Mom Has No Idea Why Photo Went Viral, Then She Sees The Background

Unexpected Reaction

She was baffled as she watched her phone’s screen. The public’s reactions were racking up on her Instagram account, and she had no idea why. She knew she’d posted an excellent photo, but she never expected it to get this much attention.

Baffled, she looked back at the photo of her smiling daughter who had posed so sweetly for the camera. But when she finally read the comments, her stomach twisted into a knot.

Natural Beauty

Spring had just come to Bianca Dickinson’s sprawling ranch in Western Victoria, Australia. Green shoots had already begun to appear on the trees. The clear blue sky arched above, in stunningly beautiful contrast to the brown and arid landscape.

On this particularly warm afternoon, Bianca thought that the conditions were perfect for a few photographs. But when all was said and done, she would never want to take a photograph again. (klonopin)

Daily Routine

The day seemed ordinary enough. The mother of four was waiting for the school bus to drop off her two older children at the bus stop at the end of the ranch’s drive, which, given the size of the property, was a long way from the house.

Every day, she would climb into her SUV and drive down the dusty road to greet them and drive them back. Only, today, she decided to break her routine…

A Perfect Storm

Bianca bundled her younger children, Harry and Molly, into the car with her. She had an idea, and she had some time to kill before the bus carrying Imogen and Mitchell arrived.

The weather was exceptional, and she had a brand-new iPhone with a great camera that she was itching to try out. But she had no idea that fate was brewing a perfect storm.

The Perfect Spot

She slowly rumbled down the dusty driveway, looking for the perfect spot. She stopped by a gnarled old Bluegum tree that had been bent and whipped into twisted shapes by years of wind, right at the edge of her property.

As she pulled over into the shade, Molly, her youngest, piped up from the back. “What are we doing?” She asked excitedly. “We’re going to take some pictures, baby,” Bianca crooned.

Picture Perfect

With the bus stop in sight so she could keep an eye out, she lifted Molly out of the car and asked her to pose for her. She directed her to stand next to the fence and stand with her face into the wind. Perfect. The whispering wheat field and Australia’s Big Sky provided the perfect backdrop for the perfect picture of her cherubic tot.

But there was something she failed to notice, lurking in the background.

Instagram-Worthy

Bianca snapped the picture and knew it was too good not to be posted to Instagram. The proud mom loved the instant connectivity her new phone provided — one quick swipe and her happy-snap was uploaded for all to see.

Molly stood still, waiting for further instructions from her doting mom and clearly loving all the attention.

A Movement

Bianca, knowing how difficult it would be to get her toddler to be this still again, held her hand up. She said: “Stay there honey… just a few more,” and refocused on Molly with her lens again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. She thought it was a piece of bark that had been blown off a tree… but she was so very wrong.

Confusing Comments

She uploaded the new pictures in one quick batch, but then her phone began to go crazy. Notification after notification pinged to her phone as it vibrated in her hand.

She smiled as she swiped through them quickly, but when she saw what people were writing on the photo of Molly, her smile was quickly wiped away. They had seen it immediately.

Something There

Bianca’s face became a mask of horror when she snapped her head back at Molly and saw it for herself. Just inches away from her daughter’s feet, something moved silently.

Molly stared wistfully into the distance, oblivious. With her instincts kicking into overdrive, Bianca tried to get her toddler’s attention. Her life depended on it.

Primal Instincts

With fear knotting her insides, she shakily motioned for Molly to be very still. Thankfully, the toddler seemed to understand, but she had no idea that her mom wasn’t playing a game.

Bianca felt the scream welling in her throat, but she pushed it down. She couldn’t let Molly see that she was about to crack. There, close enough to touch Molly’s boot, was an Eastern brown snake.

An Eastern Brown Snake

Eastern brown snakes are common in the region of Western Victoria, but Bianca had only seen two on her farm in all the years they had lived there. And she had never been in such a harrowing situation before.

Knowing that these snakes can pack a punch strong enough to knock out 20 fully-grown men, she had to act quickly. She remained absolutely still, never breaking eye contact with Molly.

Trapped

Bianca knew that if she or Molly moved, the snake might get spooked and strike. They were trapped in a potentially deadly stalemate. Molly, to Bianca’s relief, copied her and didn’t move a muscle.

But it was only a matter of time before the spell Bianca had over her two-year-old was broken. What would happen then?

Pushing The Fear Down

“All my instincts wanted to run and pick her up and scream and run away,” Bianca said. But she had to fight against the massive adrenaline rush pumping through her veins. Then, the snake began to move again and Bianca shuddered.

But, to Bianca’s massive relief, it slithered away — back into the tall grass that it had come from. Just then, she heard a commotion behind her.

Left Shaken

The bus had arrived and her other children were walking toward her. But they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw their mom’s panic-stricken face. Then, Bianca began to yell. “Get in the car!” she screeched.

Even with all four of her children safe in the SUV, her hands were still shaking when she started the engine.

Breaking The Silence

Imogen, her thirteen-year-old daughter, broke the eerie silence in the car. “What happened? Did you see a snake, mum?” But all Bianca could do was nod. After she had recovered somewhat, she added: “Yes. It was at least two meters.” But Imogen wasn’t convinced.

“Oh mum, it wasn’t that big!” She exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood. But when she saw the photos, her eyes widened in disbelief.

The Photos

When she and her kids were all safely at home, Bianca showed her children the now-viral photographs and all the comments that had alerted her to the enormous snake. She couldn’t believe that she had been so distracted that she hadn’t even seen it.

But reviewing the photos revealed something even more gut-wrenching for the shaken mom.

A Sickening Realization

The Eastern brown snake was there in not one, but three of the photos! And with every shot, Bianca saw it moving closer to her helpless toddler. And, in the photos, it was clear for everyone to see just how big the snake was.

