I watch the furry brown spider crawl slowly across the back of her hand. She gazes at with childlike curiosity. She's always had a knack for befriending the strangest and darkest of creatures. She sits on a window seal, the great expanse of the city sprawling out behind her. The darkness of the city is memorizing the few scattered lights dot it like stars. But the sky above is hidden under a thicket of gray-black smoke. We're safe from the turmoil of occupation in the bowels of the city, thank God, on the outskirts like this. Lonely though, the inn keeper was utterly surprised when knocked on her door. The inn is one of the fragile looking buildings that cling to the outer wall. But they're strong enough to withstand everything this wall's thrown at them so far so I don't feel we have much to fear.
I look back a Smellerbee, still playing with the spider. I suppose it isn't that strange for her to befriend a spider. Forced into corners and the outskirts of the world, both possessing a hidden deadly talent, under its top lip or up its sleeve. Strangest and darkest. I glance over at a mirror with a giant crack in it. Dark circles surround bloodshot eyes on a bruised up face. Suppose we're not alone in that too. "The itsy bitsy spider crawled up." Her singing is quiet and high like the sound of a tinkling bell. "The water spout down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain and the itsy bitsy spider crawled up the spout again." I sink back into the wall my hat falling over my eyes and wait for sleep to come…