It’s an unexpected journey during my travels, in a place called Norgris Town, where I spent the final days of winter. The Daltons, who have three children, graciously took me in. However, it was the peculiar pre-dinner prayer that piqued my curiosity. After expressing gratitude for trees, crops, and all animals, people would conclude it with a phrase -

“The world lies within the belly of a giant serpent.”

Retired teacher Patrick shared with me the town's history. Back in the 1990s, a meteorite fell in Norgris, bearing scales like a snake. Children who touched it were believed to be protected from illness and danger. Patrick strongly believed that the origin of the universe followed a similar pattern: dust coalesced into the shape of a serpent, then curled up to form planets, giving birth to life and civilizations.

The priest in Norgris would conduct a ceremony before spring arrived, and during those days, supernatural occurrences blurred the lines of my memory. These included seeing indistinct faces outside my window, experiencing intense physical pain, and dreaming of being covered in scales from head to toe.

I no longer have the opportunity to return to Norgris, or perhaps Norgris does not exist. Within the belly of the giant serpent is a warm digestive fluid. For a certain period, I see the world enclosed, immersed within unquestionable walls.

Belly of The
Giant Serpent : Prophecy
巨蛇之腹：预言

【1】

Norgris Town turned out to be an unexpected gem on my trip.

The harsh winter in the northern United States was just too much to handle, so I decided to wait until spring to resume my travels. The Daltons kindly offered me a place to stay. They had three children. The eldest son left home two years prior, and I temporarily lived in his room. From what the sisters told me, he went off to study in Europe, but their mother seemed reluctant to share more about his situation.

The living room at their home was adorned with numerous old photographs, probably from the Dalton’s family album when they were younger. However, almost every face in those pictures was blurred by the brush strokes, making it hard to see them clearly.

Every day before dinner, I was asked to join the children in a “prayer” of sorts, but it was unlike any prayer I had ever heard before. They would express gratitude for trees, crops, and even all the animals, and then end with a peculiar phrase -
“The world lies within the belly of a giant serpent.”

It wasn’t just to escape the winter; Norgris was unlike any other town I had stayed in before, and it was hard to describe in words. I needed some time to figure out where this eerie feeling was coming from and what that prayerful phrase truly meant.

【2】

It was sunny here in winter. When the temperature was comfortable, I would take longer walks to explore the surrounding areas. I was surprised to find so many diverse landscapes near the town. At the edge of the forest, there was a beautiful lake, and along the streams, I even stumbled upon brownish surfaces that resemble volcanic terrain. There were places that seemed like geothermal springs and abandoned houses that appeared uninhabited for a long time.

By chance, I came across a few maps and discovered that the church the Daltons visited every week was on the western side of Norgris Town. There were also a few factories in that area. It was quite rare to see such modern-looking buildings in this place. At dusk, the factories looked like lonely torches and lampposts. Their noise was muffled by the winter, like synapses quietly branching out across the snowy ground.

I shared my discoveries from my walks with them, and what seemed bizarre to me sounded utterly ordinary to the Dalton. They didn’t seem too keen on me venturing too far, expressing more concern about my safety than excitement about my adventures. After that, I decided that it would be wiser to return home before nightfall.

【3】

Not sure if it was just my imagination, but I started seeing “snakes,” or traces of them, frequently in small towns.

I made a new friend here: Patrick, a retired high school teacher with a unique beard that looked like two clumps of seaweed hanging from his chin. He had an interesting personality and enjoyed sunbathing with his eyes closed during dusk. Patrick shared with me many stories about the events that happened in Norgris in the past.

Back in the 1990s, a meteorite had fallen in the town. It had snake-like scales and something resembling both a mouth and a heart. When touched, it felt warm. On the same night, a mother gave birth prematurely, and her baby boy was born with his eyes wide open, with pupils just like a snake’s, bright and sharp.

The boy grew up fast, intelligent and healthy. The meteorite seemed to possess some divine power and, after the incident, it was said to have appeared in different households, taking on various forms, but that peculiar warmth never dissipated.

Parents would let their children touch and embrace it, seeking protection from illness and danger. Wherever the meteorite appeared, elders reported suffering from headaches. Sunbathing, however, helped ease the pain. Patrick had kept up this habit for many years.

I finally asked the question that intrigued me the most: why the prayer here was “The world lies within the belly of a giant serpent.” In response, Patrick showed me an old canvas, seemingly from some scientific or natural history book, depicting different planets and creatures; on the ground, there were crowds of people, celebrating and wandering in a way I had never seen before.

“The dust in the cosmos first gathered in the form of a serpent, swimming in the universe. Eventually, it coiled up in the right place to become a planet, giving birth to new life, different species, and even humans,” he said solemnly. “This is not merely the faith of Nogris; it is the science of the world.”

