The Spider and the Fly

with apologies to Mary Howitt

She shooed the last noisy little cricket out the doorway as the final bell rang, then sank onto a stool with a sigh of relief. She sprang to her feet when, not a minute later, two tiny ladybugs ran back into the room. The taller of the ladybugs grabbed her forgotten lunch box and dashed out the door with a cheerfully shouted "Happy Halloween, Ms. F!" and a "Yea, you made a great spider!" echoing after them. The door slammed shut, and the woman dressed as a spider drifted onto her stool once more. Lifting one of her many legs into her lap, she began to massage her aching feet.Never again, she groaned to herself, will I wear heels to school.Even if they're the only shoes that do match. A blur of yellow flashed outside the doorway as her assistant pushed open the door and breezed into the room, her stinger brushing against the bookshelves before she collapsed in a fuzzy yellow and black heap.

"Well Ms. Spider, how do you think the tea party went?" the bee laughed.

"It's over!" sighed the spider. "That's all that matters!" Stretching out her many legs, which were attached by silvery cords to her arms, she smiled. "The little bugs did have a good time though, didn't they?"

"They always do. At least this way the kids get to dress up. And we don't have to worry about, what was it again..?"

The spider laughed. "Promoting witchcraft and celebrating paganism, I believe. Satanism at work in the schools." She moved to the small tables, gathering up cups, saucers, and half-eaten cookies as she went.

"It's an American tradition is all it is!" grumbled the bee. Her black curls bobbed as she nodded for emphasis and shoveled forgotten gummy worms into the trash. "I don't think there's a kid out there who thinks of Halloween as anything more than a chance to dress up and get free candy! Still..." A loud crash and some creative cursing echoed in the hallway and interrupted her ranting.

"Stupid legs!" a voice growled outside the door. "Ugh, don't worry, I just knocked over a chair." The door flew open to reveal a huge cockroach wearing mismatched shoes on each of his feet. Eric had arrived. He was a dear, but enormous friend with absolutely no grace or tact. "I'm having a party tonight," he stated matter-of-factly. "You're coming of course."

"Not me," said the bee. "Gotta take my kids trick-or-treating. Ellie's going to be a princess, and I spent two weeks working on that stupid costume, so I'm going to see it used!"

"Lost the coin toss, huh?" asked Eric, shaking his head sympathetically.

"Yes," she hissed, stuffing a half-eaten cupcake into the trashcan with considerable force. "He gets to stay home and hand out candy. The troll!"

Eric let out a bark of laughter. "See, that's why I don't have kids!"

"No," said the spider, teasingly. "The reason you don't have kids is because you're an incorrigible flirt and can't settle on one woman. And you're an idiot. But we love you anyway."

"Of course you do," he exclaimed. "I like being adored. Which is why you're coming tonight. There has to be at least one person at my party who likes me." He picked up a single napkin and tossed it into the trash.

"Who are you kidding? I'm theonly one who likes you." laughed the spider. "You know Eric, you could help us finish up here..." she began.

"Well, lots to do! I must be heading home." He made a beeline for the exit. "I'll see you tonight! Costumes of course. Wear something sexy for me!" he called as he squeezed his many legs out the door. "Starts at eight o'clock. And don't forget to bring desserts!"

The bee laughed at the expression on her friend's face. "You'd better get those legs busy. You knew he was going to beg food off you. Always does. So, are you going to go?"

"Psh..." snorted the spider. "Are you kidding? A bunch of people I don't know... And I get to spend all afternoon baking... Sign me up!" She laughed, watching the bee struggle to keep the giggles from bursting out. "Aside from that promise of excitement, I'm exhausted. The kids wore me out today, and I've not been sleeping well at all..." her voice trailed off.

The bee composed herself and looked concerned. "Stress?"

Six legs lifted as the spider shrugged and pacing around the room. "I don't think so. Just dark dreams lately."Disturbing,she thought to herself.Entirely too realistic. "I've been waking up soaked in sweat and shivering the past three nights."And aroused to the edge of insanity, she added mentally.

