What felt like an eternity had passed. The water that had been filling the room had finally stopped rising. This left hardly a foot's distance from the top of the water and the low lying ceiling. To keep from drowning, Ricardo had to jump up and doggie paddle. Eventually he would tire and fall back down only to jump back up. If only he had learned how to float on his back, he thought desperately to himself. 

Eventually Ricardo started to get used to the desperate pattern of hopping helplessly around and the feel of snakes slithering casually along his body. If things kept going this way, he could even see himself getting used to the situation entirely. Then maybe he could think of some way out of here.

But things did not stop there; the snakes had other plans in mind. One at a time the snakes crawling around on his body started biting down. The pain did not stop at the puncture wounds as each snake seemed to be injecting him with some kind of stinging venom. Then, one more snake crawled up his torso and wrapped itself tightly around his neck, making it hard to breath.

In spite of this torture, a small mocking voice in his own mind reminded him that he wouldn't die. But death, at this point, would be a welcome escape from his new reality. Despite this death wish, his body's instincts would not stop. He had to continue jumping up for air. He had to struggle.

Blinding panic had become the only real emotion left in his heart.