A woman with lots of snakes wrapped around her head

The patrons' reactions were not what were expected, though. The other owners tried to keep the event secret, but word got out. And when they discovered in the wastes a ring the woman had worn, they realized in shock what they were looking at. Remembering the woman had not been seen for more than a week, the patrons felt a sudden dread. As they cleaned the cage, they found the woman's clothes, folded neatly by the wall. As the cleanup crew carted them away, a man noticed that one of them was embedded with folds of shimmering black hair. For several more days the woman was not seen, and soon the others started discreetly looking for her, but found nothing.ДЄ week after the four-day holiday, the snake finally voided its wastes on the floor of the cage, depositing a number of soft, disintegrated masses. The snake's belly was swollen with a recent meal, and gradually shrank as the creature digested what it had eaten. Even when patrons returned to the club the following week, nothing untoward was found. Four days went by, during which nobody entered the building or looked for the woman. When the club closed for a long holiday, the lady had gone to the deserted club, sent the watchman home, and entered the giant snake's cage, locking herself in with the huge reptile.Дetails of what came next are not known, but the woman was not seen again. Apparently the snake's owner, one of the ladies who had founded the club, had built the room and brought the snake in, raising it with this in mind. She listened with horrified fascination as her hostess explained that this room was for people who were not content to simply swallow goldfish, but who intended to go 'down the hatch' themselves.ДЄs Julie stared, the hostess described how the snake had grown large enough a few years ago to swallow an adult human. As she hesitantly approached, the reptile raised its head and gazed at her, following her motion lazily as she walked around it. It led to a room that had a huge glass partition in the center, forming a sort of cage in the middle of the room.ДЄnd inside the glass cage was a huge snake, bigger than any she had ever seen. Curious, she crossed to it and opened it, finding a long hallway to the back of the club. She asked her hostess what it was for, and the woman simply said that it was the real reason the bar had gotten its name. Walking throught the club, she noticed an unmarked door near the bar. Julie felt the live thing twisting on her tongue, and reluctantly swallowed it down. The fish wriggled harder as it went in, then the woman dropped it. Not wanting trouble, Julie hesitated, and opened her mouth. As she closed the door behind her, she was confronted with a smiling hostess, who held up a small, wriggling fish. Julie had wondered why the bar was called 'Down the Hatch', but quickly found out: Each guest was required to swallow a live goldfish as they entered.

A woman with lots of snakes wrapped around her head