Timmy couldn’t reach the spider smashing book to smash the spider.

 

He was officially trapped in his room with spider guarding the door, waiting to jump. The book he was after was his ‘A-Z of Medical Biochemistry’. Over 1000 thick high gloss pages, hard cover, hard bind; easy to smash insects with, even easier to wipe them off. The spider scattered down the wall onto his book shelf where it smugly relaxed on this exact book. It was like looking at an outlaw sitting on a noose instead of it being around their choking neck. It was no longer a weapon, just a really un-useful heavy book. 

 

Timmy thought this his best chance to make a move for the half pint glass on the opposite side of the room. With the spider having just moved, it may be a few moments before it decides to take another dash. He tried to look casual so the spider didn’t cotton on, he flicked his fringe and cleared her throat while all the time keeping a definitive eye on the spiders exact location. He reached the half pint glass smeared in finger prints but quickly reconsidered her decision. The size of the glass meant he’d have to be incredibly close to the spider to trap it. He cursed being home alone, housemate and spider-remover Helga was not in. Helga was from Yorkshire so had no problem in grabbing the beasts in her bare hands and chucking them out the closest window. Often when she did this the spider’s legs would poke between her clenched fist, desperately trying to cling onto something to keep from leaving. Timmy always kept well back, screaming as Helga walked past him, thanking Helga through threat if she ever threw it his way.

 

This spider was different from the others however; it was enjoying the race. Some spiders sit in the corner of the ceiling above the staircase, not moving for days and soon there ceases to be a threat. You reach a mutual agreement; if they continue to not move then you won’t bring out the vacuum cleaner. Sometimes you name them to make them seem less intimidating, humorous names like Bob get thrown around and you joke about him being a member of the family.  One day however Bob will disappear and you’ll assume that he quietly left through the bathroom window, not down your throat in the night.

 

This spider, simply named Spider, was not like Bob. No, this spider was on a mission to jump in Timmy’s face and eat him. It was the type of spider to play dead so that once you remove that heavy book after three days, instead of seeing a squashed spider for the dog to eat, you actually see a very much alive spider that springs open and darts under the bed. 

 

Timmy looked at the clock, it was after midnight and he had to get to bed. He wondered why this sort of thing always occurred late at night before bed, never on a Tuesday lunchtime when there’s plenty of time to deal with it. He was exhausted from revising and had to sleep, though this was simply not an option with it in the room. He shuffled towards the door, intending to leave and sleep in Helga’s room for the night.  The spider was one step ahead however and dashed back up the wall onto the ceiling then stopped. It was now directly above him and the only way to leave would be to turn sideways and slither along the cold bedroom wall. This is exactly what he did. Careful movements, giving into the spider’s dictation he edged closer to the exit. A stray piece of hair fell from his head, tickling his neck, causing him to spasm and slap his face. Then he accidentally stepped on an upturned plug, jumped up like a tap dancer, hitting his funny bone on the door frame and ran out screaming.

 

On the landing he ran straight into a moth, dithering around a light bulb. He punched it in the face and continued running. But then before reaching the staircase his toe caught the end of a rug and with the sudden horde of insects in his house Timmy was terrified he’d stepped on a woodlouse or even dead bee. He threw his leg up and with it smashed his head on the window frame causing an instant black out.

 

 

The next morning Helga returned home to an empty house. She assumed Timmy was out at lectures however the truth of the matter was that whilst he lay there passed out, the spider had eaten him. And Helga was next.