A Snake Story

By Josh Heath

Published by

Odroerir: The Heathen Journal

August 2014
Volume II

Originally published April, 2012

www.Odroerirjournal.com
Facebook.com/Odroerir
Follow us on Twitter

Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
The contents of this document and website, such as the compilation and arrangement of content including text, graphics, images and other materials, and the hypertext markup language (HTML), scripts,
active server pages (ASP), or other content or software used in this document and website (collectively,
the Material), are protected by copyright under both United States and foreign laws. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use of the Material violates copyright, trademark, and other laws. Regardless of
the extent to which the Material is protected by copyright you agree that you may not sell or modify the
Material or copy, display, retransmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish, broadcast, or otherwise use
Material in any form or media for any public or commercial purpose, including the generation of derivative material, except as expressly permitted by the author or authors. You must retain all copyright and
other proprietary notices contained in the original Material on any copy you make of the Material. The
use of the Material in any document and/or on any other Website or any telecommunication media or in
a networked computer environment for any purpose, without the prior express written permission of the
author or authors, is prohibited.
This article is formatted to be printed two-sided and placed in a binder. The offset margins are intentional for those who would like to print a copy to keep in their personal libraries.

rrir 1

It was a nice warm early fall day and I was basking on top of Rattlesnake Mountain. Its one of the
easier climbs in the state, something you could do in a few hours and then still make it to the party you had
to go to later that day. Or something like that anyway.
I usually did this hike once a week, it was a good way to reenergize after a week of work, and I really
enjoyed the atmosphere and view from the small peak. It was one of those nice places to relax, maybe talk
to a few of the other hikers and let all the worries of the week pass by. Actually, I think the interactions
with other folk are one of the most interesting parts of the hike, especially when you get to meet the day
hikers that bring their girlfriends along on a short hike. You can tell the type, those that want to be more
outdoorsy and intrepid, but rarely make it past the stairs in the mall. I cant say Ive made a habit of it, but
Ive met my fair share of women that way. Usually good for short relationships, the kind you know wont
go too far, but go on long enough to enjoy the company.
I sat there in between the crook of two larger rocks and sipped slowly out of a pleasantly cool water
bottle. Id had the sense to throw a few ice cubes in before I left the house. It was a tad past mid-day and
clouds were floating by, you know the ones were kids are pointing at the different shapes and what not.
I heard the footsteps of someone coming up the path, but I wasnt worried. Id known someone would
come by before too long, it was guaranteed this time of year. An older gentleman, not too old but not
young either, made his way gracefully up the path. He was dressed in green slacks and a green button up
shirt. I figured he must be a forest ranger, but he didnt have the usual patches on. Maybe hed just retired.
He carried with him a cooler, quite a bit bigger than most hikers would have carried. It was one of those
big blue ones, white top and handle, the kind you see at a barbecue. He had worn tan boots on, and had
his distinguished gray hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a long beard. It was trimmed and combed well
though, and like his long hair, just seemed to work.
Hello youngn, his crisp voice traveled over to where I sat.
His accent was odd to say the least. He could have been an old timer from around here, but the way his
hello came out, almost made him sound foreign. Familiar, but not quite what Id expect from one of the
people around here.
Hi, I called back respectfully raising my right hand in greeting.
Yuh mind if I join yah? again he sounded like he could be an old native, but just not quite right.
Mountains not mine. Youre welcome to, with a broad smile on my face I replied.
Yuh right bout that, mountain dont belong tah no one anymarh, he chuckled and left it at that.
He sat down near me on a rock that had been worn down with so many other folks doing just the same.
He set his cooler down and reached towards his feet, stretching his arms down towards them.
Arrrgghhh, if I could tell you not to get old and youd listen, Id do so, he chuckled.
If I could stop it I would, I smiled back again.
With a strangely serious face he said back, Ayuh, Id do the same
I looked him over one more time and sat up straight. I put forward my hand in introduction, My names
Alex.
He took it with a firm grip, I go by quite a few names, but you can call me Grim if you like.
Grim its a pleasure to meet you.
Ayuh.
Again, I got the sense that hed been here for a long time, long enough to pick up the colloquialisms but
not long enough to get rid of that foreign accent he seemed to have. We sat for a few minutes gazing at the
same view, taking in the mountain. I saw him breathe in deeply quite a few times, and I realized he was
doing something I tended to do when I first reached the summit: breathe in the clean air. Usually a silence
like that can drag on, but not this time, it was a pleasant day, and it was nice to see someone get the same

rrir 2

enjoyment as I from it.

