A Tangled Web

A Tangled Web

Sarah sat on the porch rocking in her favorite chair. It was a warm afternoon and she was lost in thought when she felt a light touch on her cheek. Turning slightly, she saw a silken shimmer dancing in the sunlight.

"Ewwwww!" she yelled, jumping up and brushing at her hair. Sarah followed the strand upwards to where a spider was busy weaving its web.

OK bug, she thought, My turn to disturb you!

Looking around, she spotted a broken yardstick that had been left on the porch. Grasping it, she began to walk menacingly toward the busy insect. Positioning herself so that she could run, just in case, she began to extend the stick.

"What are you doing?"

Sarah jumped at the sound of her father's voice. "Darn, Dad! You scared me! I'm going to kill that spider."

"Sarah," his voice rolled over her shoulder, "don't do that. Spiders keep lots of nasty bugs away. They kill flies and mosquitoes. It's not hurting anyone."

Sarah backed up – You can't trust spiders, she thought - and turned to face her father. "Dad...," she started to say when he interrupted her.

"Don't you remember the story of 'Charlotte's Web'? Why you may be killing a genius," he laughed. "Let it be and we'll see if there are any words spelled out tomorrow."

"Daaa-ad!" Sarah said in exasperation but added a lopsided smile. Relenting, Sarah dropped the stick with a clatter.

"Good decision," her father said as he opened the door and went back inside.

As soon as the door closed, Sarah picked up the stick and proceeded to squish the spider. If you were smart enough to spell, she thought, then you'd have been smart enough not to bug me!

Dusting her hands, Sarah went back to rocking and her thoughts.



Notes

Word Count: 299

An entry for April 23 "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"  [13+]
Prompt: Write a story that includes a yardstick, a spider web, and a rocking chair.

Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even praise are all equally welcome.

Ken