The Spider's Delight.... (a Short Story by Michael D'Orazio)

 (This story was based on a Dream I had in 2010)

      There once was a boy that walked through the field's one day. He sat by a tree reading the newest bestselling novel, when a spider spun it's web downward resting itself on the hand of the boy. It said to him quietly, "I want sweets!!"

"But you eat bugs", said the boy. The spider said, "I'm tired of eating the same old things. Bugs all taste the same to me. I want sweet things."

So after dark, the boy went into town to find a candy store that was still open for business. He stopped at a bar to check out this latest club that had just opened up. It was dark in there, with a man playing a menacing piano in the corner wearing a black tuxedo.

"Do you mind if I have a cocktail before we stop at the candy store", the boy said. The spider responded, "I guess so". So the boy sat down at the bar with the spider on his shoulder, and ordered a Manhattan, with sweet vermouth. He told the spider to have a sip, to satisfy him until the stopped at the candy store. The spider did take a sip, making him feel a little intoxicated.

The boy consumed the high priced elixir, whilst he admired the chilling sonata that was being played by the grim, pale, grey haired musician that sat at the piano. His tip jar was full of big bills. The boy didn't tip, because he didn't have any more ones.

The light in the room was filled with dim blue lights. All of the patrons there looked like vampires, drinking red wine, and wearing high priced black clothes, that were designed by big names.

After the boy took his last sip of the drink, he gave the cherry to the spider, and made his way to the candy shop, that was located just around the corner.

The store had just closed as the boy walked to the front door. All the candy that was displayed in the window, glistened, as the drunken spider relished himself into the beautiful imagery that was presented. The spider lost control of his senses, and demanded that he have the candy.

"Throw a rock at the window", the spider demanded.. The boy, easily influenced, grabbed a broken half-piece of brick that was lying on the sidewalk, and thought twice about what he was going to do, and looked both ways to see if anyone was coming. He took a deep breath, and half-heartedly threw the brick, through the glass window pain, exposing the delicious delights, that lay there enticing the spider's drooling mouth.

The spider ran, danced, flew across the arm of the boy, which bridged the gap between the boy, and the chocolates. The spider danced with glee, as the candy grew closer, and closer.

The spider, drunk, and in state of ecstasy, or frustrated anxiety, lifted his head high, with his many eyes closed, opened his mouth, and was going to take a huge chunk out of the creamy looking chocolate truffle that lay at the edge of the boys finger tips, and instead took a chunk out of the boys hand accidentally. The boy screamed in agony and smushed the spider all over his fingers, making sure that the spider was dead, and no longer able to hurt him.

The poison from the spider bite exploded some of the skin off his hand, and fell off. His fingers cramped, and contorted, as the boy cried to himself in horror. "What a travesty", he said to himself, and walked home in a state of misery, back to his mother's arms.

His mother was horrified by the look of the boy's hand, and put methylate, the red colored ointment on the exposed skin, and bandaged it. The boy went to bed, and dreamt of better things, sugar plums, and all that nonsense.

His mother opened the door of his room, and asked him while he was sound asleep, with the lights off, and said, "What's that alcohol doing on your breath"???

The End

M.D