Snake Bitten
Copyright 2016 Emmanuel Obi, Jr.
Snake Bitten
Once upon a time, a woman was picking up firewood.
She came upon a poisonous snake frozen in the snow.
She took the snake home and nursed it back to health.
One day the snake bit her on the cheek.
As she lay dying, she asked the snake,
"Why have you done this to me?" And the snake answered,
"Look, bitch, you knew I was a snake."
Daniel Johnson had every reason to be arrogant. Since he was in junior high he was always the most popular guy in the class. Dark skin, brown eyes and a broad smile that always got him what he wanted. He was the best athlete. Fastest on the basektball court; a tall, muscular physique. And as if all that was not enough, he was usually the smartest; a straight A student all the way through college.
But he could not be further from arrogant. Raised by a single mother, Daniel saw how hard his mother had to work to take care of him and his two younger sisters. He loved and admired her as though she were a superhero, and to him she was. His mother taught him what it was to be a man; humble, hard-working and generous.
His best friends in high school were typically the unpopular, nerdy kids; despite the fact that he was the star basketball player. He rarely partied in college; choosing to lock himself in his room and study or read. And once he became a well-respected doctor in the field of oncology he made sure to give back. Not just donating money but his time as well. Daniel was an active member of Doctors with No Limits up until he and his wife had their child.
Daniel was in one of the meeting rooms of his church cleaning up after an outreach meeting. The church was in a bad area of town and its members created an outreach program to help the community. Removing graffiti, rebuilding playgrounds, donating school supplies, tutoring students and toy drives.
Daniel's son, a five-year old with large light-brown eyes named Marcus, played with two toy cars in what appeared to be a flying car chase scene as he waited in a corner for his father to finish. Marcus had come to the meeting with his father because his mother was out of town at a friend's wedding. Daniel wasn't entirely comfortable bringing his son to this part of town at night but he didn't have much of a choice.
Daniel locked the door as he stepped out of the church. He held his son's hand and walked around the church toward his car. He twisted his hand in his pocket searching for his keys when he felt his son stop. Daniel looked toward him. Marcus's eyes were engulfed with fear as he stared out into space; his body was rigid and unresponsive. Daniel followed his son's line of sight and immediately froze.
They stared at their family's modest black sedan across the parking lot. The silhouettes of two men could be seen through the darkness of the poorly lit parking lot as they stood on top of the roof of the car. Each shadow was swinging what appeared to be bats or pipes down at the windows, breaking them. Daniel then noticed two other figures cloaked in the darkness circling the car with weapons that couldn't clearly be seen.
The shadows continued to attack the car with an unnervingly, playful rage.
They can have the car. Daniel thought to himself as he gently pulled his son behind him. He slowly backed away, hoping not to draw any attention to himself. If he could get back to the church he could hide in the office with Marcus and call the police.
Daniel fought every urge to turn and run. He knew any sudden movement might grab their attention and he wouldn't be fast enough to get to the church with Marcus.
One of the figures on the roof of the car suddenly stood up straight. Daniel stopped. He couldn't tell if he had been seen or not. It was then he realized that he was standing under one of the two street lights in the parking lot.
"Hey!" The other shadows stopped and stood alert. They all seemed to be looking at Daniel and Marcus.
Daniel took a deep breath and all at once lifted his son and took off into a dead sprint. He knew they were following, he could hear their collective stomps as they ran across the parking lot. He ran around the church which seemed to take forever. More and more wall as though it would never end. He finally made it to the door and reached into his pocket for the keys. He pulled them out and saw that they were the keys to his car. Daniel fought panic; the shadows had to be right behind him. He put his son down and reached into his other pocket. There they were. He quickly pulled them out and searched for the right key. It felt like there was a hand behind him waiting to grab him. As he found the right key he dropped them. He resisted the urge to look back, he knew they were close; he didn't need to look back. He grabbed the keys by the one that opened the door and shoved it into the lock. He shoved Marcus into the door and followed. Daniel spun into the entrance and leaned against the door, closing it. As the door slammed shut a fist banged into it. Daniel twisted the deadbolt lock. His body began to shake as the shadows began kicking the door. The door wouldn't hold up for long. There wouldn't be enough time to make it upstairs to the church's office.
Daniel quickly left the door and grabbed Marcus. He led Marcus down the aisle a few rows and then turned into one. He and his son slid under one of the pews. Daniel looked at his son and put a single finger over his lips. It was the first time he had seen this kind of terror in anyone's eyes. A knife pierced his heart as he saw his son's pleading expression, begging to be woken up from this nightmare.
We'll get out of this. Daniel thought hoping that this was all a nightmare.
The building echoed as the door few of the hinges. The shadows charged into the church and slowed as they realized the child and the father were out of sight. They stopped at the front of the church and surveyed the room.
"Where the fuck are they?" One of the shadows said with an aggressive whisper. "They can't be far. I was right on him."
"Let's just go." A deeper voice replied.
"Fuck that! I ain't goin' back to jail."The first voice said.
"They didn't even see us . . ."
"What the fuck do you mean? They were staring right at us." The first voice interrupted the deeper voice.
"It was fuckin' dark. Ain't no way they could identify us." The deep voice reasoned.
"I ain't taken that chance. Somebody's gotta die tonight." The first voice demanded.
"He had his kid with him man."
"Fuck that. They can get matching caskets." The first voice said coldly. "Search the church. Check the rows." The other two members began walking up the aisle looking between the rows.
A musical noise echoed through the hall. Daniel felt the vibration in his pants. His cell phone. Daniel's heart dropped as he heard the footsteps stop. Now only the sounds of his phone could be heard echoing through the cavernous building.