【4】

Life in Norgris was simple. The Dalton ran a farm, and when needed, I would lend a hand with some farming chores. During other times, I read books or took walks. I still kept the habit of praying before dinner and continued with my passion for writing and taking photographs.

It was getting warmer. Winter was coming to an end. The Dalton informed me that before the arrival of spring, the town’s priest would hold a welcoming ceremony, and every family was expected to participate. Long-haired women and children would be asked to cut a lock of their hair to donate to the church. If I wished, I could do the same; my long travels had left my hair as long as that of the local girls, and I was happy to blend in with the local customs.

“This is the most anticipated time of the year,” Mrs. Dalton told me. “The weather will become warm, and miracles will happen during these days of the ceremony. The children will gather around their mothers.”

【5】

The night before the ceremony, I tossed and turned restlessly, unable to fall asleep. The next day, I felt even more tired and listless.

“I think I’ll have to miss the ceremony,” I apologized to the Dalton. They had no choice but to take their children to the town square, where the spring welcoming ceremony was held, and leaving me to rest at home.

I had many dreams. In one, I found myself at the ceremony. The priest tied withered leaves around himself and ran from the wilderness, bringing lakes, warmth, plants, and livestock to Norgris. In another dream, I found myself in the forest near the factories, and my skin gradually grew snake-like scales. I was naked, just like a newborn baby.

In a daze, I heard someone calling my name. I woke up with a headache and pulled open the curtains. Standing there was a dark figure, at times seeming to resemble my own shape, and at times appearing like a giant. His face was indistinguishable, no matter how hard I tried to see clearly—it remained blurred. Before long, I fell back into a deep sleep.

【6】

I felt I needed to see the priest.
I headed to the church on the west side of Norgris. The priest was in the dim confessional booth. He already knew that I was staying at the Dalton couple’s house He knew an outsider had recently arrived in town.

I told him about my recent dreams and the experiences I wasn’t sure were real. He handed me a pen and asked me to draw the black figure that had called out to me.

Suddenly, a miracle occurred. Golden light flowed onto the paper like a slowed-down meteor streaking through the sky. Almost instinctively, I blurted out, “The world lies within the belly of a giant serpent.”

I thought I saw the priest’s eyes widen in the dark.

It took a while before I could steady myself from the shock. The priest opened the confessional booth’s door and suggested we go outside to bask in the sun. As we walked through the hallway, I noticed some display boards on the wall, seeming to be archives and photos from when the church was built. I realized that there had once been more than just one clergyman here, and the level of industrialization shown in the old photos was higher than that of the current Norgris Town. I voiced my doubts, but the priest remained silent. He just kept walking.

The warm sun was soothing, even though the snow hadn’t completely melted, I could feel that spring was just around the corner.

There had always been a cross-shaped tattoo on the back of my hand. As we stepped outside, a sudden warmth emanated from my hand. I suddenly became aware of where the strange feeling that had been with me since arriving in Norgris came from - no one had ever asked about this symbol and my beliefs, whether it was the Dalton with their peculiar prayers or Patrick, the retired teacher, with whom I had engaging conversations. This symbol had always been with me, but it seemed like no one could see it or question it.

While I was pondering the cross on my hand, I suddenly heard someone calling my name, the same voice that called out to me when I had a headache at home on the day of the ceremony, the voice of the shadow outside my window.

I looked up abruptly, but there was only the priest standing in front of me. He was pointing something at me – I couldn’t tell what. It was shaped like the barrel of a gun, but I couldn’t make out what it was, much like the black figure.

“The world lies within the belly of a giant serpent,” he said.

A thunderous sound was echoing, as if a meteorite had crashed into the ground, yet it remained hidden in the winter, like a nerve growing on the surface of the snow.

【7】

It felt like I had been asleep for ages. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a strange little town. A couple of white-haired old folks urged me to come out and take a look, all excited and chatty.

About a kilometer away, there were people setting off fireworks. The sound was bright and crisp, like a beating heart. We headed in that direction, and time seemed to slow down. The fireworks weren’t just fleeting bursts of color; they lingered in the sky, gradually fading away. I told them that when the celebration was over, it would mean spring is coming, and I could finally continue on my journey.

But suddenly, my forehead throbbed with pain. I went to the window, and in the reflection of the mirror, I saw my face. There were two black circular marks below my left eyebrow, like bite marks, as the old folks pointed out.

I couldn’t remember how I got those marks, but the pain was so real. It even gave me a weird feeling like I might had actually encountered a giant snake, its jaws wide open, inviting me into its belly.

excerpt：

Belly of The Giant Serpent: Prophecy is a documentary work concealed beneath the masks of fiction and the supernatural. I hide personal experiences and collective trauma in the text of AI images and paranormal short stories, recording unspeakable memories and emotions. This work metaphorically depicts my life during the 2019-nCoV pandemic under strict lockdown conditions in China, along with the silent accusations that accompanied it

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