A Fangful Of Fear

• Lachlan Takounlao, Grade 5, Earlwood Public School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'Read Write Repeat 2015' competition

The eyes glared menacingly. My throat tightened as in a strangulation of silence. Trembling I urged myself to move. One step forward — keep focussed — another step forward, don’t look away. After a long, long minute, I stood anxiously. I had moved closer to the door but would the creature attack?
It had all started when I was playing hide and seek with my friend. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find me, gave up and left. No sooner had I realised this when nausea flooded me like a wave of terror, I was still in the shed — but I was not alone. I was stuck in the shed with a grotesque spider on the handle. Misfortune means grief.
My thoughts gathered mockery, encouragement and fears crashed down on me. You could put it in that cup…and so I could, but the cup was under the door handle.
Terror tore at my very soul, ripping my heart out.
“You can’t do it!”
It hissed. My breathing shallowed, my eyes widened, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Thinking about never being found, I took a deep gulp of courage. With tensed shoulders and my breathing laboured, I shuffled forward towards the spider. Peril pounded relentlessly on my brain like a baton on a big bass drum. I looked down, way down, way, way across at the spider becoming more threatening by the second. Courageously, I made my decision. I had to do it!
Picking up cup, hands trembling, oh no! Dropped it…again…spider scuttling, hissing, slowly, lower, slowly does it, lowering cup, I was positioned; I was poised; I was ready and… I slammed the cup over the spider and opened the door and threw it out, as I threw the cup out the door I heard the spider hissing in defeat.