A Certain September's Evening

Roald Dahl's masterpiece, "Poison", retold in the krait's perspective.

I’ve lived with Human for yearsss now, too many that I cannot keep track with ssso few fingersss. Human is interesssting creature. He risssesss with Sssun and sssleepsss with Moon. Tsssk. What a shame- wassste of Huntsss.

Though Huntsss do not concern me the mossst with Human. He isss a concccceited creature. He ssseess himssself asss paramount to even membersss of hisss own kind. Tsssk. What a shame- wassste of Heart.

Human’sss Heart iss ssstained with the viewsss of the White Way.

A cccertain Ssseptember’sss evening I deccccided to teach Human Lesssson.

You sssee, Human’sss bungalow providesss me with many dark and cozy nooksss for me to ssslither up in for an afternoon nap. The cranniesss beneath the layersss of fresh, warm laundry- I’d have to sssay my favorite hideoutsss for a relaxxxing doze.

On that cccertain Ssseptember’sss evening I ssslithered under Human’sss bed sheetsss, crisssp and cool from the night’sss coming. I ssspotted hisss exposssed flesh and resssisssted the temptation to lunge.

I eyed hisss ssstomach.

Rissse. Fall.

Rissse. Fall.

I inched a sssmidge clossser.

Rissse. Fall.

Rissse. Fall.

I pressssed my nossse to hisss ssside.

Rissse…

I ssslinked my ssslender body onto hisss warm flesh.

Human drew in a quick gasssp, a tiny whisssp of air. Hisss body tensssed. He wasss aware of my presssenccce. Thisss through Human into a frenzy of panic. He sssummond not one, but two othersss of hisss kind to calm thisss panic of hisss. One of which wasss not of the White Way. Nonethelessss, they had many ideasss to drive me out from under the coversss. With each attempt, I’d ssslither my ssslender body a hair clossser to the edge of the bed.

One hair.
Two hairsss.
Five hairsss.
Ten.

I wasss off.

Jussst in time too. Human and hisss helpersss ssslipped the coversss off to reveal Human’sss bare ssstomach. They drew in a quick gasssp, a tiny whisssp of air. I sssmiled.

“You don’t think you might possibly have been dreaming, do you, Mr. Pope?” asssked the Human of Darknessss. Human’sss eyesss began to shine and hisss mouth began to twitch.

“Are you telling me I’m a liar?” Human shouted. He clenched hisss teeth and added, “Why you dirty little ______ sewer rat! You dirty black _____!”

I wasss ssstunned. I knew Human’sss Heart was ssstained a very dark color with White Way viewsss, though I had not realized how dark until hisss sssudden outburssst. Tsssk. What a shame- wassste of Lesssson.

I ssslipped away to a dusssty corner of the bungalow and dozed off into a very heavy sssleep. On that cccertain Ssseptember’sss evening I dreamt of black sssnakess, yellow sssnakesss, and ssspotted black and yellow sssnakess… all on the sssame Hunt.