Trissy Lakes, Spider Girl

Ruby Ann's body twitched. Her long spindly legs moved closer to her prey. Closer, closer, then bite! Nothing more tastier than fresh fly to keep her awake enough to go to school. She hopped down from her web, then scuttled off to school, stopping only to buy a copy of the Arachnid Times.

She flipped the pages casually, then froze at one word. WAR. War? Now? Her mother might be drafted into the army, since female widows are much more powerful than males. She read on.

"It is a civil war. The widows are fighting amongst themselves for dominance and territory. There are six groups fighting. They are the black widows, northern, southern, western, brown, and red widows."

A war among the widows! Ruby Ann did not feel the same giddy feeling she had had just a few minutes ago after that especially juicy fly. She went slowly to the alley in which the school web was located in, passing dingier and even more dingier apartments and alleys where drunks and gangs hung around. The sign which read Black Widow Academy loomed into her field of vision.

Suddenly, she heard a voice. Actually, two.

"Ruby Ann! Ruby Ann!"

She turned around. It was Trissy Lakes and Colette Sweethaven.

"Hi."

"Hi, yourself, Ruby Ann Eloise. Don't you know? School has been closed because, well, you know...," Colette's voice trailed off.

"Yeah, I know."

Trissy just stood there.

"What is it, Trissy?"

"My mom's been drafted."

Trissy:

I hate war. I hate violence. I just hate it. I hate hate. Sounds confusing, right? But if you were me, you would think being scared of a fly was normal.. Ugh! But my mom is like that, too. And there you go. My mother, Isabelle Juliana Lakes, is in the army.

Ruby Ann and Colette looked rather concerned for me. Suddenly I was just sick of the whole thing. I started to scuttle away.

"Triss! Hey Triss!"

I broke into a run. I knew exactly where I was going. To my human friend's house. His name was Jesse Woods. He would understand. He was someone who I could confide my thoughts in. One problem. Jesse only understands English. Oh well.

I scampered over the gentle curves of an immaculate driveway, passing close to peonies and azaleas, in full bloom. I scuttled onto the grass and began to spin a sticky silky ladder up the wall of the house, almost impaling myself on an unpleasingly sharp thorn of a yellow rose bush.

Up, up, up, I climbed, stopping only at a few places. Suddenly, I got a new problem. I ran out of cobweb. Great. I didn't know what to do. I would not be able to see Jesse's handsome, freckled face again. His tousled reddish-blond hair.

His sparkling, flashing blue eyes, cornflower blue, with a hint of cerulean. Besides, he was the only human I know who actually favors spiders. His older sister, Lydia, on the other hand, practically faints when she sees one.

I began to lose my grip. I scrabbled and clutched and flailed. My efforts were futile. I spiraled off into the rosebushes down below.

"Noooooooo!" I screamed.

Colette:

We were so worried when Trissy just took off like that. I mean, sometimes she is a big human-boy-crazy baby, but, I mean, really. She's our friend. My friend. My cousin. But we didn't know where she went, so, we just hung around at our favorite alley, along with some other gal black widows, and, a hideout red widow who had escaped the cruel, harsh, communist rule of the red widows. Her name was Jessica.

Rebecca Stilton, an aggressive gossiper, was straining everybody for tidbits of information like a coffee strainer, and was informing people about which male spider got eaten last time, who appeared on the front page of Arachne Fashion ,and loads of other things. But the topic that came up the most was war. War was a word that struck terror into every young black widow's heart.

Someone tapped my shoulder. It was Jessica.

"Um, Colette, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Fire."

"Where's Trissy?"

"Triss? Well, you see, her mom was drafted and so she kinda ran away. We don't know where she went so we're just hanging around here, hoping that she'll turn up."

Rebecca, who was close by, heard our conversation. Immediately her tongue went way out of control.

"Hey, Eileen, Cathy, Suzanne, Trissy's mom got drafted," she called out.

I desperately tried to acquiesce her.

"Shut up," I hissed angrily. But it was too late. A crowd had already started gathering around Rebecca.

"This must be so horrible for poor, gentle, innocent Trissy. I feel so sorry for her. We must console her and offer her as much solace and comfort as we can, my gals," Rebecca drawled.

"That's right," said Carrie Edwards. "Let's find her and-"

"You'll do nothing of the sort."

