! A green snake bit her!" Mia said, her voice shaking. "I left her alone for just a few minutes, and now..."

Nurse Amara worked quickly. She cleaned the wound, applied a bandage, and gave Lily some medicine. Then she sat beside Lily, holding her hand and watching her closely.

"You did the right thing bringing her here so fast," Nurse Amara said to Mia. "The snake was a green mamba. Its bite is very dangerous. But I think we caught it in time."

Mia sat in a chair beside the bed, holding Lily's other hand. She didn't let go. She watched Lily's chest rise and fall, rise and fall. Every breath was a small miracle.

Hours passed. The sun went down, and Nurse Amara lit a lamp. Mia stayed awake, her eyes fixed on her sister's face. She prayed and prayed. She promised that if Lily got better, she would never, ever leave her alone again.

Finally, as the moon rose high in the sky, Lily's eyes opened. She looked at Mia and smiled a tiny, sleepy smile.

"Mia... I'm thirsty," she said.

Mia burst into tears of relief. She hugged Lily gently, careful not to hurt her leg. "I'm here, Lily. I'm right here. I'll never leave you alone again. Never."

Lily closed her eyes and went back to sleep, but her breathing was steady and strong now. Nurse Amara checked her one more time and nodded.

"She will be fine," the nurse said. "She needs rest, but she will be fine."

Mia looked down at her little sister, her heart full of love and a new, fierce determination. From that night on, she would be by Lily's side, always. No more leaving her alone, not even for a minute. The snake was gone, but the lesson would stay with Mia forever.

As she drifted off to sleep in the chair, her hand still holding Lily's, Mia whispered, "I promise, Lily. I will never leave you alone again."