Skitter

He saw it. Dammit, he knew he saw it. It wasn't out of the question that his eyes would play tricks on him at 3:11 in the morning; but not this time. He saw it.

Despite his need to pee, Evan stood frozen in the middle of the bathroom. His eyes were locked on the small hole at the corner of the bathtub and the floor where he saw the thin, black leg zip into hiding. He waited several long seconds before the pressure in his bladder overrode his fear. Evan kept his distance and did his business from afar. Half the stream flew wild and seemed to hit everything but the target. He didn't care. He had to make sure the intruder didn't come back out.

Thunder boomed as he left the bathroom. It had been raining steadily for several days and most of the low lying areas were being flooded. Evan's house rested atop a large hill. During the winter, snow and ice made it a nightmare to travel but when he heard about the extensive flood damage during the spring and summer months, he was grateful that wasn't one of his worries.

The kitchen was a mess. He'd eased through the small, dark house, careful not to wake his father who had fallen asleep on the couch. When he reached the kitchen, he frantically searched the cabinets for anything that would help him or at least bring some peace of mind. At last, his hand found a large can of insect killer. On the front was a small picture of ants, roaches, termites and spiders.

"That's your ass," Evan mumbled under his breath and stalked back toward the bathroom.

He wasted no time blasting the contents into the opening and any crevice he could find. He took a second to waft away the fog and hit it again until he felt that the deed had been done.

Spiders had been a lifelong fear for Evan. One of his earliest memories had been the time he was playing under the kitchen table and a massive brown recluse had dropped onto his arm. His panic had sent the spider into a frenzy and gave Evan a bite on the hand for his troubles. He could remember an overpowering sickness and watched as the meat around the bite, little by little, rotted away.

Almost ten years later, his fear was just as strong as it had ever been. Every now and then, he would look down at the scar on his hand and cringe.

He returned the weapon to the cabinet and grabbed a soda from the fridge. The wind was picking up outside and the lightning was dancing across the open fields below the house. He stepped out onto the front porch and assessed the situation. The storm was growing in intensity and the lower areas were beginning to be swallowed up by rising water.

A flicker of lightning showed the trees swaying at fierce angles. Evan was surprised the power was still on.

He chugged the last bit of his soda and went back inside. His eyes were growing heavy and were in need of sleep.

On his way back to his room, he peered in the bathroom one last time to turn off the light. Nothing moved. He wiped his hand over the switch and the house grew black. Only the occasional flash from outside illuminated his path.

The bed was calling his name. He collapsed onto the soft sheets, buried his head in the pillow and waited to return to his dream.

The peace was broken when he felt a faint tickle on his right foot. He tried to scratch it with his other foot but the tickling increased and began to move up his leg at a sprinter's pace. Evan threw himself up; thrashing his arms with fury and desperation. He jerked the sheet and could hear an object smack against the wall. In his panic, he fell from the bed and crashed to the floor. A strobe of lightning revealed a small, dark object skittering across the floor only inches from Evan's face.

He hauled himself upright and slapped the light switch. The room was awash with blinding light. When his eyes adjusted, he scanned his surroundings for any sign of the intruder. The room was still. Thousands of hiding places glared back at Evan. The thump of his heartbeat rivaled the boom of the storm.

Evan swallowed hard, picked up one of his shoes from the floor and inch by inch, he hunted for the spider.

He dropped to his knees with his weapon at the ready and peered under the bed. His eyes fell upon a sight that stunned him. There was a small mouse wrapped in a fine, white silk. It's body was stiff and dry, almost as if it had been mummified.

"Jesus Chri-"

A violent blast of thunder shook the house's foundation. Evan jumped from the shock. Suddenly, a figure shot out from inside the shoe and sank it's fangs into Evan's finger. It felt as if he had dipped his whole hand into molten metal.

He dropped the shoe and screamed. The spider still clung to his hand and struck again. Evan flung the thing at the wall with all the strength he could muster. It crashed against the wood with a wet thwack and fell lifelessly on a small stack of papers.

Evan grabbed the shoe and, like an ancient gladiator, finished off his kill.

His hand throbbed. He looked at the wounds and could see the areas were beginning to swell and angry red rings were forming around the bites. He needed to get to the hospital. Fast.

He stumbled into the living room. "Dad!" he cried out. "Dad, help!"

Evan collapsed when he reached the couch. He shook his father trying his best to wake him. There was no response and his skin felt cool and stiff to the touch.

He clicked on the small lamp next to the couch and shrieked at the appalling sight in front of him. His father lay motionless on the couch with his mouth agape and eyes wide; forever frozen in a silent scream.

The couch, walls and ceiling were alive with motion. Evan turned his gaze to the thousands of arachnids which were crawling and dangling from their webs. Some were already millimeters from touching him.

The thunder boomed again. Outside, a tree toppled across the power lines, sending the hillside into pitch black oblivion.

*****

After several days, the water had receded and families began to filter back into what remained of their homes. The damage was severe. Many residents packed up what they could salvage and vowed to never return.

Almost a week had passed without any word from Evan and his father. Concern had set in and several neighbors trekked up the long driveway. When they arrived, they were shocked to see that the small house had been wrapped in a fine, white silk. Millions of spiders had fled the flood to take refuge on higher ground. Inside, there were the remains of two, dried out mummies.