Short Story Fiction
The Black Mamba's
Scott A. Gese
They were one of the most deadliest snakes in the world and they were loose in the house.
Carl stood frozen in place as the sudden realization hit him. Except for his dead cat, the cage was empty.
Wikimedia/Hendrik Van Den BergCarl was never one to panic, but this was serious. He couldn’t have found himself in a worse situation. If it had been nothing more than a garden variety, non-poisonous snake, he wouldn’t have been so upset. This was different. The snake was a Black Mamba. One of the worlds most deadliest snakes. Except for the heat lamp that lit up the cage, the room was dark. He was in his socks. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst part was, there was more than one on the loose.
***
Carl’s fascination with snakes began several years ago. He had owned a boa. It was fun to carry around. Most people were repulsed by it, especially if he had it around his neck. The shock value alone was worth it.
Three years ago he had gotten his hands on a Diamondback Rattler. This was his first deadly snake. He had caught it himself as it sunned itself on a friends back patio. He put it in a burlap sack and he took it home where he kept it in an old 100 gallon salt water aquarium. He had transformed the tank into a very nice desert environment. The rattler lived for several years but had recently died. Carl was missing it and knew he needed to find another.
His close circle of friends all had the same love for snakes. Most were happy with the non-lethal types, but there were a couple others like himself who had a fascination for the deadly ones.
His buddy Jeff was one of them. Jeff had a friend who knew a man who could get his hands on one of the deadliest snakes in the world, A Black Mamba. Carl knew it was a long shot. The snake was illegal and had to be smuggled into the country. To get his hands on such a snake would be quite the coup. The fact that it was illegal only made the thought of it much more appealing.
Plans to acquire the Mamba were put into play. Jeff made the necessary contacts. Money had to be paid up front. Jeff was also interested in a Mamba so they put up the money for two.
Several weeks went by and nothing happened. The men were beginning to wonder if they had been duped. Just as they were beginning to give up hope, Jeff got the call. Two snakes would be delivered within the week.
They were stoked. Jeff had his enclosure ready. Carl still needed to make a couple of modifications to keep his pesky cat from trying to get at them. So when the snakes arrived Jeff kept them both for several days.
When Carl finally took his snake home, he was enamored with it. His fascination kicked up a notch when the snake unexpectedly laid a dozen eggs. He couldn’t get to the phone fast enough. Jeff was over in a flash claiming ownership to six of them since surely it was his snake that had done the deed. They kept a close eye on the eggs until they hatched.
It happened several days after they had hatched. Carl came home from work and as his custom he removed his shoes at the door and headed headed straight to the spare room where he kept his snakes. When he opened the door he froze. He had mistakenly closed his cat in the room that morning. The cat had caved in the top of the tank. It was dead inside the tank and the snakes had somehow used the broken top to escape. Thirteen Black Mamba’s were now on the loose… in Carl’s house.
© Copyright 2023 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.
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