Chapter 26

Insects the size of watermelons attempted to drain my system of its blood. I kept swatting the little beasts away with swinging arms. Many flew past my nose, grazing its slope with their miniature and narrow legs. The sound of silver rice rats echoed around me, moving quickly through the dense grasses, perhaps warning me of my night’s travels, convincing me to turn around and mind my own business.

Yellow-white headlights flashed behind me. A vehicle turned from SR28 onto the dirt road. Not wanting to be seen, I quickly fled to the right side of the road and hunched down inside a mass of sawgrass. God only knew what could bite, sting, lick, or brush against me. The Everglades were dangerous, and the American alligators had me most concerned. I didn’t want to be visited by a blue tail mole skink or an Atlantic salt marsh water snake. Worse yet, an American crocodile could have torn me to shreds.