‘Put your hand in.’
Charlie hesitated and looked into the dark hole in the rock.
What was the worst that could happen? It’s just a rock, he told himself.
Legend said it was the skull of an old dinosaur. Another said medieval warriors proved their strength by striking it with their sword. Others believed it was linked to witchcraft, a dark portal to a world of spirits and ghouls.
‘Prove you’re not scared.’
Charlie took a deep breath and shoved his hand into the black crater.
The disturbed adder struck the soft flesh and buried its fangs into the invading arm.
Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).
To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Iain Kelly 
96 responses to “SNAKE BITE”
You might want to change the title, which kind of gives it away
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No thanks Neil, I’m good with it.
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Ouch, poor Charlie, I hope his friend knows what to do. I love the voice, the kids’ scare and dare stories are great.
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Thanks Gabi, glad you liked it.
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Nicely done, as always, but Neil has a point.
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Thanks CE.
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Serves Charlie right! 😂
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Curiosity killed the cat.
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There’s usually some truth in old stories…
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…and they should be listened to. Thanks Jane.
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🙂
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How sad for Charlie! Great story, Iain. I especially liked the many legends around the rock 🙂
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Thank you Moon, glad you liked it.
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How bout “I’ve Adder Idea…”
…Then again, maybe not!
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Ha, thanks Martin, I’ll stick with the one I’ve got for now!
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Good-bye, Charlie. The next question: did the water know? I rather think not but he’ll have to face the music. ☹
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I hope it wasn’t deliberate, but then some people are cruel…
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Oh, brain cell fusion — or auto-correct? What was I trying to say? The other.
This sounds like something a brother would do. One man recalled how, in their youth, his brother dared him to eat a spider sandwich.
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I figured it was a typo 😉
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Well, he sure won’t do that again.
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Even if he gets the chance too lol 🙂
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Yep. In one Iain. in one x
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The things kids do so they don’t lose face!
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Good story. You have a typo… possessive its never has an apostrophe. 😉
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Thanks
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Like the others, I deffo saw that coming.
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Not every story needs to have a surprising twist at the end.
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You call that a snake bite? You’re talking to an Australian here.
Eastern brown snake? Now, that’s a snake. (You might recall a scene from “Crocodile Dundee”.
My husband is almost levitating out of his chair as he reads out Australian snake bite stats and also roars with laughter when he reads that bees, ticks, and other arthropods were responsible for the same number of deaths in Australia as snakes.
I really enjoyed your story and it felt very real.
xx Rowena
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That and the spiders – why I’ll probably never emigrate to Australia! Adders are the only venomous snakes in the UK, and are usually only in the south of England, so I should be safe! Thanks Rowena – I will look at the link on snake bites through my fingers….!
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My husband takes great delight in scaring tourists and foreignors about our wildlife. I must admit, I do it to and it is a bit of an Australian past time. My husband grew up on a farm in Tasmania and he does have quite a few impressive snake and wildlife stories. I’ve had it easy.
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Here’s a link to a great snake bite page: http://www.anaesthesia.med.usyd.edu.au/resources/venom/snakebite.html
xx Rowena
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Very true to life, both the dare and its consequence. As you’ve opted to avoid a twist by choosing the title ‘Snake Bite’, the storyline and/or the description have to do the work. I think they do, and rather well! Nice one, Iain.
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Thank you Penny, very much appreciated.
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Ah, the tragedy of showing off in front of your friends. How many young people have come a cropper doing that? Well told tale, Iain. Let’s hope they’re close to somewhere with some anti-venom.
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The worst that can happen is often the thing you didn’t even think about in your calculations. Maybe he’ll think twice (er, three times? more times?) before going along with the next dare.
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Certainly learned his lesson – this would also be my worst nightmare!
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It would be pretty scary, indeed!
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I grew up around adders; as children we were encouraged to hunt them! So your story title works for me
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My worst nightmare!
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Mine too!
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Umm thanks anyway. You can call me scaredy cat all you like 🙂
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You’ve named your piece after one of my favourite tipples. Nowt wrong with that! Fangs for a great little tale.
Click to read my FFfAW
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Ha, I can picture you enjoying a Snake Bite while you read the Friday Fictioneers stories Keith!
