Dream Thirteen

There has been a new initiative proposed in this particular province of the nation. The children need to be protected from the terrorists, it has been decided. Like dolphins protecting swimmers from sharks, giant cobra snakes with potent venom will keep the children safe from terrorists. The buildings in this area have an antique feel. They are adobe and have dirt floors.

I an in a pit of sorts, or perhaps it is a room with no ceiling or doors. In any case, there are perhaps three infants here and an equal number of large venomous snakes. I somehow anger two of them. I have a child in my arms, not my own. They rise up to strike. I instinctively jerk away, but they are far faster.

One of them bites me in the arm… near my bicep. I’m hit with an excruciating blast of pain. I have a vision of my arm turning black and blue and falling off. I want to throw these accursed children at the snakes as a distraction. I’m lying on the ground, quaking in pain. The cobra is still attached to my arm. I know I have to reach over with my other arm to remove the fangs from my flesh.