A TMoOD Story
From Tracy (Bombwatcher)
Livy crossed the kitchen after hearing Franklin's urgent barks. She didn't bother to hide the smile that lifted her lips. There were only a few times when Franklin would bark like that, and one of them was when Ray arrived home from a hard day's work. She found it amazing how quickly she had grown to love the tall, handsome man. His kindness had broken down every barrier and consumed each fear she had.
She made her way to the front window and looked out. But when Ray's truck was not seen in the driveway and Franklin's barks continued, Livy walked to the front door, her hands resting on her swollen belly. It was then that she realized how lonely she was when Ray was not home; she anxiously awaited his company.
Suddenly, Franklin's warnings stopped. Pulling the door open, Livy stepped onto the front porch. The dog was no where to be seen. "Franklin," she called, pulling her sweater closer to her shoulders. The cold chill that hung in the air added to the shudder that started somewhere in her back and rose until her body shoo. She called the dog's name louder, walking down to the front steps.
Glancing down the long, winding driveway, she silently prayed that Ray was coming. He wasn't.
Livy made her way to the barn, knowing that Franklin would stay in the musty building whenever it was cold outside. She stepped inside, stopping to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim light. When they did, she saw Franklin seated by one of the stalls, his head lowered as if watching something close to the ground.
"Franklin, what are you doing? You scared me, you silly. . ." She turned to walk out but stopped when Franklin yelped loudly. Just as she was about to tell him to stop, she heard a quiet rattling. Her heart began to pound. She slowly turned back. A gasp rose in her throat when she saw it.
A rattlesnake.
While it was true that she had only read about rattlesnakes and had never actually seen one, the fear that shot through her body told her she needed to do something instead of stand and watch as it neared Franklin. "Franklin, get back," She yelled. The dog took a step back, his eyes keenly watching the long snake. But, every step the dog stepped back, the reptile would slither forward.
Livy watched in horror as the snake suddenly turned and began the slow trek towards her, all the while, his tail flicking back and forth. She stood in stunned silence as it came within a few feet of her. Her eyes stayed trained on the long, slithering beast as it inched forward, but out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Franklin slowly walking towards her. She longed to call out to Ray, but instead she stayed silent.
With a quick motion, the snake's neck snapped forward, showing his true power. Everything in Livy told her to run, but the closed door behind her lent no support. Again, the snake snapped, not even a foot from her legs. Her body tensed as she slowly moved her hands to her pocket, pulling out a bandana. Rolling it into a ball, she quickly threw it close to the snake. As she suspected, the motion caught it's attention and with it temporarily replaced, Livy quickly moved away from the door, towards the ladder.
Franklin's eyes were keenly trained on the slithering animal as he walked forward, ignoring Livy's desperate whispers to make him stay in place. When the snake suddenly struck forward close to her legs, Livy screamed and jumped to the ladder, miraculously grabbing on and staying in place. She immediately pulled her self higher and higher until she was in the loft. "Thank goodness," she whispered, placing a hand protectively over her abdomen.
Glancing down to her leg, Livy's eyes widened when she saw speck of deep red blood on her ankle. "Oh God, no." She gently grazed her index finger over the area, removing the blood, then inhaled deeply when she saw fresh blood oozing from a small wound. "Oh no. . . please no!" From below her, she heard Franklin's sharp barks. She removed her stare from the blood on her leg and slowly looked over the edge of the loft, fighting the sudden wave of dizziness. "It's probably just from the height," she said to herself, praying that the latitude was indeed the cause. Looking down to where Franklin stood, barking angerly at the snake who now seemed very interested in the gray dog. "Franklin, run!" Livy called desperately. "Get out of here!" An idea quickly formed in her mind. "Franklin, go get Ray! Go, Franklin, go find Ray!" As if understanding, the dog looked up to her. "Yes, that's right! Go get Ray, Franklin! Now!"
