Playing Spider

Prompt: Write a poem or story about winning a contest, only to find out that the prize is something you didn’t want (like a year’s supply of dog food when you have no dog, etc.)
Word Count: 179

I won! I finally won something! Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with them.

I entered the Spider Solitaire Tournament on a whim. Even though I have arachnophobia, I enjoy a game of Spider. I’m good at it, too. Normally, I play the one suite or two suite versions of the game. Occasionally, I’ll play the difficult four suite version, but not very often.

I was among the one hundred winners in the first round, which was easy. Each player had two decks of cards all black clubs. The next round each player had two suites of cards, red hearts and black clubs. Only twenty-five of us went to the next round.

In round three, each player had four suites of cards red hearts, red diamonds, black spades and black clubs. I never expected to win this round. However, I did. I won a pair of tarantulas and each spider has its own terrarium for him or her to live in. I look at those eight-legged terrors and chills crawl up my spine.