“SPIDER”

It all started with an itch.

A simple nuisance that was persistent at the start, and eventually became alarming. Emma hadn’t seen it coming, nor did she notice when it had happened. It must have crept inside her overnight. In the midst of her sleep, a spider had crawled across her cheek.

Could you imagine?  Well, even if you can’t, it’s probably happened to you, too. You just didn’t realize because your story didn’t end up like Emma’s.

Her story was as unique as it was sickening.

***

She awoke with an irritated ear.

All morning, she harshly rubbed it with her palm.

On the way to work, she used her finger. Emma vigorously twirled and scratched the inside of it, but to no avail. The itch insisted upon itself like a terminal disease. 

Midway into her shift, she asked one of the servers to take over the bar. She rushed to the bathroom, frantically rubbing her reddened ear.

Leaning over the sink, Emma turned a cheek to the mirror.

The angle was unreachable, she needed another set of eyes. However, she knew a camera would work just as well.

For about thirty seconds, she filmed the inside of her ear, and when she watched the footage back, Emma was appalled.

Reflecting off her camera’s flash, was a row of beady black eyes staring.

A spider, no bigger than her thumbnail, was stationed near her eardrum. The little fucker was swaying in place, as if dancing to her heartbeat. It glared at the camera like it had been fully aware of its intrusion. Like a uncareful burglar prepared to fight.

Nauseated and frazzled, Emma began to weep. Contemplating whether or not to go to the ER, she googled her next move.

Several websites offered at-home procedures instead of a hospital trip. Most of which told her the same thing. She studied the step-by-step list, then put it to the test.

First, she shook her head gently. When she didn’t see the spider in the sink, she wept more.

The list said that if it didn’t exit by shaking, then she might have to suffocate the bug with a small amount of vegetable oil. She knew there was some back in the kitchen, but Emma refused to go into the cook’s den with tear-drenched eyes.

A different list suggested that she use warm water to flush it out.

Just barely, she turned on the sink’s hot water. Bent over, she put her head under the faucet.

With a flooded left ear, she lifted her head and shook it once more. And then she saw it fall from her head. A tiny black spec rolled towards the drain.

It was dead on arrival.

Instantly relieved, Emma hardly considered the chances that the spider had bit her. To her, the problem was solved.

Besides, what real damage could a little spider do anyway?

***

Overlooking a few inconveniences and someone new in her life, the following weeks had been normal.

Isaac had been a regular at the bar for sometime now, and like most of the regulars, he had the hots for her. The only difference being that the feeling was mutual between the two.

They went on a nice first date, but in the end, he didn’t see the inside of her home and she didn’t see the inside of his.

Even before they had their first date, she had wanted to sleep with him. He was good looking, in-shape, and funny enough that he actually had a personality still. Nevertheless, she couldn’t bring herself to undress in front of him. Not that night, or even the next. Not until she figured out what was happening with her body.

Her oils, lotions, perfumes and ointments had gone sour. Her skin now burned with every drop, and the scents, which she once praised, became as noxious as gasoline.

But her disenchantment with beloved fragrances was the least of her bodily worries.

Lately, she’d been leaking.

More than what’s considered to be normal, but it wasn’t the quantity that alarmed her. It was the texture. By midday, her underwear would be sauced in a silk-like gunk. It was clear, smooth yet stringy, and thin like cotton.

Her doctor only advised her to take a pregnancy test, and to stop using the products. She returned home after her appointment without a shred of medical help, and lay in bed.

Having neglected her daily routines all week, she felt unclean and unlike herself. And to make matters worse, she was getting hungry, and nothing sounded good. Emma longed for something comforting. but not too fattening. Something cheap, yet nutritious.

After dragging herself to the kitchen, she desperately searched her fridge and pantry. Nothing enticed her, until she saw the bag of produce by her microwave.

Emma quickly opened the brown sack and saw several old onions. She was instantly disappointed.

She wasn’t sure what she had expected to be inside, but it wasn’t what she found. Although, at the same time, Emma was still drawn to the bag as if it held a promising treat.

Out of sheer frustration, she emptied the bag on the counter. Onions crashed to the surface and most rolled to the floor. What had remained on the counter, strangely compelled her.

Among the mess of dust and brittle onion shells, were five dead flies.

Without a single forethought, Emma scooped them up and popped them into her mouth.

Once they were swallowed, she was utterly mortified with herself. She couldn’t believe what she had just done. But more so, she couldn’t believe how satisfying it had been.

She needed more.

The rest of her night consisted of searching in the filthiest areas of her apartment.

Early on, she found a moth on the window sill, then a live cricket in her bathroom. She also scored several other houseflies, but for dinner, she plucked her biggest find yet.

The live spider had been in the closet, he hardly flinched when she approached. She played with it, danced with it, and lastly, swished it around her mouth then swallowed the spider whole.

Emma had never experienced anything that could rival the ecstasy of it. The crunch, the guts, and the tiny eyes that seemed to burst with flavor, what a treat! It felt natural, organic, obvious; like everyone should’ve been snacking on spiders since the get-go.

She wondered what her next meal would be given her new dietary bounds.

Suddenly, her phone offered an answer via text. Isaac had sent her a message saying that he wanted to see her. What a coincidence, she had just been thinking about him. Sometimes fate knocked on your door, but other times, it sent a text first.

Did you know that male spiders intend on being eaten?