90. Calling the Shots
Not trusting the devilish spider for a second, Rosella decided upon a different approach.
“How about I climb up and get the mirror, and when I knowingly reach the floor again safely, I’ll go and get your dinner
for you?” she asked. Rosella waited for an answer, but the spider sat in his web, unresponsive, red eyes impossible to
read. A little bit confused, the princess took his lack of response as a “yes” and proceeded to reach up into the web
and climb it like a ladder. The sticky material was foreign and awkward at first, but putting forth a little effort allowed
Rosella to clumsily make her way up the stretchy rungs. She kept her head looking up at the prize trying to focus on just
that, and forget that she had willingly climbed into a potential trap. What happened was the last thing she expected, and
became the one thing she would regret. Hearing the scuttle of the spider’s legs moving, she heard a whisper in her ear.
“Why oh why, princess, did you not trust me?” The sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine, and she froze in her
climb. She squeaked timidly. The scuttled sound moved down toward her feet when she felt the surprising sensation of
a hot pin prick in her ankle, right where her legs were exposed, protected only by sheer white nylon, where the skin was
the thinnest, pulled most taught against the body. The fluid pumped in, and Rosella instantly felt her temperature rise,
but it was too late. Her trembling limbs were already becoming unresponsive. As the nerve sensations in her body were
fading, she could feel the spider crawling grotesquely all over her body, spinning thin gauze around her slender form.
Rosella contemplated her situation as his voice returned. “You are such a young and beautiful girl for something like
this to happen. I truly tried to offer you the best scenario for both of us, but you’ve left me no choice. I couldn’t let you
have the mirror and then run away without bringing me the food I so desperately needed. Your lack of trust leaves me
no room to trust you. I must admit though, that the nourishment from your delicious body will allow me to cover the
entire room in my web. With that, the spider ended his transmission and worked artistically with his jointed legs to wrap
Rosella’s legs together in filmy gauze. A single tear rolled down her paralyzed cheek as she reveled in her own stupidity
during her final moments. “Silk stockings were one thing, but THIS was ridiculous!”
-The End
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