Josie's Valor by Peggy L Henderson

Author:Peggy L Henderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Peggy Henderson

Chapter 12

Josie inhaled slowly. Her head rested on one outstretched arm, while her other hand inched toward the knife at her hip in torturously slow motion. She was taking a huge risk, and the slightest movement might be her last, but it was her only chance.

The ever-thickening dust in the air tickled her nose and throat. Holding back the urge to cough was excruciating. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest. There had only been one other time in her life when she’d been this scared.

Josie’s jaw clenched tightly, and she drew in another slow, deep breath as her hand continued to inch toward the hilt of her knife. Her eyes remained on the snake that was no more than a few feet away from her face. The reptile was coiled and ready to strike, its tail in the air and rattling an ominous warning.

If she managed to grip her knife, there would only be one chance. She’d have to be quicker than the serpent, and her aim had to be true.

Dust continued to kick up around her, and she blinked to remove the grit from her eyes. Josie swallowed, but her throat was parched and nearly closed off from the lump that seemed to grow larger by the second.

“No matter what situation ya find yerself in, always remember ta stay calm.”

Harley’s words echoed in her mind. How could she stay calm as she stared death in the eyes? A tear rolled down her face. Would she ever see Cora and Caroline, or anyone else at Harley’s Hole again? For years, her greatest fear had been another encounter with a man such as the one she’d endured as a young girl, yet here she was, facing death from a potential rattlesnake bite.

The tips of her fingers made contact with the hilt of her knife, just as the snake uncoiled and began to move. Every fiber in her demanded she grip the weapon and hurl it at the snake, but she remained immobile. Even the slightest move would cause the reptile to strike, and then it would be all over for her.

As she drew in another slow breath, the tickling in her nose from breathing in the dry dust became agonizing. Josie held her breath. She was about to sneeze.

To her horror, the snake slithered directly toward her. The urge to scream and jump out of the way became unbearable. Josie tensed even more when something moved across her leg. She didn’t dare glance down, but there was no doubt that the snake was crawling over her.

Her heart pounded up her throat, and the sound of it beating in her ears made it impossible to hear anything else. Seconds passed that seemed like a lifetime. Where had the creature gone? It had moved over her legs and could be anywhere behind her.

Josie couldn’t turn around to look. She couldn’t stay lying immobile for much longer, either. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sent silent words of love to her sisters.

Something moved along the back of her leg.

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