Everyone turned to the speaker of these words. It was Jessica. "Can't you see that she wants to be left alone?"

Jessica's eyes were fierce. They seemed to be burning coal mixed in embers and ashes. Rebecca's eyes were cold. The other widows clustered around them. Some anxious, some curious at what the outcome of this dispute would be.

"Very well then," Rebecca sneered. "You're so jealous, aren't you? You want to hog all the pity and sympathy of others."

"No I do not!" Jessica retorted. "I just understand that not everyone wants to be in the limelight, like you."

Rebecca glared at her, and then walked off with her friends, giggling and gossiping, and showing off. Jessica stared at the widows' retreating backs.

"Jess, are you okay?"

It was Ruby Ann.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just wish that Stilton would mind her own business."

"She never does. But let's forget about her. We have to move on."

Ruby Ann:

Whoa. That was a big, big argument. And Jess usually does not blow up like that. I was scared. But we had a job to do. We started making a bed out of cobweb for Trissy. I went to collect pieces of tin cans and wood to make the headrest for the bed.

Suddenly I saw movement at the end of the alley. A brown, hairy fellow. I froze in terror. I knew what it was. We had enough drills at Black Widow Academy that it was impossible to make a mistake.

"Brown recluse!" I shouted.

Trissy:

Next thing I knew, was a ceiling of hazy splotches of buff yellow and springish green and blurry looking thorned walls. I struggled to my feet in the grass. Then I heard voices.

"Mama, it's Lydia's turn to water the rosebushes."

"Mom, it's Jesse's!"

"All right, let's draw straws."

"Mom! It's no fair. I got the shorter straw."

"Lydia, honey, I'm sorry. Now water them and then you can change into your prom clothes and get ready for the dance. You too, Jesse."

"Grrreat. But I'll only do it if you let me borrow your topaz brooch and earrings."

She dragged the hose over to the rosebushes. Oh no! I would drown if didn't do anything. Then I had a plan. It was a dangerous, reckless plan. But it was my only choice. I climbed up the rose bush's branches careful not to get poked. Then I crawled on top of the plant and then jumped off.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Lydia screamed loudly. Very loudly.

"It's a spider! Aaaaaahhhhh!"

"Where?" That was Jesse.

"Th-there."

He looked at me and recognized me at once.

"Trissy?"

"You have a name for those hideous things?"

He cupped his hands and scooped me up.

"Get it away from me!!!"

"Okay, okay, fine."

Jesse carried me up to his room murmuring things like 'oh you poor girl' and 'what happened?'. I began to wish that I was actually a human. Humans didn't have stupid civil wars. I could go to the dance with Jesse, and do other crazy, impossible things. But suddenly, I knew it was not so impossible. I saw my plan to escape the horrors of a spider civil war. The Black Rattlesnake could make all those things happen.

Those snakes were magical. But they had big time conditions. Well, I wanted to be a human right? But how to summon one? I knew how. I wasn't supposed to, but I found out.

Jesse took me to his room and put me on his bed. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer," he said. "But I have to get ready for that stupid dance." He left.

I got ready to summon the magical rattlesnake. Unfortunately, Jesse's pet tarantulas were also in the room. They were my friends but no smart spider should ever do forbidden things like that. Viola, the Columbian purple bloom bird eater, who has been a good spider all throughout her life, righting wrongs and helping people, and, once was saved by Jesse from some great enemy, and Spikey, the Mexican red kneed spider crawled out from on top of the chest of drawers.

"Hey, Trissy! Didn't think we would see you right now!"

"Hi, Trissy!"

"Hi," I said, trying not to sound rude. I needed privacy to perform the ritual. But lucky for me, super hero Jesse came back. "Feeding time," he said, and took Viola and Spikey out of the room. Yes! Now was my chance. I crawled under the bed and began the ritual. It wasn't that hard; it was just scary.

First I had to make a box of cobweb shaped like a heart. Then I had to pledge my soul to the Black Rattlesnake.

"I pledge my soul to the great and almighty Black Rattlesnake and do as he wishes, if he answers my wish."

A wind began to blow. It whipped around and around me, forming a black whirlwind. Suddenly, I found myself in a great big hall, underneath the bed. And at the end of the hall, was the Black Rattlesnake, resting on a bed of silver and precious gems and silk pillows. He was surrounded by guards. Decorating the halls were fountains of, of, blood, with snake maidens bathing in it. I shuddered.

