SPIDERS & FLIES
by
THOMAS J. MISURACA
Freddie the Fly was flying home from school when he got caught in a spider’s web. A trap set by Archie and Andrew Arachnid, spider brothers who lived next door to Freddie and the two toughest kids in school.
As Freddie struggled, the web tightened.
"You're a dead man, Freddie," Arnold threatened.
"We're gonna suck you dry," Archie reared his fangs.
Freddie tried to hold back his tears, but it's very difficult when you have
over a hundred eyes.
"What do you boys think you're doing!" a voice shouted from behind.
It was Mrs. Fly.
"We were just playing," the spider boys said innocently.
"Get my son down from there this instant," Mrs. Fly demanded.
Reluctantly the boys cut him loose.
"You got lucky this time," Andrew whispered to him.
"I don't want to see you boys harassing my son any more," Mrs. Fly
warned them before taking her son by his hands and leading him home.
"Buzz off!" the boys shouted when they were out of ear shot.
* * *
"I'm sorry, Francine," Mrs. Arachnid said as she prepared tea, "I
don't know what's gotten into my boys."
"I know how boys can be," Mrs. Fly said, "But do they have
to play so rough?"
"I'll give them a stern talking to,” Mrs. Arachnid promised.
"Thank you," Mrs. Fly said, and the two changed their subject to
gossip as they drank their tea.
* * *
When Mrs. Fly got home, she found all the lights turned off. Freddie was huddled in the corner, whimpering.
"Honey, what's wrong?" she could'’t get a good look at her son.
He whispered something.
"They did what!" she exclaimed.
"They pulled my wings off," Freddie cried. He emerged from the shadows, only stubs remained where his wings had once been.
"The Arachnid boys?" Mrs. Fly already knew the answer to that question.
Freddie reluctantly nodded.
If these boys were cruel enough to pull the wings off Flies, who knew what other evil they would do.
"I'm going to their mother immediately," Mrs. Fly said and buzzed angrily out of the house.
* * *
She flew up the Arachnid’s walkway and right into a spider web.
She heard laughter coming from one corner, then one of the boys saying, "We
got the old bag!"
The boys were on her before she could even put up a struggle. They wrapped her tight and sucked her dry.
"Old flies always taste the best," Archie said.
"Boys!" Mrs. Arachnid called from the kitchen, "Dinner time."
"I love sneaking dessert first," Andrew said.
With
that, the boys scrambled into the house.
And next door, Freddie the Fly stared out the window, hoping his mother would
come home soon.
©2002