Friday Fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here.
Click here to hear the author read his words:
spider gone
Susie is a little spider who
made her home in a secluded corner
of my smallest room
after spending August in Scotland
(I am too cantankerous to willingly suffer the excess of heat and tourists here)
I was amazed and dismayed
to find
she had multiplied her size tenfold
or more probably been replaced
I jettisoned this intruder
humanely and
against all expectations
Susie returned the following day
perhaps wondering at the sudden disappearance
of her mother
but now she has gone again
with no explanation
no word or sign
in much the same way
as you did
my love
That was marvellous, what a great metaphor.
Dear C.E.
Abandoned by both Susie and his love. A bittersweet tale. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Fun! Fickle female spidies!
Aha, nicely done… as ever, CE.
I would jettison the intruder if it had multiplied in size tenfold. Shiver. Not a fan of spiders. I’m so glad they did it humanely (I suppose). The ending has an air of sadness to it. Excellent write as always, C.E.!
The poor wee beasties are just playing their part in Nature’s great cycle of life, Brenda.
And sadness is all around us, even in the good times, I think.
Thank you for your kind words, always a pleasure to have you visit.
Your reputation is what makes this so intriguing. We just “know” the spider and his “love” are gone for good.
A reputation I walked away from 5 years ago, Dawn! But I’ll take ‘intriguing’, thanks.
This can be taken many ways; though I suspect something nefarious comes into play…
Nothing nefarious here, Dale, at least not in the words I wrote.
But I now remember why I stopped contributing to FF all those years ago.
I am so sorry, CE. I didn’t really feel it was nefarious, it felt more sad but your reputation… 😉
Good to hear you reading your stories again. The mysteriousness of the comings and goings are probably what make spiders objects of fear.
That and the long, hairy legs!
The twist at the end…
I don’t like to be too predictable, Maria
The end was a surprise!
Good!
Two tales in one, I really like it CE.
Great to see you back – are you going to disappear again?
Thanks, Keith. I’m on a break between novels just now, so I’ll be here until folk put me in a box again.
I loved the metaphor
Subtle, wasn’t it!
You do sinister like no-one else I know. This isn’t just a story about the humane disposal of a spider or the liberation of a smaller spider cowed into submission. It’s something else altogether, isn’t it? So good to see you back on the squares again, CE.
Sinister? Moi? Never…
Thanks for the kind words, Sandra, much appreciated.
Like many things in life, no explanation is left hanging like a spiders broken silken web.
As you say, James, life’s often like that.
You’re still the master of the sucker punch ending.
What went before was delightful.
Altogether a most satisfactory combination.
I like to have a wee bit fun…
“Cantankerous” let us feel speaker’s mood, and the character being gone for a month and spider gone quietly set up the emotional impact at the end.
Thank you, glad it worked for you.