The Spider

It had just stopped raining, and the cool night air had an earthy smell, occasionally mingling with the oily smoke from the large stove.


The crowd was bigger and noisier than usual tonight. A celebration apparently, their enthusiastic banter and shouts of "yam seng", drawing stares from the other patrons.

A small movement caught my eye as I looked up to shed my slight irritation at the loudness, and noticed it.
Very evidently a large one, as its web sagged and strained under its weight.



Despite looking clumsily heavy, it went up, down, with a graceful ease that made a tightrope walker look unbalanced and ponderous as it deftly went about its business spinning its web. Between checking its recent catch and spinning its new web it went.

Its web barely visible, but for slivery hints where the light fell upon it. Tonight was a bountiful one, as almost a dozen were already stuck on it, with half having been wrapped carefully in a cocoon by the spider.