"Oh, go to the party anyway! It'll be fun. Besides, what else do you have going tonight? Nothing but handing out candy, and you can do that at Erik's. I wonder if he's going to be a roach for the party too? That ought to get him a date. You have to go! Then you can tell me all about it tomorrow!" The bee looked at her watch, then blinked in panic. "Oh geez, I'm late. I have to pick up Ellie. Bye!" And in a whirlwind of yellow and black, she swept up her things and vanished out the door.

The spider finished picking up the remains of the party and straightened the room. The dreams bothered her. Actually, not being able to remember more than a few snippets was what bothered her. She always remembered her dreams, had done ever since she was a little girl. But this one... It was the same dream, over and over again. Whenever she tried to think of the dream, all she could remember was a man with vivid blue eyes. Then she'd shudder. The dreams weren't frightening really, just more unsettling. In her dreams, she knew somehow that she was at his mercy... and he seemed to have none. In the morning, she'd wake up with memories of seeing those blue eyes looking down on her, and her sheets were twisted and damp with her own arousal. She shrugged and pushed in the last of the chairs, then placed the last stray books on nearby cart.Too much time alone, I guess.

A few minutes later, she was ready to leave. It took her three tries to get all of her legs out the door at the same time, but finally she managed. As she locked the door, a sudden burst of loneliness took her by surprise. She gathered her cloak around her, wrapping herself in the cape of silvery cobwebs.Maybe I'll go tonight after all.It might even be fun. She gathered her purse and her school bag. As she flipped out the last of the lights, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror by the door.Yikes!Her skin looked ghostly pale, surrounded as it was by the black of her spider costume.Ok, ok.I'll go, she decided. But I definitely need some color!She let herself out of the building and walked out to her car. It was a struggle getting all the spider appendages into the seat with her, but finally she was on her way.So, something colorful,she mused. One of her extra arms caught on the windshield wipers. She sighed as the wipers scraped and squealed back and forth across the window.And definitely something with fewer legs!

* * * * *

Everything bored him lately. Work was tolerable, but hardly worth the effort. A friend of his had promised the party tonight would be great. He supposed he would go, though he wasn't sure about the costume aspect. But he needed a distraction. Besides, what else was he going to do- hang out at home and pass out candy to miniature Spider-men and an endless stream of princesses?

That evening, he slid into his car and headed to the party. He'd barely glanced at the directions before he'd left, but seemed to know where he was going. An invisible string seemed to be pulling him along. Cars whipped by in the opposite direction, becoming less and less frequent as he left the city limits. Another fifteen minutes found him pulling into the drive of a large, old Victorian house. There weren't too many cars here, but he had a feeling this was the right house. The string had stopped tugging at him, so he supposed he was here. Night was falling, the sky shot with orange and red in the fading light. He enjoyed the night, so lingered a moment to bask in the quiet darkness. Soon though he felt the strange prickles of expectation again, almost as though he knew something was going to happen in that house, and that he needed to be inside when it did.Odd. He shrugged, beeped the alarm on his car, and walked up the long drive to knock on the door.

The door creaked open to reveal the party already in full swing, despite the few cars outside. The place was packed. It was darker inside the house than it had been outside. Low lights shimmered and shadows flickered over the room. A fire crackled and snapped at huge logs in the hearth, filling the room with the scent of wood smoke. He wandered further into the parlor and mixed with the crowd, laughing and talking easily when he felt like it. A few friends shouted greetings as they caught sight of him, and he made his way over to them. He grabbed a beer and joined the group, laughing as he checked out their costumes. A knight in armor, Zorro, and a... well, he wasn't sure exactly what, but it looked as though he'd been dead a week. Leaning back against the wall, he surveyed the crowd. They talked about work, about sports, and women of course. One by one, the guys peeled off to go in search of amusement or food. Content to observe for the moment, he held up the wall and looked at the guests in their costumes. He snorted in disgust. He liked black, it suited him well after all, but this was ridiculous. Everyone at the party seemed to be wrapped in darkness. Vampires. Gangsters. Witches, werewolves. Devils, cats, and punk rockers. Lots of leather, lots of spikes. Nothing really the least bit interesting.

