The date is May 23rd 1971. Nicole Viloteau, 25 years old, is a journalist and a photographer. She is also a snake-lover. During a road trip with friends, she takes an inventory of the pet snakes she’s brought along with her. They all look half-stunned by the heat. She opens one of the bags, labeled Elaphe obsoleta, the non-venomous rat snake. But instead, a rattlesnake pops out -- and immediately, it bites Nicole on the lip ! Something has to be done. It's a matter of life and death.