View From a Corner

https://herschelsterling.com/#cat-dialogue https://herschelsterling.com/#cat-kids “What do you think we look like to it?” Jean asks her brother Harris. “I don’t know.” Harris says. “He’s way up there in the corner. Maybe he sees the whole room from there. Maybe it’s a great view.” “Is it looking at us?” Jean asks. “I hope not!” Answers Harris. “Maybe it’s just looking for bugs. I hope it’s just looking for bugs.” Jean says. “Let’s yell at it and see if it knows we’re talking to him.” Harris says. From far off near the other side of the room, the two kids start yelling into the corner of the room. “Hey! Heeyy, quit looking at us and mind your own business!” Harris yells. “Yeah, leave us alone, you creepy spider… aaaaahhhhhh!” Jean shrieks. At the sound of Jean’s high-pitched scream, the spider moves and seems to look directly at them. “It moved! It moved!” Jean exclaimed. “Yeah! I think it heard you! Now it’s mad at you!” “I hope it just stays in that corner and never comes down!” Jean says. “He’s trying to catch flies and bugs.” Harris says. “I’m glad it likes them, because I hate them. It can can have all it wants as long as it stays up there.” Jean responds. “I bet he wishes he could fly really fast so he could just catch the flies instead of waiting for one to get stuck in his web by accident.” Harris says. Jean looks at Harris confused. “Wouldn’t it just be another bug then?” She ponders aloud. “Then there would just be more bugs.” “Yeah, I guess so.” Harris replies. “But I wonder if he can see all the bugs flying around that he wants and is really mad they won’t fly to him.” As the kids sift through some online info, trying to get some answers to their spider questions, they hear their dad’s car and hear the car door close. “Don’t tell Dad about the spider.” Harris whispers. “He’ll get him down.” “OK.” Jean says. ”I don’t want any flies bugging me anyways.” 343 Words https://herschelsterling.com/#cat-kids https://herschelsterling.com/#cat-dialogue Don’t forget to check out my other podcast, The Arc of The Bard. I haven’t done a new writer’s conversation in 3 months, but it continues to grow. New ones are coming soon, now that this flash fiction marathon is ending. 31 brand-new stories written & podcasted in 31 days This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit commercialherschel.substack.com/subscribe