A Spider's Journey

• Sophia (Ruo Xi) Tian, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

I, who was a 18cm long huntsman spider, sat gazing mesmerisingly across the horizon. The object that caught my eye was a bright, white transport boat. Scuttling across the Brisbane Sea, I leaped onto the boat. The bright sunlight instantly turned pitch black as soon as my puny legs touched the rocking ship. Not a glimmer of light could be seen in the darkness. Out of the corner of my eye, a lush, green locust appeared before me.
Bewildered by my luck, I pounced on it. I ate the morsel of ration slowly as I wanted to savour the sweet taste of my fresh kill. I was so tired that as soon as my head touched the wooden floor, I instantly fell deep asleep. Imagining sweet water dripping refreshingly into my yearning mouth in my dream, I thoroughly vanquished my deadly thirst while soft zephyrs rushed in and out through my body.
My dream was interrupted by zapping lightning. The transport boat rocked in all directions violently, causing my head to spin in circles. Waves thrashed onto the boat, nearly toppling it over. Everyone on the top deck panicked, then ran indoors. A storm was brewing. Ring, ring, ring! A sudden bell rang in my ears. “Dear ladies and gentlemen onboard the First-Class Luxury Boat, a terrible storm has struck so our boat is about to topple over, but do not worry as we are about to get onto a lifeboat,” the captain informed calmly. I was horrified to hear that the boat was sinking.
As I hid into a lifeboat with the humans towering above me, I glanced nervously towards the black sky. I quivered as I thought about the chances of surviving. “Everyone, pile onto the lifeboats! Squish into every small space because we’ve only got ten boats. We need every survivor to get onto this lifeboat now!” called out a bossy lifesaver. I looked over my head to see the freezing water. As the lifeboat zoomed away to shore, my stomach began to feel empty.
My tummy grumbled loudly, reminiscent of the sound a grouchy gorilla makes. Afraid that someone would see me, I remained hidden in an approximately twenty-five-centimetre gap in the narrow corner. In the crowded speedboat, it was the only source of space left.
Just when I thought I was going to be demolished by fear, the storm ended as the warm, relaxing sun came back to work. At the same time, an announcement was made by the impatient lifesaver: “Dear passengers, we have arrived at the harbour of Great Britain. Enjoy your experience overseas and in ten days. A new ship that’s no longer a luxurious boat will pick you up and send you back to Brisbane.” “Eh!” I squealed. As I jumped off, I thought about how lucky I was to survive a whole trip from Brisbane to Britain. I had to make sure, however, that I don’t miss the boat back to Brisbane!