She's a good woman, but don't get her riled.

She's uneducated, but don't dare think you can outsmart her.

She's small and appears frail, but under no circumstances should you underestimate her as an adversary.

Such is the character of Marguerite MacDomangairt, better known to South Florida locals as "Mama Root".

Mama Root is a strange and exceptionally old woman living off a very real venue called Loop Road deep in the Big Cypress Swamp of South Florida.  In the course of this amazing beldam's 146 years she has run afoul of  shape shifters, hired killers and demonic wraiths inhabiting her dreams.  She has heard tell of murderous spinning wheels and horses returned from the dead.  She has known material gain and devastating loss, joy and despair, ruby love and the flint of hate.

Should you ever find yourself traveling down Tamiami Trail and see a place called Loop Road, traverse its length and witness its incredible beauty, by all means.  But if you go about six miles and, against your better judgment, turn down an eerie looking trail and end up in a general store that is frozen in time, face-to-face with a woman whose very appearance scares you out of a year's growth, then I can offer only one bit of advice:

You'd best be respectful