Immediately, the dog dodged the snake and ran to the door, then pushed it open with his small bodies weight. And just as quickly, he was gone, barking urgently for his master.
"Please, God. . . just let him find. . ." Before she could form her husband's name, Livy fainted.
She made her way to the front window and looked out. But when Ray's truck was not seen in the driveway and Franklin's barks continued, Livy walked to the front door, her hands resting on her swollen belly. It was then that she realized how lonely she was when Ray was not home; she anxiously awaited his company.
Suddenly, Franklin's warnings stopped. Pulling the door open, Livy stepped onto the front porch. The dog was no where to be seen. "Franklin," she called, pulling her sweater closer to her shoulders. The cold chill that hung in the air added to the shudder that started somewhere in her back and rose until her body shoo. She called the dog's name louder, walking down to the front steps.
Glancing down the long, winding driveway, she silently prayed that Ray was coming. He wasn't.
Livy made her way to the barn, knowing that Franklin would stay in the musty building whenever it was cold outside. She stepped inside, stopping to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim light. When they did, she saw Franklin seated by one of the stalls, his head lowered as if watching something close to the ground.
"Franklin, what are you doing? You scared me, you silly. . ." She turned to walk out but stopped when Franklin yelped loudly. Just as she was about to tell him to stop, she heard a quiet rattling. Her heart began to pound. She slowly turned back. A gasp rose in her throat when she saw it.
A rattlesnake.
While it was true that she had only read about rattlesnakes and had never actually seen one, the fear that shot through her body told her she needed to do something instead of stand and watch as it neared Franklin. "Franklin, get back," She yelled. The dog took a step back, his eyes keenly watching the long snake. But, every step the dog stepped back, the reptile would slither forward.
Livy watched in horror as the snake suddenly turned and began the slow trek towards her, all the while, his tail flicking back and forth. She stood in stunned silence as it came within a few feet of her. Her eyes stayed trained on the long, slithering beast as it inched forward, but out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Franklin slowly walking towards her. She longed to call out to Ray, but instead she stayed silent.
With a quick motion, the snake's neck snapped forward, showing his true power. Everything in Livy told her to run, but the closed door behind her lent no support. Again, the snake snapped, not even a foot from her legs. Her body tensed as she slowly moved her hands to her pocket, pulling out a bandana. Rolling it into a ball, she quickly threw it close to the snake. As she suspected, the motion caught it's attention and with it temporarily replaced, Livy quickly moved away from the door, towards the ladder.
Franklin's eyes were keenly trained on the slithering animal as he walked forward, ignoring Livy's desperate whispers to make him stay in place. When the snake suddenly struck forward close to her legs, Livy screamed and jumped to the ladder, miraculously grabbing on and staying in place. She immediately pulled her self higher and higher until she was in the loft. "Thank goodness," she whispered, placing a hand protectively over her abdomen.
Glancing down to her leg, Livy's eyes widened when she saw speck of deep red blood on her ankle. "Oh God, no." She gently grazed her index finger over the area, removing the blood, then inhaled deeply when she saw fresh blood oozing from a small wound. "Oh no. . . please no!" From below her, she heard Franklin's sharp barks. She removed her stare from the blood on her leg and slowly looked over the edge of the loft, fighting the sudden wave of dizziness. "It's probably just from the height," she said to herself, praying that the latitude was indeed the cause. Looking down to where Franklin stood, barking angerly at the snake who now seemed very interested in the gray dog. "Franklin, run!" Livy called desperately. "Get out of here!" An idea quickly formed in her mind. "Franklin, go get Ray! Go, Franklin, go find Ray!" As if understanding, the dog looked up to her. "Yes, that's right! Go get Ray, Franklin! Now!"
Immediately, the dog dodged the snake and ran to the door, then pushed it open with his small bodies weight. And just as quickly, he was gone, barking urgently for his master.
"Please, God. . . just let him find. . ." Before she could form her husband's name, Livy fainted.
