Leaves and branches slapped their faces as they ran in the direction they thought the scream had come from. Another scream rent the air.

"Over there!" yelled Petra and they corrected their course slightly.

"Mierda!" Viktor said. "He's going to attract another damn biter!"

Ahead, sunlight shining through a break in the overhead canopy highlighted a person moving through the foliage.

"Ian!" called James.

"I-I'm here! A snake bit me!" The boy began wailing in high keening sobs.

The boy was sitting on a large anvil-shaped boulder, rocking back and forth, cradling one of his hands.

"I want my mommy!" he cried.

Petra grabbed James and Viktor to halt them. "Where did the snake go?" The soft grass was short and thin enough in the small clearing to see there was no snake near them, but enough detritus had piled against the rock bottom to hide a large one.

The boy just lifted his head and wailed again. "It hurts!"

"Look, kid, Ian, you need to tell us where the snake is."

He pointed off the far end of the rock. "It went that way."

James carefully walked over, stamping as he went. A long, thin branch lay on the ground, so he grabbed it and began shifting the leaves near the base of the rock. Staying well back, he hunched over and peered carefully into the shadows, slowly working his way around.

While James searched, Petra said, "Ian, I need you to take a deep breath. You have to calm down."

"You're going to attract a zombie, kid!" Viktor added angrily as he scanned the trees.

"Z-z-z-waaaaa!" the kid's wails took on an edge of terror.

"That wasn't helpful, Vik."

Viktor smiled apologetically and bit his lips together.

Petra put her hands on the boy's bare knees. The epitome of calm, she said, "Ian, I need you to look at me."

The boy shook his head, his face still tipped back to the sky. "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts," he chanted, shaking his injured hand as if he could throw of the pain.

"I know that, and I'm sorry it hurts. We're going to get you help as soon as we can. I need you to tell me what kind of snake it was, if you know. Or just what the snake looked like. It's really important, Ian."

"It was a big rattlesnake. It was longer than my arm!"

The Massasauga rattlesnake was common in the region. Normally they left people alone and would vacate an area if they felt the vibrations of feet – part of the reason James had been stamping as he walked – but, like most any creature, the snake would bite if threatened or surprised.

Petra gently stretched out the boy's arms, leaving his hands together, to examine the bitten hand. The double punctures from the snake's fangs were far apart. It had been a big one, which meant Ian had probably been injected with a large dose of venom.

"We need to suck out the venom!" Viktor whispered.

"Just wait!" Petra snapped. She motioned to James to give her the backpack. "How did it bite you? Did you step on it or something?"

The boy opened his eyes and looked at her. His mouth was turned down in a deep frown. "No. I saw it sitting here on the rock. I just wanted a closer look, so I climbed up. But I didn't touch it or anything. I just got a bit closer. Then it bit me!"

"Didn't you hear the rattle?" Petra asked turning the hand to look more closely at the red, swollen skin.

"Sure, but I was over here, and it was over there. I didn't think it was dangerous."

Viktor snorted. The boy's lower lip wobbled in response.

"Vik! Not helping!" James chastened. "The kid didn't know that snakes can strike really far."

"Ian, please do me a favour in the future and don't try to get close to or touch wild animals, ok?" The nine-year-old nodded seriously in response, the condescension in Viktor's tone going over his head.

Ian eyes welled up with tears. "I don't think I like camping very much."

Petra closed her eyes tightly for a second. "I can imagine."

She unzipped the bag James handed over and pulled out the radio. "Chief, it's Petra. Are you there?"

Almost immediately he responded, "I'm here! Have you found him?"

"Yes! He was bitten by a rattlesnake on the hand. It looks like it was a big one."

"Should we suck out the venom?" Viktor called over her shoulder.

"No! You might get sick from the venom, too. Don't put a tourniquet on or raise his hand in the air or anything. You need to get him into town as fast as possible."

"Am I going to die?" Ian's voice rose to a peak.

Petra gave him a strained smile. "You're not going to die, Ian. Scout Leader Dan is waiting for you in town."

"Where are you?" the Chief asked.

Petra raised her brows. "We came in a pretty straight line from the Thornton's, but we're in the bush, Chief. He'll have to walk out."

"He shouldn't walk! Is there any way you can carry him?"

"I can try to piggyback him," James said dubiously. The boy was on the chubby side, but James was fairly muscular from years of doing work around the rectory and town.

"I'll meet you at the Thornton's. If I'm not there, get him to Dr Nesbitt's. I'll tell someone to meet you there to give him the anti-venom. Call me if you need me. Over and out."