"Well, well," he boomed. "What do you wish?"

I didn't answer at first.

"I want to be a human."

The hall was silent for a minute, then it resounded with the Black Rattlesnake's repulsive laughter. "Is that all?" he asked. "Is it?"

"Well, first I want to know where my friends are."

"All right, let's get down to it. Let me see where your friends are."

He picked up a crystal ball and spun it on his tail. Then he looked into it.

"Your friends are in an alley, being chased by a brown recluse."

"Save them!"

"Done."

I looked at the Black Rattlesnake carefully. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied.

"Now to turn you into a human."

I leaned forward eagerly. I had looked up to humans so much. They were smart and intelligent. Like Jesse. Finally. The big moment.

"Yes."

He murmured a few words. Then the changes began.

My legs and arms were replaced by long human limbs. My hair disappeared and sprouted out of my changing head. My eyes became the color of obsidian. My hair was long and black, thin and silky. I got a slender waist. My skin became ghostly pallid.

When the changes were complete, the Black Rattlesnake held up a mirror. I looked into it, and gasped. Beautiful. So beautiful. Dark, blandishing lashes framing dark eyes.

"Thank you," I said.

"Now for your clothes," he said, and snapped his fingers. I looked down and saw an artificially ripped black slinky gown. My hair was wound into to small buns at the side of my head and the excess hair hung loose. And at my throat there was a glittering blood-red ruby brooch.

"Thank you," I said again.

"Yes, yes, of course, but remember the two deeds you have to do for me?"

I gulped. "Ye-yes. What should I do?" I had a bad feeling about this.

"Number one-give me some of your spider venom, because mine isn't as deadly as yours; number two-kill Jesse."

I yelped. "Kill him! How could I?"

"You have to. You promised."

I tried to speak, but only a gurgling noise escaped my bejeweled throat.

"You have to do it before midnight. If you do, you will remain a human. If you don't manage to, you will turn back into a spider."

"But I-"

The hall was gone. I was suddenly feeling rather cramped under the bed. I squeezed out and opened the window. Before I jumped out, I stole a glance at the clock. It read 7:30. I jumped. Before I went to the dance(I had been given a map), I picked a velvet red rose and stuck it in my hair.

Then I walked to the dance.

Jesse:

Well, I was just standing next to the refreshment table and watching everyone dance stuffing myself with food. When I went to get punch, I noticed a girl. She was tall and clumsy. While making her way over to the punch she tipped twice and knocked over a plate of cookies.

The girl neared me, and hesitated. I turned to run before I heard the question I was dreading to hear.

"Will you dance with me?"

It was too late. I consented and skidded on the tile floor. I blushed. Hard. We walked across the dance floor. Funny thing was, neither of us knew how to dance. So, the girl and I pretended to.

After awhile I was surprised. I actually was having fun.

"What's your name?" I asked.

Trissy:

When he asked me my name, I had no idea what to say.

"Shelby," I stuttered. "Shelby Walters."

"Shelby," he said. "Do you live here? I've never seen you before."

"Well, uh, I just moved here," I muttered.

It was hopeless. I was falling more and more in love with him. He was so innocent, so trusting. Often I tried to reach my hand up to strangle him, but I couldn't. He looked so handsome in the disco ball lights, smiling and smiling and smiling. 8:30. 9:30. 10:30. 11:00.

"Let's take a break," I suggested. "And walk in the garden."

Then I would have to kill him. Please say no, I thought, please.

"Okay," he said.

Jesse:

I really liked Shelby. I really did. But I have to admit she is weird. She kept looking around furtively and was very nervous the whole time we were on the dance floor. I wonder why.

I followed her into the garden.

"Why don't we sit down on that bench over?"

Shelby pointed at a solitary bench away from the building.

"Okay."

We walked over; me, mulling over Shelby's strangeness, Shelby, completely silent. I sat down. Shelby sat down beside me. Suddenly I was on the ground, Shelby's hand was at my throat. She was choking me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't call for help. I was going to die.

But then she released me, sinking to the ground and sobbing.

"I can't do it," she sobbed.

What was going on, I wondered?

"Shelby, what is going on?"

But before she could speak, a giant clap of thunder was heard.

Trissy:

BOOM!

