This morning started out like any other. I went into the bathroom to wash my face, half awake and thinking about breakfast. But the moment I lifted the toilet lid, I couldn’t breathe. Something dark was resting at the bottom of the bowl.

At first, I thought maybe something had fallen in — a brush, a bottle cap, who knows. But then… it moved. 

I froze. For a few seconds, I just stared, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. The movement was slow, almost graceful, like something pushing gently from beneath the water. And then it hit me — what I was looking at wasn’t an object at all.

When the surface rippled, I caught a glimpse of dark, shiny scales. That’s when I realized — there was a snake inside my toilet.

My heart skipped. I quickly slammed the lid shut, terrified it might crawl out, and grabbed my kids without thinking twice. We ran outside, leaving the door wide open.

My hands were shaking, my breathing uneven, and one question kept spinning in my head: How did it even get in there?

A few minutes later, I called for help. When the specialists arrived and carefully opened the lid, the snake was still there — coiled tightly, its body gleaming in the water.

One of the men explained that this happens more often than people think. During warmer months, reptiles sometimes make their way through plumbing systems, drawn by the coolness and water.

I stood in the doorway, unable to look away. The home that had always felt safe suddenly didn’t seem so safe anymore.

Now, every time I step into the bathroom, I can’t help glancing at the toilet first — just to make sure nothing’s moving again.