Fangs
of Death!
Story:
As soon as I saw the viper hiding in the cool grass I knew I was in
trouble! A vicious killer God
left behind. One look at the crafty bastard told me it was coiled and ready to
strike! If I have my way, this vile
reptile from hell won’t survive the day! You
can’t run; its lightning speed is the subject of myth and lore. Silent death
is the only way to describe this creature, you never hear it coming.
I’ve seen these before, but never this close.
Some unsuspecting dolt comes walking along and wham, the slithering
creature strikes! They lure you in
by playing dead; their beautiful green color, sleek bodies and never-ending
length. Some get to be fifty feet or
more in length, maybe a hundred! I’ve
heard stories of fights to the death; fangs start ripping at your flesh, and
you’re in the fight of your life! It
makes me sweat just thinking of it. Think
man, think! What’s a person to do;
this sucker must be twenty feet long?
Its head is small, but I’m betting its fangs can pierce even the
thickest boot! The way it lays
there, coiled up in the deep grass, crafty bastard!
They say its iridescent green color is part of its scheme, but that’s
the lure! There’s no way for the
novice to estimate its length or its striking distance.
No one has ever lived to tell about their heroic struggle to live!
Onlookers off in the distance recall the stories.
This little moccasin kills nice guys like me all day!
Just the fact that it was hiding in that tall grass and coiled was enough
for me! Hell, I was lucky I saw it
in time; before stepping on it! I’d
be lying on the ground now, writhing in pain.
I am frozen in my steps, not sure if it had seen me.
I can taste my sweat drying on the corners of my mouth!
Be cool, be cool, I told myself. Slowly
I raised my arm and wiped the sweat from my brow.
Thinking back to a moment ago when I nearly stepped on it, man what luck!
Its two-tone green color camouflages well with the surrounding grasses.
It’s always in the grass, waiting for the fool!
I wish I had a tree limb or something; I’d mop the ground with it!
The viper just sits there, unflinching, waiting for my next move.
I’ve heard, some breeds attack without the slightest provocation.
This one seems content to wait for my next move before ripping at my leg.
Little does it know, I have a few tricks of my own.
I’ll give the devil a wide berth.
Like the song says “you take the high road, I’ll take the low
road”, and I’ll be on my way. I’ve
never seen one with a shiny head like that before; especially one who grins at
you before it strikes! This one may
be psycho! I’ve heard of them down
in the glades. This one hasn’t
moved yet. That’s it you piece of
work, play dead. I’m
not going to play your game; I’m out-a-here.
Looking over my shoulder, my pace quickens as I make that wide berth
around the vicious killer. It
hasn’t moved. I’m not being
chased! Whew! I look back over my shoulder and see it hiding in the grass
waiting for some naïve fool to stumble into its trap.
Not me baby, not me! Life is
full of pitfalls and dangers; you just have to be ready.
Lucky for me, I’m the master of my world!
Hah!
For lack of a better word, I will call the vile serpent, “ Garden hose
in the grass”. RJ