It was his constant nickname for me, since there was always some girl chasing after me even back then.
“You know what happens when you see one right?”
He’s pointed at the one blocking our path.
“Shoot it?” I’d shrugged.
Grandpa had snorted. “Nah. You miss and it’ll get ya. No, boys, you keep him calm. You keep nice and still, let him get used to you until he forgets you’re there, and then…”
I’d half expected a joke about running away, but Grandpa’s face went dead serious.
“Then, when he forgets you’re there, you walk up nice and calm.”
He stepped towards the snake. Suddenly, he’d snapped, his boot lashing out, making Colt and I jump.
“Youcatch himby the neck—”
His boot crunched onto the writhing snake, just behind the head. The thing hissed and lashed at him, but couldn’t get free, and couldn’t bite him.
“And then youcut his damn head off.”
The knife was fast, and suddenly, the snake stopped moving, its body going limp as the severed head rolled away.
Grandpa looked at us sternly.
“That’show you kill a snake. After that, he ain’t gonna bite you, and he ain’t gonna come after you when you walk way.”
I sat bolt upright in bed.
“Colt.”
“What?”
“You asleep?”
“Sound like I am?”
I shook my head. “I know what we have to—”
“You thinking about Gramps and that fucking snake too, huh?”
I stared at my friend, and his eyes went wide.
“Holy shit, I was kidding. Were you really?”
I nodded.
He grinned. “Shit, man. Mind readers.”
“You know what we’re doing tomorrow.”
He nodded grimly.
“Let’s cut the fucking head off this snake.”
16
Johanna