As I stared the cottonmouth in the eyes I tried to recall everything that I had learned about protecting yourself from a snake.

Make yourself big, make lots of noise, don’t run.

No, that was in case of a bear. What do you do when you’re looking something so dangerous dead in the eyes?

This thought was interrupted by the snake hissing at me, its bisected tongue flicking through its pinhole sized mouth. I could just imagine how sharp those fangs must be…

It was cool out that day and the sun began to peek through the clouds. I felt my eyes lower but didn’t dare to break the snake’s gaze. And as the sun hit, in the glimmer of its eyes I saw my own reflection. In that moment I felt fear, and as I stared myself in the eyes I tried to recall everything that I had learned about protecting myself from a  snake.