THE VISITATION

Gather 'round, boys and girls - I have a story to tell. It's a short story, but I'll do my usual best to make it unnecessarily long.
It's also an unfinished story. I have no idea what the outcome will eventually be.

In order to enhance the story, and enthrall you with viewing pleasure, I have photos! 

In my humble and dilapidated abode (that's my house, in case you're puzzled) there's a built-in bookcase adjacent to the kitchen. I can see it from the kitchen table - where I eat and often use my laptop.

The bookcase has six shelves. I use the fourth and fifth shelves to display a haphazard array of antiques. I chose these shelves because they're high enough to keep my two curious cats away. Unfortunately, the height of these shelves have never deterred the mice (no kidding, mice have attempted to nest there).

A photo of the bookcase taken yesterday, after I removed the antiques (I'm in the process of painting the shelves white - which has nothing to do with my story).

As you can clearly see, the shelves are cluttered. Many of the porcelain and China antiques are from the 1700s. The antique photos are all originals. They include photos of Queen Alexandra of England, her son Crown Prince Albert Victor, Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his son Alexei, and the Bavarian King Ludwig II.

This has nothing to do with my story, but I wanted to impress you.

So yesterday afternoon I'm sitting at the kitchen table - worrying about the endless thunderstorms, the constant power outages, and my increasing health issues (with are genuinely scaring the jeeters out of me).

And I look at the bookcase and THINK I see one of the photos move. I also heard a distinct clinking sound, coming from the other antiques.

Holy hell, I'm thinking. I hope there isn't a ghost in the house.

Reluctantly, I get up and go over to the bookcase to investigate.
At first I don't see anything out of the ordinary.

On close inspection, I think I see something curious behind the photos.....but I'm not quite sure.

The something that I thought I saw is becoming more clear......and I'm quickly catapulted into Panic Mode.
I didn't want to believe it - but it is alarmingly true!

Yes, boys and girls, there's a SNAKE lurking on the shelf among my antiques!!!!

I was far beyond shocked - -
I don't know how he got up there...or how he managed to avoid knocking all the antiques over.
To hell with the serpent! My first instinct was to remove as many antiques and photos as possible. I put on work gloves and began carefully removing items one by one. The snake's tail was sort of entwined in the back of one photo, so I left it there.

To make a long story short - which, of course at this point is a complete impossibility - I got my tried-and-true weapons of defense against serpents - - a broom and an empty trash can. It should be fairly easy to capture him.

But here's the kicker - - - -

When I returned to the bookcase, the snake WAS GONE!! Vanished.
I was beyond stunned. I searched everywhere but no sign of the serpent.

So here I am, writing this after midnight - knowing that there's a loose reptile somewhere in the house.

I'm reluctant to go to bed. If the snake can get onto the fifth shelf of a large bookcase, he can damn well crawl into my bed while I'm sleeping.

End of story?
Not quite. I'll be keeping an eye open all night. And I'll continue my search tomorrow. If I live that long.

Wish me luck, comrades. I sure as hell am going to need it.

                              Cheers, Jon