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Spiders is a short piece which was derived from a 'freewrite' that I produced during one of my Open University courses. I decided to develop it into a longer, more structured piece and in the end, I think it works quite well. It describes the barely contained horror of an arachnophobe who is forced to enter a deep, dark garden shed. My garden shed is filled with silent, remorseless killers, hiding in the shadows and behind little-moved objects. They watch and wait, probing for weakness, feeling my presence through their supernumerous feet. Some, bolder than the rest, declare themselves and lurk in the open on the workbench, motionless and goading. If I'm careful, if I hold my nerve, I should reach my goal which is located in the deep, foreboding darkness at the far end - deep behind enemy lines. I take a moment to calm myself, to breathe slowly, to contemplate the lack of real physical danger in what I am doing. I curse my height, which places my head in the rafters among them. I bend lower, but I know they can follow, abseiling down like elite troops to attack efficiently and without mercy. The hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention in response to the perceived threat, but it’s a futile gesture; appearing bigger won’t do me any good here, this enemy is elemental, visceral. I remind myself that the enemy is my own fear, but standing here, that fact is not something I can know but not feel. |