It was a moment of pure bliss, and for that moment, everything else was sacrificed. Life, limb, even the future didn’t matter for that short moment of infinite pleasure. But, all moments come and go, and this moment faded, but the memory didn’t. The need for an encore performance grew by the day until every second of thought was a love song to that moment. That moment burned itself deep into the very roots of the mind of the beholder, something that would stick with them forever and ever, even if that gilded glow that once surrounded that single moment faded. That moment was more important than anything else in life, no trip, trek, or trial could ever top that moment, so it only made sense to ask: how does one reach that point again?

From the second that question slithered its way into the mind, it coiled its slithering body around the memory of that moment. What if it could be done again? That question left countless messages at the doorstep, pounding on the door to one’s consciousness. It coaxed its way inside of the mind with silver toothed lies and slithering deceit. The snake convinces its victims that that single moment was not just a moment, but moments, and all it took was a small sacrifice. For a few dollars and a bit of pain, any problem one has can melt away like a bright burning candle’s wax, washing away slowly, and leaving behind only the bright, comfortable and familiar light. 

If money was what the snake wanted, he could have it. The price seemed to rise as demand rose too, but what's the difference between Ten dollars and a hundred when that pure bliss is just so close, yet out of reach. There came a time when that price soared so high that other things that needed money just couldn’t get their check. Those things couldn’t offer what the snake had, that pure bliss only came from a single source, everything else didn’t even come close to those moments of pure bliss.

The snake tightened its grip around the mind, coiling and coiling, wrapping over its own scaly body thousands of times. Even if the victim chose to deny the snake his pay, the snake was quick to convince his prey that giving up on their little mutiny was best for both parties. If that didn’t work, the snake would tighten down even more on the other’s mind, making every moment suffer, except for those few hours of pure bliss every time the snake earned its fill. The snake convinces its victim that they’re friends, and then betrays that friendship every time it doesn’t get what it wants. The snake asks for the same thing every time, regardless of how much it harms their victim. The snake doesn’t care if the victim doesn’t have money, instead it convinces the victim to get some money. The fastest way to do that? Sell your car, your keys, your cable TV, your junk, the stuff that still held lackluster memories from the past, all of those things could go,  and the snake would never be pleased, for it’s gluttony was unceasing, and its coiling never let up, only getting tighter

The walls of the victim’s house once jumped with life, but now were empty and flat, each room only held whatever was impossible to sell, and piles of used needles dotted the floor. The snake had already convinced his victim he didn’t need belongings, and in this endeavor, he had convinced the victim that no friend could ever give him what the snake provides, so why bother wasting time with other people? The lack of friends made the dependency on the snake even heavier, and the snake grinned with its reflective golden teeth, and kept on supplying those single tastes of heaven. Finally, in a culmination of all the wrongs that had kept on feeding into what the victim believed was right, a final, short lived moment of pure bliss sunk the victim into a deep sleep, and the snake, ever merciful, finally recoiled from around the other’s mind, and slithered away. The snake took everything. the victim finally got what they wanted in the end; an infinite taste of that pure bliss. WIth the transaction finally reaching its crescendo, the snake packed up its suitcase, and left without another word. After all, this friendship had been mutually beneficial so far, now that the victim couldn’t fulfill their part of the deal anymore, it was time to make a new victim.