The cop announces he’s going to dispatch the rattlesnake with his pistol. He’s shaking, and sure to blast a hole in my concrete. The bullet may ricochet. I ask if he can just let the snake off with a warning. He’s unconvinced but waits while I run inside. I return armed with the box cover from my Monopoly game, which I toss across the patio. It drops over the coiled viper with a gentle flup, and we both breathe relief. The rattler does not pass Go or collect $200 but silently awaits Animal Control and its release in the woods.
Tracy Royce's writing appears in/is forthcoming in Bending Genres, Does It Have Pockets, The Dribble Drabble Review, Scrawl Place, Villain Era, and elsewhere. Bluesky: @tracyroyce.bsky.social