“I don’t know, but the more back road it is the better. Go that way,” I said, pointing ahead. “Looks like there is an old country route just ahead a ways.”
I stuck out my arm and waved at Mama to follow us.
We drove down the country road. It was fall and the trees overhead made a canopy of red, yellow, and gold. The road before us was spotted with sunlight. We passed more cars pulled to the side. After we had gone a ways, we turned onto the old country route. It looked like no one had bothered to pave it in years. The trees were low and the road was rough. Vella’s Bronco easily took on the rugged terrain, but I worried about Mama Rosie.
We had been driving for a few hours when we finally came to a fork in the road. We had a choice between two dirt roads. We pulled over and examined the map. The Bronco was low on gas and the small town that was supposed be there wasn’t. Vella’s map seemed to be as old as her Bronco. There was no sign of a town or anything else anywhere. I had wanted to get away from people, but I didn’t want to be in the middle of nowhere. Both roads looked equally country. We knew Mama Rosie’s truck wouldn’t be able to make the haul. She’d have to ride with us.
“Let me go talk her into coming with us,” I said to Vella, opening the door.
“I can move some stuff and fit her in the back.”
“It ain’t her fittin’ I’m much worried about, but I’m thinkin’ she won’t leave her babies.”
Vella nodded. “Well, try to convince her.”
I nodded, and Puck and I hopped out and headed toward Mama’s van.
When I came to the side of the van, Mama wasn’t in the driver’s seat. She must have gone back to check her snakes. I opened the door and called to her. “Mama Rosie?”
She didn’t answer.
I looked down at Puck. He seemed nervous. He never liked Mama’s snakes, and I didn’t blame him. I stepped up into her truck. The cabin door to the van was open. I walked in to see Mama Rosie sitting at the ticket seat at the other end of the van. I also noticed a couple of the pens had been opened.
“Mama, you alright? You got snakes out?” I called.
Mama Rosie didn’t move. Only a little light showed in from the front window and the skylight overhead. Mama’s head hung low.
I took two steps into the van. One of the snakes hissed at me, lunging at its glass cage wall.
“Mama?”
Puck was standing on the driver’s seat in the cab whimpering and dancing around nervously.
When I came up to Mama Rosie, she was still not moving. Her arms and legs hung limply. Her head hung low.
“Mama?” I said, and gently putting my hand on her forehead, I tilted her head back.
Her eyes rolled forward with a flutter. They were milk white. She opened up her mouth and a loud gurgling sound erupted. Two black snakes came slithering from her open mouth. She rose and lunged at me.
Puck started barking loudly.
I ran toward the front of the van, knocking several of the cages down behind me, blocking Mama’s path. As I turned to leave, a snake darted out of in front of me. I jumped sideways and fell into the driver’s seat. Mama Rosie was grunting and pushing at the cages. Puck barked at the snake and chased it out of the van.
I found myself staring down at the driver’s side floor, face to face with one of Mama’s tarantulas. It wandered away. Just then I remembered something. I jabbed my hand under the seat, praying to God no snakes were hidden there, and found Mama Rosie’s handgun.
I pulled it out in time to see Mama Rosie come crashing toward me. I aimed as best I could, closed my eyes, and fired.
I heard Mama Rosie hit the ground with a thud.
A moment later Vella came running up.
“Oh my god! Are you okay?”
I sat up to see I had shot Mama Rosie between the eyes. Snakes were crawling everywhere.
“Get out of there,” Vella called, lending me a hand.
We closed the door to the van and stood at the side of the road breathing hard.
“You shot her in the head,” Vella said.
I was crying. I nodded, wiping the tears from my eyes. I felt like I was going to throw up.
“No, I mean, she went down when you shot her in the head. Beau, he didn’t feel a thing when you hit him across the chin, but he went down when I bashed him on the head. There is something with the head, the brain.”
I nodded, understanding.
I took a deep breath and looked around. “Where the hell are we?” I asked.
“Falling from the tower,” Vella replied.
I frowned. “Now, none of that. Come on,” I said, pulling myself back together. “We need to get somewhere safe. Let me drive for awhile.”