The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout.
So dangerous and none of them know. Not a single one. Bullet in the brain pan. Knife between the ribs. Cut the brakes or poison in their sleep. No need. Gonna kill them. Kill them because I want to. Kill them with my will. I will? I will what? Kill them? Will them? No. Bad word. Bad word: "will". Dangerous word. Dangerous? Me? No, not yet. Gonna kill them…
Down came the rain and—
Shhh! Gotta be quiet. So quiet. Just look. Watch. Listen. Wait. See them? I see them. All of them. One big, happy family. I see them standing down, down, down. Way down there in their pretty, pretty clothes. At least they won't go to waste. They can wear them to their graves.
Sneak like a shadow. Quiet like a snake. Bite and take and be-at least for once in life-more than just a spider. Lost in a web. Lost in a mind. Lost in everything.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain and—
Spiders crawl and creep and sit where I tell them to sit. Bit her. Bit her deep. Killing her. Such pretty tan skin, dark and rich, like coffee with cream. So little and yet they're killing her. And I let them. I made them. I'm killing her.
Like I'll kill them. Will them. Still them to their graves. Hot and cold and buried deep in the dirt. Like the spiders, quiet and quick and...
Burns. It burns like hell. The fire licks and bites and eats, and it's me it's eating. Inside, outside. It doesn't matter where the fire's coming from anymore. My brain's been burning a lot longer than this barn. I'm dying. I can feel it. The power flaring out to try to protect my skin, but I'm too far in. Too far in to turn around now. Have to finish what you start. Finish what you start, boy. How many times do I have to tell you?
And the itsy bitsy spider—
Is that it? Am I dead? I imagined it would hurt more. A dull ache or a shooting pain. Something, anything. Shouldn't it let me know I'm dead? No, pain would let me know I'm alive. I'm dead. He killed me. The little useless waste of power killed me. Just like my spider will kill that girl. Bite and gnaw and crunch flesh in tiny fangs. She'll scream. Glorious screams. Sharp, loud. Calling. Calling to me.
Climbed up the spout again.
Hello.