Horror in Wales

Horror of Wales

Shock and revulsion drained the colour from Louise's face as she pointed and silently screamed, her eyes betraying the truth of her horror. The black spider, as big as a horse she spat, drummed its front legs on the folds of the white duvet. I passed over my mug of water in our well-drilled routine and she returned it empty , now our shield against the dragon-spider.  The vessel was too tiny, too ineffectual for the speed and size of our adversary. It evaded my lunge and it galloped across the expanse of the bed and dropped like a stone and slid to safety under the bed. Louise drew her mobile phone torch swiftly, in an instant and the shadow of the beast, retreated to the skirting board below our pillows. She passed the torch to me and I knelt at each corner of the bed, checking and hoping for a solution. Suddenly the creature charged across the dark floorboards with a lance towards Louise. She grabbed her bedside reading and yelled as she faced her fears and her foe and passed the result to me, possibly as a hint of her valour or triumph. I carried it to the bathroom, at arms length in case the beast was merely feigning death, and flushed him into the pot.

I returned the book and lied when she asked had I wiped it.  She gingerly advanced towards me, the weapon still in hand. I took a step back as the weapon was raised again. I flinched as I followed the arc of attack, only to see it slam into the wall and despatch a mosquito, the spiders' winged brethren. I surrendered an optical wipe to placate my fearless wife. Burning lamps were placed as lookout sentries in case of further disruption and we fell into uneasy slumbers and fitful dreams. We awoke and broke through the cobweb intended as our cocoon, to start our next day of adventure, steeled with a cuppa.

NE