Venom

• Jakoaba Smith, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2016

There I was hanging by my fingers on the edge of the jagged rocky cliff. I could hear it coming. I just knew it. I could feel the ground shaking under its weight... Wait, I’ll explain it from the start.. lt all started when that tiny blood red spider bit me. I thought it was just a harmless garden spider, but I was wrong. The next night the venom kicked in. It felt like I was going to die. My head felt like it was going to explode. It felt like my heart was painfully shrinking, I glared at my hands. They were GLOWING RED!!
I reached for the phone, it slipped through my hands and dropped to the ground with a smash. My eyes were closing slowly, I was trying to force myself to stay conscious, but I just couldn’t. That’s when reality hit me. I kind of ‘awoke’ from a little dream. I couldn’t hold on much longer.
Then a terrifying image flicked into my mind. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it was like a huge red shadow of a spider. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I was holding on by my pinkie finger. I knew I didn’t have much time. I let go. I just knew it wasn’t worth it. I landed feet first into the salty water. I pushed myself to the surface. What?! I was in my bathroom in the bath. I quickly got up. “Dad!! Kristen?!” I screamed. But no one was home. I guess next time I’ll be more careful in the garden. And maybe you should too...