A Wing and a Prayer
“The python should never be here and the birds, they should have left long before now.” I could barely hear Phillip over the ski mobile’s roaring engine as we trekked through the deep snow. The rumble from underneath the drift gave clue to its slithering path. “Do you think it’s still here?” I leaned up putting my mouth close to his ear. He turned his goggle covered face towards me and nodded.
I wasn’t too worried about the birds, but the snake reared its mighty head and then dove back under the cold as if it were gliding through the tropics. We caught him on our wildlife cam. His head large and bumpy, covered by a dark green silk skin. I had never seen anything like this. It took less than five minutes for us to jump into our gear and head out. The mighty snake was still travelling when we reached the beginning point of its journey. I suspected it to be at least forty feet in length and possibly a foot in diameter.
“Let’s go back! What is it we intend to do, anyways?” Phillip ignored my pleas and continued to follow the serpent’s belly marks which halted directly under the frozen tree.
“It’s stopped.” Phillip turned off the snow mobile but the echo from underneath the accumulation was still quite piercing. “Phillip, it’s moving around us, listen.” We could see the circular pattern blocking us in. “We have to get out of here.” He shouted. The vehicle couldn’t escape the round drifts the animal made, moving forwards, and then sliding backwards into the trunk of the tree. We were stuck! “We must climb to the top of that tree or we’re his!” Phillip pushed me on.
We dug our boots into the ice-covered bark as the snake raised up nearly eye level to us. He hissed and moaned then curled up at the bottom of the tree, laying there at peace, guarding his prey.
“What are we going to do?” I blamed Phillip for his unwise hastiness. “Pray.” He faithfully spoke. I was a believer, so what better way to end my journey here on earth. There was no escaping this. I closed my eyes.
“Look!” Phillip pointed. “The birds are coming back.” Each member of the flock grasped our coat threads with their small beaks and in unison delivered us back to our home. We agreed, they must be angels.
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