A Desert Tail

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Sparkling shards of glass in the sand reflect the afternoon sunlight. Shadows of Pine and Joshua trees create a shimmering lattice upon a puddle of water in a mist of radiant steam.

Vegetables blossom behind a short block wall. Red and yellow peppers overlook a bed of thriving strawberry vines whose fruit spills over the side of the garden bed.

It's just another beautiful day for sleazing in the summer sunshine at Terry's Mohave Desert oasis. Terry drinks amber lager from a pint glass as he walks about the patio : hummingbirds dart bye then hover around their feeder, waiting restlessly for an available porthole. In the distance, blades of a windmill slowly turn in the breeze.

Walking toward the house to refill his glass, Terry notices a lizard scampering past a sliding door and up onto the shaded wall. Terry enters the door, walks past the pool table and pours his beer from a refrigerated tapper. Opening a compartment beneath the keg, he removes a plastic container which he carries outside to the patio.

As soon as the lid is removed, two more lizards join their companion on the wall in anticipation of a forthcoming treat. Daily lizard feeding is a commonplace event and most in the gathered group are recognized and called by their nicknames. Terry makes sure each waiting mouth receives at least two worms. While feeding his little friends, he notices the absence of his favorite...a pregnant one named Big Fatty. Looking around the patio he sees no sign of her.

As he turns around he spots the big mama upon the garden wall, basking in the sunlight. As he approaches her with a treat, an uninvited guest slithers from beneath the berries and onto the wall. Big Fatty sits frozen...staring into the deadly gaze of a hungry Mojave Green rattlesnake, his tongue menacingly stalking his prey.

In an instant, Terry rushes inside and grabs a shotgun from the rack. Quickly he heads outside toward the crisis on the garden wall, but despite his haste, it's too late. He arrives just in time to see Fatty's lifeless legs protruding from the gaping jaws of the rattler. He watches in sadness as the snake continues to devour his meal...unaware that soon he will join the luncheon lizard in death.

Dust rises as a car pulls up the driveway. Philly, a family friend, gets out and notices Terry holding a shovel with what appears to be a dead snake hanging from the blade.

"Whatcha got there ", Philly asks as he draws closer.
"Crow's dinner", Terry replies as he tosses the limp snake to the ground.
"Looks like you got him pretty good".
"That fucking bastard ate my Fatty and I shot his head off ! I figured I'd let him enjoy his meal then I shot his fucking head off"

A large lump remains in the belly of the dead snake as it lies in the dirt.

Philly and Terry walk past the garden and into the house where they fill their glasses and gather snacks which they carry outside to a small table between two chairs.

Philly and Terry eat smoked salmon and crackers as they drink their amber beer.

Behind the garden, near the end of the drive, crows pick and claw in a frenzy at the headless green corpse.,

"Fucking bastard ate Fatty"