Thunder and lightning. Followed by the Black Rattlesnake, who slithered up to us.

"Kill him, you fool!"

But I would not. I was tired of being bullied around by this guy.

"Hey, didn't you say that you wanted some of my venom? Well you got it."

It was 12:00. I was turning back into a spider. I was hoping to stall for time.

"Yes, I do believe I did. But-"

I struck, biting him in several places. He roared in pain, and fell, writhing.

"I've gotten you now," I said gleefully.

The Black Rattlesnake was breathing heavily now. But even as he was dying, he struck back. Jesse couldn't back away quickly enough.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

"And I got you back. Let me tell you my story."

"But I need to get Jesse to the hospital."

"No, you don't. I have not injected venom into your human friend."

"Well, okay."

And all Jesse could say was "Trissy? Where's Shelby? What's going on? Hey! It's that big rattlesnake that was going to attack Viola! What's it doing here? It can talk?"

"Tell that boy to shut up if he knows what's good for him."

"Jesse, shhhhh."

"Trissy? You can talk?"

"Shhhhh."

So the Black Rattlesnake started on his story.

"When I was born, I was a human. I was the most handsome young lad in the village. Well, my mama and my pop decided to marry me off to Elizabeth Watson. She was a rich and snooty girl, with loads of dough, but I wanted adventure. Excitement. And I also knew that women are not trustworthy. So I ran away.

I joined a ship's crew and sailed of to distant lands. It was a long and hard journey, but when I returned home I was rich. My mama and my pop had died. I had some sisters, but they were all married and long gone. But I had enough money to keep me going and I set up shop and sold things from exotic lands. I sold meters of peacock blue silk. Ivory bracelets. Wooden camels.

And then, one fated day, an old woman came to my store and said she wanted an opal brooch for her daughter. But she could not pay for it. Then I came up with a clever plan. I told the woman to bring her daughter, and if I was pleased with her I would give her the brooch. So the old woman brought her daughter.

As soon as I saw her, I knew she was mine. I loved her dearly as soon as I saw her. So I told the woman that she could have brooch if I was allowed to marry her daughter. The woman said yes, if I brought five baskets full of freshwater pearls, twenty meters of salmon colored silk, a bright colored sweet singing bird, two milk cows, a shed full of grain, and a stable of six horses as a wedding present.

So I set out to fetch these things. As soon as I got the gifts I sent them to the beautiful maiden. And each time I sent gifts, the old lady kept giving lists of more items. Twelve slaves, eight diamonds, clay pots from far of Greece. I spent my money on these things foolishly and soon I was penniless.

Then the woman and her daughter ran away. I set off for the seas again, and soon landed at an island. The island was mostly desert. But on the other side of the island was a freshwater lagoon. I decided to travel there and get a drink of water. But before I set out, a beautiful maiden advised me not to go there because the desert was dangerous. I thought it was not and I did not believe her because I now thought that beautiful women were dangerous.

But I did not make it to the lagoon. A rattle snake bit me and I turned into one. I now repent for my ignorance. I now hated females, especially good and famous ones. That was why I was trying to kill that nasty tarantula. But Jesse saved her and made me look like a fool."

"And that is why you are wanting me to kill Jesse? To make the job easier for you?"

The big snake wheezed. "Well, it won't matter that much now. But I still want revenge."

Then the Black Rattlesnake lunged again. But then something huge and hairy stepped up. It was Viola. "Oh I don't think so," she said.

Then a big spider web fell on the snake. "Yes!" said Spikey. "We caught you."

The snake moaned. He died.

Jesse:

It was two weeks after the catastrophic dance. It turned out that Viola was a sort of guardian angel. She granted Trissy the gift of being a human in the daytime and a spider at night. The doorbell rang when I was doing my homework. It was raining outside.

I answered the door. It was Trissy, her long, black hair dripping wet.

"Come in," I said.

She stared at me for a minute, then she reached out and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back. And we stood there for a good long time.

Trissy:

Well, everything turned out okay, Jesse and I (helped by Viola and Spikey) gave speeches and we helped end the war. I get some chances to be human. And we defeated the Black Rattlesnake.

So, all in all, life's good. But you have to have strength enough to help yourself to the good things in life. And that's what I learned. Ooops, I gotta run. I'm going to a dance with Jesse. Super hero Jesse.