An hour, a few drinks, and several more small conversations passed without arousing his interest. He'd just been debating whether or not to call it a night and head home when a flash of green caught his eye. As he turned, he saw a bright spot of color adrift in the dark sea of bodies. Bending down to add a tray of desserts to a refreshment table was what appeared from his angle to be a large butterfly. Vivid rainbow-colored wings sparkled with silver in the dim light, and a waterfall of loose auburn curls spilled down between them. He let his gaze travel down the butterfly's back, and he smiled when he saw long, lovely legs emerging from beneath a short black skirt.Hmm... maybe this is why I needed to come tonight.She leaned over the table for a moment and his grin widened. His eyes roamed her curves as she unloaded her tray. He hummed with approval, watching as her skirt inched up the back of her thighs to reveal the lacy tops of silky black stockings. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, enjoying the view. He concentrated for a moment, then remembered a poem he'd read ages ago.Come hither, hither, pretty fly, with the pearl and silver wings... Or something like that anyway. He was watching as her hands faltered and stilled, a moment before she suddenly straightened up and glanced around. Her eyes lit on him and, seeing where his gaze was directed, she froze. Invisible threads held her bound for a moment, unable to move. A deep blush blossomed across her cheeks, visible even in the relative darkness of the room. Her abrupt stillness registered in his mind after a moment, and he looked up. He had a fleeting impression of wide, glowing green eyes behind wire-rimmed frames, but just as his eyes moved to explore the rest of her face a crowd of partiers wandered in front of him and headed for the dessert table. By the time they had cleared out, she was gone.

* * * * *

Back in the kitchen, she leaned up against the cabinets, breathless. Her heart was pounding, her cheeks flaming. She fanned her hands in front of her face, trying to cool the heat she could feel rising in her cheeks. It wasn't really helping, but it made her feel a bit better.Those eyes!

She had been filling the dessert trays with creampuffs and chocolate cookies when she'd felt her skin begin to prickle. Glancing around uneasily, she had seen a man gazing at her- and not at her face either. Remembering the intensity of his stare, she tugged absentmindedly at the back of her skirt, making sure it was covering as much as it was supposed to cover. His gaze was magnetic, irresistible. She couldn't help but look at him. He wasn't a terribly big man, maybe a few inches taller than she was. He had a goatee, which she'd always found rather attractive. Dark eyes, though it was hard to tell the color at such a distance. There was something immensely appealing about him, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She felt... almost compelled to look at him. Not that the view was at all unpleasant. But he was so dark! Black jeans, black shirt, black tie. She preferred a bit of color herself. His only concession to the occasion seemed to be a large silver spider perched in the center of the tie. A pretty weak attempt at a costume, really. And after the party at school, she was sick of spiders. When he looked up though, she'd frozen. Not because of where he'd been looking, but as recognition slammed into her.His eyes! The words echoed in her mind. Those were the eyes she had seen in her dreams! She had felt herself responding to the look of naked lust she'd seen in his dark eyes, had felt a jolt of energy burn through her when he looked up and their gazes locked. She'd felt her body tighten and melt as it never had, just before she'd been saved by the hungry masses. Vivid blue eyes passed through her imagination again, filling her with fear... and with a strange desire to see them once more.

Cautiously, she moved toward the kitchen door, her eyes flickering back toward where the man, the Spider, had been standing, but he was gone. She'd never reacted with such intensity to a man before. Never been so instantly attracted. Never felt her body grow damp in response to a single look. Suddenly curious, she grabbed another tray of snacks and stepped back into the room, only to collide with a brick wall. She squeaked in alarm, stumbled and teetered backwards, the tray tipping ominously toward the floor. At once, a strong hand reached out to steady the tray and an arm wrapped around her shoulders to hold her upright. The surge of electricity that coursed through her told her instantly of her rescuer's identity.

"Looking for me?" he purred, his voice low and melodic.

It was him. The Spider. His intensely blue eyes were even brighter than she'd first thought, his beard more devilishly appealing than she cared to admit. He was smiling at her, the kind of smile a hunter might have when it chanced upon an easy meal. She pulled away, rubbing her hand unconsciously over the spot where his touch had scorched her skin. She knew her face was tinged pink with embarrassment, though whether from her own clumsiness or from her reaction to his touch, she didn't know. She looked down at her tray, then back up at him, her cheeks burning.