The photographs, which have been shared hundreds of times, have caused many mothers sleepless nights. Not least of all, Bianca.

Haunted

It’s not surprising that Bianca can’t bear to look at the harrowing photos. “I haven’t slept since it happened. Every time I shut my eyes I see that big snake and what could have happened,” she said shakily.

“I see Molly being taken away in an ambulance.” But what was Molly’s reaction upon viewing her dangerous encounter?

Molly’s Reaction

“Molly didn’t notice the snake,” Bianca explained. “I think that was probably a good thing, because she may have run screaming if she did.” She added: “Molly still doesn’t understand what happened. Which is good, and maybe in years to come she’ll have a look at it and see how lucky she was to escape.”

When her mom showed her the terrifying pictures, Molly studied them quietly for a few minutes. Then, she said, “That’s me!”

A Clever Girl

The innocent toddler had no idea what she was actually looking at in the picture. Bianca thought it was a good idea to try and use this as a learning experience. That’s right she told her baby girl. “Can you spot anything else in the picture? Maybe something hiding in the grass”

The little girl held the phone close to her face and turned it around “Snakey!” she said happily.

Well Spotted

She seemed almost happy to have seen the reptile hiding in the grass. Like she had done something good. Bianca knew that she was still too young to understand what getting bitten is or poisoned was. The worried mom thought about how she was going to teach her children about the dangers of snakes.

She had to educate her children on different snakes. When they had first moved in she did give them a lesson on Farm living and animals. But, considering the latest event, perhaps it was time for a recap.

A Good Idea

As they pulled up to the ranch farmhouse Molly was now kissing herself on the phone. “Come on guys,” Bianca said “Watch yourself as you get out.”

She huddled her children out of the car and into the house. As she helped them wash and change she thought about her safety plan. She would have to tell her husband what happened today. He was not going to be impressed.

A Different Marriage

Her husband was a kind man but he was very busy and he didn’t have time for games. He expected his wife to have things under control on the ranch. She dreaded what her in-laws would say if they saw the picture.

They already blamed her for being a bad mother because she worked so much. She didn’t need any more blame or guilt.

Extra Time

She was literally like a single mom with her husband being away for work all the time. It was so difficult raising the kid on her own. She had a housekeeper but it was not the same as having her husband around.

He loved his children and he provided for his wife but he was absent most of the time. Bianca felt neglected and she was always tired.

 A Great Mother

She thoroughly gave herself to her children and tried to protect them from the dangers of the outside world. One of the reasons they bought the ranch was to have a big family. Her husband always wanted a mini soccer team and the ranch was the perfect place to raise them.

The children also enjoyed living on the ranch.

A Healthy Upbringing

They were all very adventurous and enjoyed playing outdoors. The older children had a fondness for the horses and helped the groundskeeper to maintain the stables. The younger children enjoyed helping around with gardening and smaller chores.

It was a happy, healthy functioning system. Living on a ranch didn’t come without its own set of problems.

Ranch Life

There was always something breaking or needing to be fixed. Maintaining the grounds was a daily task. The animals required a lot of food and attention and unfortunately accidents and injuries too. The list went on and on.

If it wasn’t for a great team of helpful staff, Bianca wouldn’t be able to survive at all.

Smooth Conversation

That night at dinner her husband video-called them as he usually did. He was chatting to children about their day while they ate. She hadn’t told her husband about the incident yet and she had hoped he hadn’t spotted it on social media.

He hadn’t mentioned anything as yet so maybe she was in the clear. He seemed to be in a cheerful mood as he laughed with his children.

Happy Moods

The children too seemed to have forgotten about the scary incident from before. But Bianca hadn’t. That snake was still somewhere on the farm. It could be anywhere. It could even be in the house right now and they wouldn’t even know it.

She was scared about their situation but she didn’t want o cause panic n the children.

A Plan

She had a few options in the meantime. In the morning she would call the snake catcher. He could have a look on the grounds and on the barn just to make sure. If there are any more snakes then he can catch them and relocate them.

I don’t want to harm any snakes, but I really don’t want them to harm me she said to herself. Her mind was a million miles away.

A Nasty Scare

Dinner was pleasant and the children seemed to be in a good mood. The elder kids were busy clearing the plates when all of a sudden Imogen screamed “Aaaaah!” Bianca’s heart froze. This was it. The snake had picked up their scent and followed them into the farmhouse.

She was livid as she ran into the kitchen to check on her children. What she saw made her open her eyes in terror.

Boys Will Be Boys

Mitchell was rolling on the floor in madness. Tears were streaming down his face. He couldn’t control his laughter. The silly boy had placed a fake snake on the floor where his sibling was washing the plates.

Imogen didn’t see this and screamed in fear. The toy snake looked real. It was a great replica and looked like the common brown snakes found on our grounds.

Not The Place

“How can you be so immature Mitchell!” his mother scolded him “This is not the time to be playing pranks, especially after what happened today” Mitchell tried to keep a straight face as his sister hit him with the toy snake.

“Sorry mom, but come on, it was the perfect moment” Imogen laughed at her brother “You did get me good though”.

Mother’s Concerns

Bianca was relieved to see that her children were brave and in such good spirits, but she was still worried. She had to take extra precautions to protect the smaller kids, they wouldn’t know how to handle an emergency situation like that.

She knew she raised her kids to be brave but she also protected them a lot and they didn’t spend much time exploring outside.

Resources

The concerned mother spent the night doing snake research on Google. She found a few interesting books to share with the children and some fun games to help them learn to react if they saw a dangerous animal.

She was feeling slightly better about the situation. She was ready to teach her children all about safety and reaction responses in the morning. If anything happened, her children would be able to protect themselves. That was her duty as a mother and she would always put her children first.

Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.