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Boys are so fearlessly stupid…
But we are not surprised that’s what happens, thanks to your title 😉
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😉 Thanks Dale
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Seems we both went the snake-route today! I think my title also gives the story away! A well. I think your story is grand!
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Thanks Alicia, funny that we both went that way. Clearly this rock looks like somewhere a snake would enjoy!
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Charlie is a “sucker” – I think he’s going to find out what is the worst thing that can happen now!
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Yes, a harsh lesson, but if he survives hopefully he is wiser.
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Dang fang! I hope he got medical attention pretty soon. Nice one Iain.
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I’m hoping the darer redeemed themselves by getting help. Thank you.
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great story. when i was a kid, i put my hand into a hole on the ground just for curiosity’s sake. as soon as i felt something moved, i pulled it off. thanks goodness, i survived leaving me to wonder what it could have been. 🙂
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Yikes – whatever it was probably got as much as a shock as you did 🙂
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The one thing they should have worried about wasn’t even on their list. What a sad way to end.
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There are always hidden dangers
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Oh crumbs, made me think of Peter Duncan in Flash Gordon!
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Ha, you’re right, I had forgotten that – and I think Timothy Dalton has to chop his hand off. Classic stuff.
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no way in hell would I do that! ouch!! poor boy
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I’m with you there.
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Perfect ending, Iain! You didn’t go the monster route. I grew up in the woods, so snakes and I leave each other alone. You learn respect for the great outdoors. Super story-telling!
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Thank you, maybe if I had been around more snakes I wouldn’t fear them so much!
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Probably. I hate rats, though. Maybe that’s why I like snakes. 😀
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Saw that coming but it still made me shiver.
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Thanks Liz
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Dear Iain,
Dare I say that your ending bites? 😉 Not every story needs to have a surprise ending. Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Or does the ending suck? Thanks Rochelle 🙂
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Ouch, I guess that will teach him to never put his hand in rocks and crevices.
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He will have learned his lesson. Thanks for reading.
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Oh no! The title didn’t give it away for me. I thought it was what they imagined could happen, not what did.
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Thanks Louise, sometimes our worst fears are realised!
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Nice take on the prompt. Sometimes you have to wonder how any kids survive childhood.
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Thank you
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In India there are many species of snakes but most of them are non-poisonous. snakes love to coil up in dark places and poor Charlie invaded
the snake’s den and was at the receiving end.
http://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/08/re-invent.html
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No more dares for Charlie, dare i say. Superb story telling, Lian.
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Thanks Neel
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I never was big on dares. Especially, the double-dog dare variety. I’m even more scared of snakes. Especially the disturbed variety. Perhaps the snake should go to counseling.
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He now has PTSD to add to his problems.
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That’s the same boy that stuck his tongue to the frozen pole during winter time.
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Haha, probably is!
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Oh no!! Curiousity can be dangerous. I hope he gets help in time
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Thanks Laurie, I think he’ll survive, but steer clear of any snakes and dark places for a long time…
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I was concerned when you said ours were ‘alike’. I freaked when i saw we had the same character name. I swear, i had not read yours before i wrote mine, so either we have the same muse or just think alike. At least my snake was different. Anyway, great story as always 🙂
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Ha, great minds, Susan 🙂
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Charlie talked himself right into a bad move – as so often happens when we believe we have something to prove.
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Thanks Honie
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Ha! This reminds me of Marty McFly willing to do anything at all at the taunt ‘what are you, chicken?’ Enjoyed the story.
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Love those films!
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Me too!
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I loved the rumours and legends around the rock, maybe a bite like this is how some of them started…
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I’m sure Charlie will tell a few different versions of his story – if he survives…
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Are adders are the only subtracters in UK?
Growing up in remote army cantonments in India I have plenty of memories. Like discovering a cobra under the bed. Cobras, vipers, pythons, kraits I’ve seen them all. And then I moved to Australia, sigh…..
Nice story though, a very believable scenario.
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In the UK we have non-venomous snakes – grass and corn snakes, but Adders are the only dangerous ones, yes – thankfully!
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He’ll never have to “prove” it again.
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If he even gets another chance…
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Ouch!
Probably why I never give into dares positive or negative.
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Quite right 🙂
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