Harker Brayston is a scientifically minded layabout, who finds himself confronted by a snake that he discovers under his bed in a San Francisco apartment. There seems to be a perfectly good natural explanation for this, in that Brayston is an occupant and lodger at a house that also contains a reptile house run by a zoology professor friend of his. The Professor’s snakes have a habit of escaping from the laboratories. Brayston knows little about snakes, so he has no way of telling if the snake under the bed is harmless, poisonous or a constrictor. He wisely decides to leave the bedroom to escape from its glowing baleful eyes. At first he is too scared to move, but he eventually steels himself to do so, and makes a few faltering steps towards the door leading out of the bedroom, never taking his eyes off the staring serpent. Brayston stumbles into some bedroom furniture and falls over. He lies almost paralysed, expecting the snake to lunge at him, but instead it seems to hypnotise him and Brayston moves towards the snake, feet first
credits
from Classic Tales Of Horror - Vol.1,
track released November 8, 2010
Written by Ambrose Bierce
Read by Sarah Douglas
Music by Jon Nicholls
Produced/Directed by Neil Gardner