The Psychozone Read Online Free

He’d read about those giant snakes in school. They grew to be over twenty feet long. He’d heard they could swallow other animals up whole. But there wouldn’t be anything
that good here. Not on this stupid vacation, and certainly not in this ridiculous roadside ripoff. Jason followed his parents into the building, where warm, damp air fell over him like a wool blanket.
    â€œWelcome to Snakeland.” A man rose from a chair against the far wall and came forward, looking at them as if he was starving and they were lunch. “Please come in. A fabulous assortment of our slithery friends await your visit. And your timing is perfect. We have a special bargain today—one child free with any two adult admissions.”
    â€œI’m not a child,” Jason muttered, stepping away from the man.
    â€œWhat a deal,” his dad said as he pulled out his wallet.
    â€œWonderful, wonderful,” the man said, reaching eagerly for the money. “My stupendous serpents are anxious to meet you. They are lovely, yes they are. But it pains me to tell you that my fabulous new display is not quite ready. Soon, any day, but not yet. No, not yet. Still, there is much here for you to see. “Go,” he said, sweeping his right hand toward the far wall,”and see all the wonders of my reptile companions. Be sure to spend time with Percy the Python.”
    Jason walked through a door at the other end of the room and headed toward the exhibits. Behind him, he could still hear the man talking. “Not just snakes,” he called after Jason. “Lizards, too, and even spiders. Far-flung samples of critters large and small. New exhibits all the time.”
    â€œThrilling,” Jason said, shaking his head. He
suspected he’d have had a better time staying home all summer. This place certainly couldn’t be any fun. As he’d expected, Snakeland wasn’t much more than a bunch of glass tanks holding snakes and other creatures. It was like a trip to a small zoo. Percy the Python was half interesting. He was pretty big, but he didn’t do anything. He just lay at the bottom of his pit like a bloated garden hose.
    But something else caught Jason’s interest. Next to a door at the end of a hall, he saw another sign. Like the ad on the front of the building, this sign announced the Terror of the Amazon. At the bottom was a warning: NOT RECOMMENDED FOR SMALL CHILDREN. Jason decided it wouldn’t hurt to sneak a quick peek, even if the exhibit wasn’t ready yet. He started to open the door.
    â€œFeeding time!”
    Jason yanked his hand away from the knob and spun around. There was Mr. Reptile, or whatever his name was, holding a pair of cages filled with squirming white rats. The man was grinning. “Well, how about that? You are one lucky boy. They don’t eat every day, you know. Nope. They’re not like us. But today is the day. And you get to watch. No extra charge.”
    Jason shrugged. It beat looking at another dose of this endless scenic desert splendor. One more gorgeous sunset and he was sure he would lose his lunch. He followed the man and watched the rats start the long process of becoming snake turds.
Jason didn’t feel at all sorry for the rodents. Some creatures were just meant to be food. That’s life.
    â€œWhat about him?” Jason asked, pointing to the large python in a pit behind an iron fence.
    â€œMaybe Percy will eat tonight,” the man said. “Feeding time is over for now. Run along.”
    Jason finished his tour, then met up with his folks. As they were looking through the small gift shop, Jason’s dad asked the man, “How’s that motel up the road?”
    â€œJust fine. Absolutely fine and dandy. Best motel around here. Only motel around here.”
    â€œGood. It’s about time to stop for the day.” Jason’s dad led his family to the parking lot.
    Jason looked at the cheap piece of junk he’d