The Snake and the Rat
Posted by Steve Bagley
We dropped the rat onto the bathroom floor. It scurried frantically, sniffing along the walls, poking its nose for a way out. The rat was tireless and continued this for a long time. The snake, however, did nothing. It was still motionless like before. But the snake knew. Gray eyes watched vacantly in its arrow-shaped head. The neck was extended from the coiled body snug behind the toilet. The snake was the color of earth and had black symmetrical diamonds down the length of its body from head to tail; a Boa roughly eight feet in length. It had not eaten for six months.
The rat paused momentarily, perhaps suddenly spooked, sniffing the ground a few feet away. The snake steadily retracted its head, the mass of its coiled body still motionless while the upper third loaded back like a thick spring with a broad-head arrow at its tip. Absolute silence. The rat sensed something and perked up to listen-- The snake unloaded-- snapping from across the pale bathroom floor-- There was a squeal-- bright pink liquid sprayed outward-- There was a heavy tumbling of the snake's body and a quick struggle as the rat wiggled in its jaws, but the snake soon gained control and whipped itself into two spirals around the white rodent's mass, slapping its heavy tail onto the bathroom floor. There was a screech again. The snake settled in. The rodent tapped and clawed for the ground but was twisted belly-up and off balance. Its fur was wet and matted with red. The snake held its jaws around the neck and shoulders. There was more kicking and squealing. The snake tightened to hush it. It wrenched on the spiral-grip and rolled, whipping its body around. The snake landed in place and the rat was quiet.
The snake unhinged its jaw and yawned, first swallowing the rat's head and front legs. Then went the torso, hind legs, and pink tail until there was nothing but a lump in its throat.
The snake coiled up and slept for a long, long time. And during that long sleep I imagined that the snake dreamt it was a human. And in its dream found itself perplexed as to whether or not the universe he resided in was friendly or hostile.
We dropped the rat onto the bathroom floor. It scurried frantically, sniffing along the walls, poking its nose for a way out. The rat was tireless and continued this for a long time. The snake, however, did nothing. It was still motionless like before. But the snake knew. Gray eyes watched vacantly in its arrow-shaped head. The neck was extended from the coiled body snug behind the toilet. The snake was the color of earth and had black symmetrical diamonds down the length of its body from head to tail; a Boa roughly eight feet in length. It had not eaten for six months.
The rat paused momentarily, perhaps suddenly spooked, sniffing the ground a few feet away. The snake steadily retracted its head, the mass of its coiled body still motionless while the upper third loaded back like a thick spring with a broad-head arrow at its tip. Absolute silence. The rat sensed something and perked up to listen-- The snake unloaded-- snapping from across the pale bathroom floor-- There was a squeal-- bright pink liquid sprayed outward-- There was a heavy tumbling of the snake's body and a quick struggle as the rat wiggled in its jaws, but the snake soon gained control and whipped itself into two spirals around the white rodent's mass, slapping its heavy tail onto the bathroom floor. There was a screech again. The snake settled in. The rodent tapped and clawed for the ground but was twisted belly-up and off balance. Its fur was wet and matted with red. The snake held its jaws around the neck and shoulders. There was more kicking and squealing. The snake tightened to hush it. It wrenched on the spiral-grip and rolled, whipping its body around. The snake landed in place and the rat was quiet.
The snake unhinged its jaw and yawned, first swallowing the rat's head and front legs. Then went the torso, hind legs, and pink tail until there was nothing but a lump in its throat.
The snake coiled up and slept for a long, long time. And during that long sleep I imagined that the snake dreamt it was a human. And in its dream found itself perplexed as to whether or not the universe he resided in was friendly or hostile.
This entry was posted by Ben Myers, on
Monday, March 20, 2006.
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