Hexed in Texas by Kathy Burford

Author:Kathy Burford [Burford, Kathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Speculations
Published: 2020-02-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18. Unusual Weather

“Son of a gun!” yelled Alvin Bettergood, erstwhile Alamo excavator and temporary River Walk tour guide. The boat, crammed with tourists, rocked furiously in the water. Alvin grabbed the edge of the boat with one hand and held the other hand up to shield his face as the rain assailed him. He blinked up at the black, sulphur-streaked sky.

A gurgling wail and a kick in his shin caught Alvin’s attention. He looked down to see a young man rocking back and forth, kicking, with his eyes screwed shut. Many of the passengers were crying, clutching the sides of the boat and clinging to each other. A few sat silent, grimly grasping the seats beside them. They were all drenched by the rain and the waves.

“Everything’s all right. Just calm down,” Alvin urged at the top of his voice. He heard a plop, as a garter snake landed in the bottom of the boat, seemingly stunned.

“Oh my God, it’s raining snakes!” screamed a young woman in a yellow coat sitting near Alvin. She shrieked even louder as a small snake landed in her lap, wriggling. “Help, help!” She grabbed at the man sitting beside her, who shied away from her as she shut her eyes tight and flailed her hands ineffectually.

Barely keeping his balance, Alvin took a half step toward the young woman. He bent over, grabbed the bewildered snake, and tossed it ashore. “It’s just a little garter snake, ma’am,” he yelled in her ear. “Can’t hurt you none.”

But what was it doing falling out of the sky? Alvin patted the woman’s shoulder. “You can open your eyes. It’s gone.” The woman quieted but kept her eyes closed, hitting out at the man beside her. “You coward, Darren!”

Alvin flinched as a toad hit his face and bounced down to the deck. He squatted down to grab the other garter snake and the toad, surprised when an older female passenger leaned over to help by steadying his shoulder to keep him from falling. Alvin grabbed the snake and toad, flinging them to shore. He saw a mid-sized fish landing on top of the water by the boat. It looked like a bass. The fish lay there for a moment or two, tossed by the waves, then regained its senses and dove under the roiling water.

Alvin made his way to a seat at the back of the tour boat and grabbed it, struggling to sit down. He stared at the terrified and panicky passengers. What could he say?

“It’s just a sudden storm,” Alvin tried. Maybe a joke would help. “You know what they say about Texas weather,” he shouted. “If you don’t like it, just wait a minute. It’ll change.” No one laughed or even seemed to notice him.

It hadn’t taken even a minute, though, for the storm to take hold. It had appeared out of nothing: one minute the sky was baby blue and the water had nary a ripple, then all hell broke loose. Alvin gave up the hopeless task of trying to calm his charges and held on, trying to ride out the pelting rain.

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