A decision had been made. The shed was the place to house the new glass hobby; there was only one problem...what was already inside. Of course the job seems easy enough, open the door and go through the contents. Keep the good, obliterate the bad...little did I know this easy task would turn into something much more sinister.
The weather was hot, sweltering in fact, the type of weather the elderly migrate across the country from. I was already sweating, spraying myself with bug spray in the hopes of shielding myself from the inhabitants of the shed. The door opens and a creaking noise rings through the air, you know the type, like those horror films where someone gets gutted after watching all their friends die by the hands of some mad man. I digress, the door opens and immediately I see movement, seemingly from every corner. Small things fleeing from the light, finding the best hiding spot to spy at me from the darkness. My mind tells me that I should leave and never come back to this place, it is a forsaken land, tainted with an evil presence.
"Stay strong, you can do this" I tell myself. Nothing is impossible. As I step into the room the first wave of fighters emerge. Giant crickets, I often refer to as "moon crickets," as they look like they are not of this earth, spring forth and try to disorient me. With my broom in hand, I make quick work of them and banish them to the land outside the shed, one full of heat, light, and creatures much larger than they, creatures that will hopefully finish the job for me.
My attention is drawn back to the battle at hand, there is a silence in the air, nothing is moving. I venture forth and start moving objects. The heat is growing, sweat is pouring off my face and I feel as though I am being watched. The next foes I meet are many legged insects that move very fast and without regard to anything. Running at me, on the objects I am trying to move, acting without thought, almost as if they are trying to distract me. Another weapon I have is the elixir of death for insects, one application of this and all of the inhabitants will die and never again defile this place with their evil presence. The spray begins, all at once I hear what seems like hundreds of screams and the feeling in the air turns to one of panic and fear. The movement from when I first entered the room is happening again, this time in waves as I advance the spray to every dark corner I come to.
The battle is almost over, or so I thought. Victory has never been so close, and then I look up. The fear in the room doubles as my own is added to the thick fog of emotions swirling the room. In the far corner of the ceiling, emerging from the depths, like some massive sea creature waiting to swallow up unsuspecting ships whole and turn its story to that of legends, comes a large black arachnid with a glowing red hourglass on its abdomen. The presence of the new threat makes me turn all of my attention and focus to it. Without thought, I point my weapon and squeeze the trigger. I wish I could say that I maintained my composure and did not scream as the being lept from its nest and made a mad attempt to...kill me...chaos rang through the air as the battle ragged on. Chairs were toppling over, cans rolling, brooms and poison rain down in an attempt to end its life.
As the dust settles, only one of the two remain. A great battle was fought here today, one that will be remembered by countless generations to come; it is a tale of courage overcoming the evil that dwells in this world. Without this crucial battle who knows how many would have lost their lives, or worse...their dignity.