James backed up to the edge of the rock. "Alright, Ian, giddy-up."

The boy used his heels and good hand to drag his butt forward to the edge of the rock. "I'm too high," the boy whined.

James turned his head to speak over his shoulder. "Just wrap your legs around my waist and lean forward onto me, then scooch off the rock and I'll catch you. Easy-peasy."

The boy nodded and wrapped his arms and legs somewhat around James' middle and neck. His injured hand stuck out awkwardly. He leaned forward allowing gravity to help him along. During the milliseconds of his forward momentum, something rustled in the underbrush.

Ian zeroed in on the movement, gave a shriek of fear and tilted too far. He grabbed at James' shoulders, but cried in pain when he grasped with his injured hand. The hand instinctively released, causing Ian to tumble to the side, sliding down the uneven face of the boulder.

A squirrel came running out from under a fern and stopped to sniff the air.

"Gilipollas," swore Viktor, shaking his head in disdain. "Not everything that moves is a zombie!"

A low whimper came from the pile that was Ian. Petra and James looked at each other in incredulity.

James craned his neck to look down where the boy had fallen behind him. He turned and squatted, brushed the black hair out of the boy's eyes. "You okay, Ian?"

The boy looked up with doleful eyes. "I fell."

James bit his lip to hold back a smile. "I see that. Let's get you up, eh?"

Ian shifted and pushed up on an elbow.

The trio hissed when they saw the myriad of scratches across his cheek from where he'd scraped down the rock during the fall.

"What?" Ian's eyes jumped between the three of them and instantly teared up.

"You've got a nasty scrape is all," James said. He extended a hand. "Upsy-daisy."

"Ahh! My knee!" cried Ian when he tried to stand. He fell back against the rock, wincing painfully. He grabbed the joint, rocking back and forth. When he caught sight of the long, bloody scratches down the outside of his shin he wailed, "I'm bleeding!"

"Shhh!" said Viktor vehemently. "Seriously, kid, you have to put a cap on the noise!"

Petra squatted beside James and touched the back of the boy's hand. "Viktor's right, Ian. I know it hurts, and you're scared. We're scared, too."

His eyes grew wider. "You are?"

"I've been terrified pretty much since last night," Petra replied.

"Me, too," James admitted.

Petra gave James a warm smile. "We can't stay here, though. We've got to get into town."

"But I can't walk, and I won't be able to hold on for a piggyback," the boy's whole face sagged in the saddest frown. "Are you going to leave me behind?"

"Never!" Petra gripped his good hand. "We just need to figure out how to get you there."

James sized up Ian. "Pet, I don't think I can carry him in my arms very far."

She blew her breath out noisily. "We don't have any rope."

"Yeah, no vines grow around here, either." Viktor smirked. He threw up his hands at Petra's glower. "Movies, dude-ette! There're always vines or whatever in the movies to make a sling from or lash branches together with."

"Well, unfortunately, we only have pretty much the clothes on our back. Hmmm..."

"Pet, what are you thinking?" James almost laughed. He knew that little side-smile Petra had on her face. She had an idea. Crap. He felt himself starting to respond to the super-intelligence she was about to unleash.

"Take off your pants."

"Come again?" Double crap! Now James was on full alert. He prayed that Petra kept her eyes up.

James gulped. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He'd always been so careful with Petra. She knew he was a guy, of course, but he wasn't ready to have her see him waving a flag of passion.

"Uh, Petra, I know you have a thing for James, but is this really the moment?" Viktor raised both eyebrows at her.

"For a sling, doofus!" Petra said. "We tie the legs together, or something, then hold them up over our shoulders and carry him between us."

The sound of hungry moans and shuffling feet reached them.

Viktor jerked upright. "Alright, Petra, if we're gonna do it, we gotta do it fast! We've got company!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Rattlesnakes can possibly strike up to two-thirds their body length. So, a three-foot snake may be able to strike up to two feet away. Keep your distance, folks!

The stamping thing does work, however. We used to carry a stick with us while tramping through the woods to whack the ground with as well or flick away a snake if we startled one by accident and couldn't safely get away. Snakes like to sun themselves on hot rocks, so if you come across any while hiking, don't try to move the snake! Just make a wide circle around it.

In Spanish (according to the blog I consulted):

Gilipollas = idiot or jerk

For my UK readers, just to be clear, 'pants' in North America means 'trousers', not 'underwear' 😉

WORD COUNT: 1679

NANO WORD COUNT: 29, 000

TOTAL WORD COUNT: 30, 825