Charlotte looked up at the towering hotel. Broken pots and dead leaves would make the perfect home for her babies. There’d be food too, an abundance of food, insects a plenty to nourish her young.
She couldn’t let her babies leave, spread in all directions across the land, blown in the breeze to pastures new. Here they’d be together always, she could watch them grow.
It would be dangerous, she’d have to fight for her place. Bigger spiders, a scorpion even.
Her babies squirmed in their silken sac strapped tight to her back.
Not long now darlings, Mama’s got you.
***
This piece was written for the Friday Fictioneers hosted by the lovely Rochelle Wisoff-Fields – Addicted to Purple.
Each week a photo prompt is given and the challenge is write a flash fiction piece of no more than one hundred words.
Find other Friday Fictioneer stories here.
Mama doesn’t seem to get that the whole strategy of survival is to let her babies spread
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She just can’t let go. Every mother’s struggle 🙂
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Loved the imagery of the stacks looking like a hotel to a spider. Nicely done.
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Thanks Varad!
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Well written! 🙂
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Thank you!
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Nicely done. I took a similar direction, although went with the darker side of a spider’s nature. I can’t view them as caring types! 🙂
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If I actually saw a spider with its baby sac on its back I’d run screaming 🙂
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I’d be in front of you, out the door first!
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Ha!
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Ah sweet. But you still won’t get me to like them, you know.
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Thanks for the photo Sandra! I’m not so keen on spiders myself.
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I love the idea of the bug hotel. This one must look like unadulterated luxury to Mama.
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Thanks Jilly!
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It does look like a great place to raise a spider family… When i saw it I thought of bigger critters, like birds and mice, so I called mine Natures Condo, but still a human made home for the wild.
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Thanks Trent!
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A spider hotel! Nicely done, Jennifer.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photoss
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Thank you.
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Thank you!
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Awww! When I was a child I’d imagine something just like this. But about smurfs or fairies. This is wonderful, though the thought of spiders gives me the heebie-jeebies.
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I always used to dream about fairies! Spiders aren’t my favourite but I’m giving this one the benefit of the doubt 🙂
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A lovely take on the prompt, and very well realised. Believable anthropomorphism – elegant, even! Nicely done, Jennifer
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Thanks so much Penny!
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Cute, that you used the name of the spider from Charlotte’s web. A maternal spider if ever there was one. 😊. Good use of the picture, with a bug’s eye view.
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I can relate. Lovely story.
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Thank you.
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Oh I love how you used the name from Charlotte’s web… I think you have pictured every mother’s struggle in a great way.
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Thanks so much Björn! Charlotte’s Web – the alternative ending. Ha
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Reminiscent of “Charlotte’s Web.”
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A happier ending for Charlotte.
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Dear Jennifer,
James took my comment. I thought of Charlotte’s Web, too. I will never like spiders, thought. 😉 Lovely story nonetheless.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I loved the last line, yes perhaps even spiders need safe homes
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Thanks Michael
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A great write, nicely done.
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Thank you.
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You earned it. X
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A spider mother’s hunt and dilemma. An intriguing take. Easy to read and understand.
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Thanks Kelvin
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As I always say, spiders(or any animal) are people too 🙂
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I loved this, Jennifer. I love children’s books and seeing things in different ways and your take was brilliant. I could see it being the start of an animated movie. Well done.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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We had the same thought, started with the same premise, but your story is more sinister. Well done!
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Thanks Liz!
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Oh those parents who just cannot let go… it must be hard for those who feel that way… Me? Most days can’t way for mine to leave!
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Ha! I know those days too Dale!
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😁
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Reminded me of a scruffy hotel I stayed in – I shared that with spiders too!.
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The imagery was lovely..
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Thank you Meha
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Very easy to relate to.
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Thank you.
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