You See What You Choose To See

The anxious man froze. His heart hammered against his ribcage. A snake—coiled and ready to strike—blocked the only path home.

Darkness was falling fast. Sweat in his forehead as cortisol flooded his system. Fight or flight? Neither was an option. This path was his only way home.

With trembling hands, he gathered twigs and fashioned a makeshift torch. The small flame sputtered to life, casting long shadows across the dirt path.

He inched forward, torch extended. The light flickered across the "snake."