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he clicks his pincers at you as he spins.
it's been a while, he says.
pardon? you're distracted by the movement of his dark body.
it's been a while since we last met.
oh? no. i'm sorry? i don't believe we've met before.
he stares at you. as i said, he repeats, it's been a while.
you're uncomfortable arguing with him.
listen, you say, i can't figure out what's going on around here most of the time, let alone knowing where here even is. if you could help me out..
i'm already offering you what you've asked for, he says.
you look at the pillow he's producing.
won't my head get stuck on your silk, you ask.
that depends, he says as his legs continue their rhythmic movement.
you watch him intently, almost forgetting to speak. on what?
im not sure, he says. i've never used it. some people get stuck, he says. others do not.
he spins the last thread and focuses his eight eyes on me. this will help you feel okay, but you may also end up getting stuck. at best this is a reprieve.
a reprieve? like a daydream?
no, he says, eyes glistening. that is a reverie. a reprieve is merely a postponement.
so what would i be postponing?
the inevitable of course! he titters.

you stare at the pillow. so this would merely delay the inevitable. you trace the webbed patterns with your fingertips. the spider notes the hesitancy in your eyes.
listen kid, he says, why don't you just take this with you? you know, just in case.
take it with me? you ask, confused.
yeah, he says, take it with you on your trip.
i don't really have any plans to go anywhere. you look around the prairie, feeling aimless.
well, he said. if you stay here, you won't get any answers about where you are. and if you wait for the daisy girl to come back, you'll be waiting for a while.
well, you say, am i supposed to just wander around without direction?
the spider crawls up onto the pillow, and extends one of his left legs outward. if you go this way, he says, im sure you'll come across a path. you look to where he is pointing, but cannot see anything.
your feet will know where it is. he says. they'll remember.
those shoes of yours, are likely to gather some dust.

1:19 p.m. - Feb. 17, 2012

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