Daniel hurried to his feet, pulling Marcus behind him. He backed down the row, away from the aisle and the gang members. Still cloaked in darkness he could only make out their forms, faceless monsters moving slowly toward them.
"Please, you can have the car. I don't care. Just let us go." Daniel pleaded.
"I'm sorry, Pops. I can't let that happen." He recognized the first voice from one of the shadows as it began walking down Daniel's row
"Well then just take me, let my son go . . ."
"No." Marcus silently objected. He wrapped his arms around his father's waist. The three other shadows began walking down rows between Daniel and the pool pit. They were going to trap him.
"Marcus, quiet." Daniel whispered sternly. "Please, let him go." No reply; they continued down their rows slowly. Daniel's eyes moved quickly between each of them, thinking as fast as he could. Behind the pulpit was a hall and down the hall was a door that exited to an alley. Daniel wondered if he would be fast enough, carrying Marcus, to get to the pulpit.
Daniel lifted Marcus and ran toward the end of the row. The shadows hurried down their rows as fast as they could. Daniel made it to the end of his row and charged down the side aisle. The shadows moved down the rows faster than he had hoped. He was almost to the end of the side aisle when he felt a hand grab his foot. One of the shadows had lunged forward and caught him.
Daniel kicked his foot free as he saw the others reach the end of their rows. He ran toward the pulpit, leapt up the stairs and continued to the back. He could feel their presence right behind him. Their footsteps in line with his, their breath on the back of his neck.
Daniel took a sharp turn and ran into the pitch black hall. He couldn't see a thing in front of him. Just black. Daniel had been down this hall a thousand times and hoped he wouldn't slam into the door. Daniel heard the footsteps fall away as the shadows got lost in the darkness that had been their ally.
Daniel slowed as he felt himself get to the end of the hall. He stuck out his hand and felt for the door as he carefully inched forward. He felt the door and then grabbed the knob. Daniel listened for the footsteps of the shadows; they continued to walk uncomfortably in the hall trying to find their way.
Daniel knew once he opened the door that the shadows would have a source of light and would know their way in the hall.
Daniel took a deep breath, opened the door, slid out of it and closed it as quickly as possible. He ran through the maze of alleys; left, right, right, left, left. Not knowing where to go, not recognizing anything, just running. Trying to get as far away as possible. Around brick buildings and through puddles of dark rain. Daniel couldn't find his way out. He was trapped in the demonically black and barren alleyways. The only light came from the moon and sporadic street lamps.
Finally Daniel saw a street. A little hope warmed his heart, he was almost there. He headed toward the street, once he got there, into the open, maybe he could find an open store or something. He could call for help.
The collision came from nowhere. Daniel was suddenly falling to the ground, Marcus fell from his arms. Daniel shook his head to clear his mind and looked for Marcus. Marcus was only a couple of feet in front of him slowly lifting himself. Daniel felt the back of his head with his hand and a warm fluid ran between his fingers. To his right was the brick that crashed into the back of is head. Daniel looked behind him and through is blurred vision, saw the shadows approaching. Their speed was inhuman. It was as though they were gliding over the pavement.
Daniel quickly got to his feet and grabbed a nearby beer bottle. He broke it against the wall and held it firmly.
"Marcus, run." Daniel said as the gang slowed to a stop in front of them. Marcus shook his head, trying to refuse. "Marcus, RUN!" Daniel shouted. Marcus backed away, shaking his head, tears veiling his eyes. Daniel focused on the shadows.
"I got this." The first voice said as he stepped forward. Daniel's breathing quickened, his heart raged beneath his chest as he stared into the faceless being.
"Back off!" Daniel shouted. The voice laughed, the shadows joined him as he looked back toward them.
Now Daniel thought as he lunged forward, driving the bottle into the voice's neck. Daniel pushed him away and ran toward Marcus.
"Oh shit! Oh shit!" A chorus of profanity followed Daniel out of the alley. He clutched Marcus looking left then right. Relief consumed him. To his right, down the street, was what appeared to be a police car at a stop light.
Daniel ran with everything he had down the street, toward the car. His legs burned as though they were on fire and they felt as though they wanted to fall off. His will was the only things that kept him moving. Every muscle in his body screamed stop but his heart screamed don't. Hope was close. He was almost there.
The traffic light turned green and the car began to slowly roll forward.
"No." Daniel whispered. He tried to move his legs faster. He waved his free arm as best he could, while clinging to Marcus with the other. "Hey! Stop! Please! Help!"
The car turned right and disappeared around a building.
Despair washed through Daniel's body. His frustration boiled to the point of tears. That was his last hope. What else could he do?
He looked behind him; apparently two of the shadows had followed him out of the alley but stopped running when they saw the car. Now that the car had left they were running after him.
Daniel put Marcus down on the sidewalk and picked up a nearby brick. He stood in the middle of the street and tried to settle himself. He knew it was the end. He knew he wouldn't live past tonight but he was going to make sure his son would. If he had to die he was going to take these little fucks with him.
Daniel clutched the brick tightly, beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. He inhaled slowly and prepared himself.
A flash of light behind him startled him. He looked around confused; his body was completely shrouded in bright white light. The light flashed even brighter for a moment before the brief scream of a siren. Daniel turned around as the red and blue lights began to flash. The police car had returned and it was slowly rolling toward him.
He looked back toward the shadows which had disappeared. It was over. Daniel collapsed to his knees, overcome with emotion, his tears streamed. He felt his son run into him, wrapping his arms around his father. Daniel hugged Marcus as they cried together. They had finally woken up.