About a hundred years ago the last of the rattlesnakes had been killed off in the state. The locals didnt
take to them very well, and there werent enough to really make it hard. This small mountain was just
one of two in the region with the name, so theyd had a pretty wide territory back in the day. Im not one
of those folks who have any sort of phobia about snakes, I kind of find them interesting, and Id heard a
rumor about a project to reintroduce the serpent. I was sure that some bureaucracy would stop that from
happening though. Some mothers group against snakes or something. My opinion was this mountain
could use a few more snakes and a few less flatlanders walking around on it.
Kinda ironic the name of this place isnt it, I asked from my train of thought.
Ayuh, sure is, His smile broadened and he laughed a little, Hasnt been a snake here since the earlier
1900s. Last one was killed in 1906, June 16th.
Wow, thats impressive you know the date and everything?
Ayuh, I make it my business to know, the smile on his face was one of satisfaction at his knowledge.
Id say this mountain could use a few mah snakes and a few less flatlandahs walking around on it,
dont you think? His echo of my exact thoughts was a little strange and his smile was pleasant, but had
an odd knowing sort of look on it.
Uhh, yeah.
Well take a peek at what I got here, he said while cracking open the lid of his cooler.
He raised the lid slightly, and I heard a faint rustling sound come from within. Gently putting his hands
in, he pulled out a small snake, tiny rattle on the end of its tail swaying slightly side to side. At first I
couldnt believe my eyes, here was one of the snakes that had been so long ago snuffed out. What was he
going to do with it? Let just one of them loose? It wouldnt make much difference, I thought. The snake
was beautiful though, its markings were slightly different from any Id seen before, and he seemed to have
no fear from the old man holding him. As I watched him handle the snake, I realized the old man had two
different colored eyes. Both of them moved a little differently than the other, and I realized one of them
had to be fake, a really good fake too, because I couldnt quite tell which one. The rattlesnake wound his
way up his arm, and came to rest in the sun that was shining there. It flicked its tongue a few times, and
seemed content.
Wow, so they finally OKd that program huh? I asked hoping the old man wasnt doing this on his
own volition.
Ayuh, theyll have started the official release soon, this heres a little head start for the fellas.
I sighed with relief that he wasnt just going to release a snake by himself and hoped it worked out, that
sort of thing could lead to a real mess.
When you gonna tell the public?
Well, theyll ah hear about it real soon, Im not part of the wadeya call it, Public Relations Department
in this heah mattah, he laughed and smiled broadly.
He seems to be really comfortable around people.
Not really, hes a bit of a shy one, but Ive spent some time as a snake I got the smell on me, he had
a mad sort of grin on him.
Maybe he misspoke, Im sure he meant to say he spent a lot of time with the snakes.
Just the one though? I asked in a curious way.
Nope, got 6 of em this trip. Be bringing a few more in the next few days. Im sure theyll ah take to
their old home pretty well, he stroked the top of the snakes back while the little rattlers tongue flicked
around for a few seconds.
Im gonna let em out down the way a bit, dont want to put em too close to where the people congregate

rrir 3

just too soon, give em a chance anyway. I figure. Well its been good talkin to yah Alex. At that point
he stood slowly, and placed his charge slowly back into the cooler. And without looking back he ambled
down the path.
Where you from? I called down to him as he left.
All ovah, but last place before I came heah were Iceland, he called over his shoulder.
I sat there for a little bit longer trying to get my head around what was going to happen to my little
mountain.
A few days after that I heard a story on the news, the Fish and Game department had officially decided
against the snake reintegration, however it looked like somehow a container of the snakes had gotten away
from an assistant Warden and had been let loose. Fish and Game had decided to allow those 6 to roam
and would keep an eye on how they were doing with the local population and the program would go from
there. No one could pin point exactly who the assistant warden was either.