Web of Trauma

I stared at it and it stared back at me. Our eyes were lost in each others' with an unspoken purpose. It, to finish what it started all those years ago and mine, to survive what it began. Its two front legs twitched and my fingers quivered, here it was, my greatest foe. Was I ready? Had I overcome the horrors that scarred my mind those decades ago? I held my breath, not daring to exhale for fear that my puff out might signal that I was prepared for this duel. Was I ready? The question seemed to taunt me as my mute opponent didn’t seem to even breathe. I WAS READY!

The first time I had the displeasure of encountering this creature was when I had been a wee lad, a young boy, just a whipper snapper. Need I go on? I was young, not old enough to be in such a battle, not old enough to cope with the horrors that would be woven deep into my psyche. I had been asleep, lost in a field of wonderful dreams and magical illusions, when I was thrust from my bed at the sound of a scream and the scuttle of feet. The scream was my mother’s, but the footsteps were unknown. It sounded as though a legion marched through our humble home. I stayed huddled in my room, too frightened to leave as my mother’s outburst was silenced and my father’s abrupt snorts as his dreams were suddenly quelled as my own had been. There was no sound from him and none from her as the thud, thud, thud of feet vanished into the night that bore witness to the abduction.

I crept from my room only when the light of day began to fill our humble home. My door creaked eerily, it caused me to slam the planks back in place while my heart nearly broke from my chest. I was forced to again attempt to open the door as the silence mocked me and my cowardice. I ignored the complaint of the door this time and charged out into the hallway, through where the door had once stood to my parents' room. The only thing shaking me from my moment of bravery was the fact that I could not continue to walk. I peered down at the silky tendrils that clung to my feet. The back window was in the same condition as my parents’ door, absent. A trail of the web-like material continued out and up into the numerous trees.

What choice did I have? I left, it was nothing but a husk of a home now and if those spiders came back, I was doomed. I made my way to the city and found work. Not the most honorable work but it puts food in my belly and lets me have some fun every now and again. Besides, my boss isn’t that bad. He provides a service for most and in some cases even freedom for others. All I must do is make sure no one and nothing messes with his property and look the other way, both had been easy. Until now.

The eight little legs propelled the creature towards me, I was caught in a momentary flashback of hearing that haunting cadence as the feet marched away with my parents. My hand twitched and I reminded myself that I had become much more than that traumatized child. With a grin, I lifted my hand and the gout of flame shot forth like a geyser of fire. Bricks in front of me cooked and scorched black. “Victory!” I couldn’t help but be thrilled as I watched the ash puff away. In the char on the wall, a small coin-sized space remained unmarred. “Gods were you watching?! Watching your Champion!”

“Hey, Fessy! Get back to work!” I peered over my shoulder at one of the thugs as they tapped out their pipe. Obviously having watched the whole exchange.

“Yes, sir,” I responded as he shook his head and returned to the warehouse. “Pff, what did he know?”