"Hardly!" she replied cautiously, offering him the tray. "Just making the rounds. Care for dessert?"

He smiled at her and chose a small creampuff. For some reason, she couldn't seem to look away. He took a bite, grinning as the sweet cream oozed out the side. He finished the pastry off with another bite, and his tongue flicked out to clean the remaining cream off his fingers. Her gaze had dropped to his mouth, so she missed the way his eyes darkened when she unconsciously licked her own lips. He jolted at the look of raw desire that flitted through her eyes before she banked it and looked up. She met his gaze and blushed once more at his knowing smirk. Her body tightened in response, and she moved her tray a bit higher to hide the evidence of her sudden arousal, which wasn't at all concealed by the thin material of her blouse. She worried her lip shyly and shifted in place, unable to look away.

Slowly, insolently, his eyes roamed down her body and made another lengthy perusal of her legs. Feeling exposed under his gaze, her hand crept down to her thigh and she began tugging unobtrusively at the hem of the short skirt. His smile broadened, and let her know that she hadn't been entirely subtle. She blushed and looked down at her cream puffs, fidgeting nervously.

Stubbornly, she avoided his gaze. He pleased himself by studying her face. Sensing his scrutiny, she backed away uncomfortably, awaiting her opportunity to escape.Not just yet,he thought. She had a spray of tiny freckles on her nose. Ridiculous glittery black antennae.Adorable.Her eyes peeked up at him from beneath long black lashes and he winked at her. She blinked, tossing her hair over her shoulder and looking confused for a moment. He looked at her thoughtfully. She wasn't really beautiful, at least not in a traditional way.She does have gorgeous eyes though. She took another step away from him.A sweet face, he mused as she shrugged off his gaze at last and wandered off again. He watched as she slipped into a group of guests. He smiled ruefully as she carefully bent to place her tray on a nearby coffee table. She then turned and glared at him as if to say 'so there!' He burst into laughter and saw her hide a smile of her own before perching on the arm of the couch so her wings wouldn't be crushed. She threw herself into the conversation, entertaining them all as she mimed her collision with him moments before.

His laughter faded when he saw her smile with pleasure at a large man dressed as a Viking in some ridiculous fur vest. The Viking took her hand and sat next to her on the sofa.Well damn, he thought darkly as she laughed at something the man said.She is lovely! He leaned against the doorframe, idly watching her and considering. Sort of demure. Shy, but a bit sexy at the same time. She wore a loose sort of blouse, made of some shiny black material. Satin maybe? Whatever is was, it tied behind her neck and left her creamy shoulders bare. And the deep neckline showed just an intriguing glimpse of her ample cleavage. The delicate multicolored wings rose over her shoulders and came to rest a bit more than halfway down her back. When he looked at her, he had a vague impression of recognition. But it was her legs that drew his attention most, especially now that he knew that the lacy tops of those stockings stopped a few inches above her knees. Perched on the arm of the couch, she sat with those long, luscious legs crossed at the ankle and tucked modestly to one side. Even with the tiny skirt, she radiated innocence. Reserved, but alluring. She glanced his way again and almost fell off her perch when she saw him watching her. She balanced herself again and nervously pushed her hair behind her ear, studiously avoiding his eyes.

She wasn't gorgeous, not like some of the other women here. Wasn't poured into a sexy black cat suit or nearly topless like so many others. She had plenty of curves, but she wasn't showing them off to everyone in the room. He liked that. He smiled as she glanced over at him, grinning when she wrinkled her nose in irritation at finding him still looking at her. She shifted again, bumping her wings into the Viking as she wriggled on the arm of the sofa. He could tell he made her uncomfortable. He liked that too. He enjoyed making her squirm, rather like a fly caught in a spider web.Interesting. That was the third time she'd looked at him. It was a fleeting look, her eyes barely snaring his before flitting off, but he knew from the color that suffused her face that she'd seen him. Her blushes amused him as well, but he thought he'd give her a break for a bit... she was looking a touch sunburned at the moment. He levered himself off the wall and went off in search of a drink.

* * * * *

A few minutes later, a soft touch on his arm had his whole body stiffening. "You look lonely," murmured a quiet voice. "Mind if I join you?"