Furry Friends

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Jamie stopped dead in her tracks.

“Sam, come!” she whispered to a dark mass about 20 feet ahead who sprinted back to Jamie’s side.

She had never seen any signs of life within the looming dilapidation, not in the 20 years she’d lived just a mile up the trail. The candle flickered, it’s eerie glow illuminating cobwebs clinging thickly to the window pane, shielding the contents of the cabin from outside prying eyes with unfractured opacity. A shadow crossed the window, a figure with an updo bun. Jamie stepped closer but quickly stopped again, forgetting the time.

“Tomorrow,” she whispered to Sam.

Jamie retreated back to her own secluded home, Sam at her heels, and cozied up in her bed, ruminating on the old cabin and the new stranger inside.

***

Jamie was awoken by a thud, her eyes springing open to the welcoming light of morning. Sam, similarly startled, raised his brindle ears and looked around. Scratching replaced the thud to her left, drawing her eyes to a robin hopping on the windowsill, feeding her chicks a large worm. Jamie stretched, then threw the covers aside and plodded down the creaking stairs to the kitchen. Sam sprinted behind her, crashing down the steps and almost knocking Jamie off her feet. She recalled the light in the cabin and hurried her morning routine, hoping to catch sight of the occupant.

“You want to go for a walk, Sam?”

Jamie and Sam reached the cabin in about 17 minutes. Jamie waited in the shadows of the trees on the outskirts of the property, studying the windows. Sam barked, prompting Jamie to continue their walk to the creek about a quarter of a mile further down the trail. Jamie picked up a large stick, examining it.

“Look, Sam! Found another good walking stick!”

Sam sniffed the thick branch and took it in his mouth.

“That’s not for you, you goofball.”

He tugged harder.

“Oh fine. Take it.”

“I thought I heard a dog,” a voice from behind yelled.

Jamie turned to find an older woman with large round glasses and a white bun standing on the dirt path in front of the cabin, her flowery dress flowing down to her tan Velcro shoes. She must have been at least 70 years old.

“Hi! I’m Jamie and this is Sam. I didn’t know anybody owned that cabin.”

“I just bought it actually. I wanted to get away from the city so my own furry friend could have some room to roam. I’m Edith, by the way. Say, would you and Sam like to come over for dinner. That way we can get to know each other and our friends here can have a play date.”

“We would love to. What time?”

“Maybe 7? I know it’s that time of the year where it starts getting dark early, but I like my schedule, and that’s when I eat.”

“7:00 works perfectly. We’re used to walking this trail at all hours, so the dark won’t deter us. What can I bring?”

“Just yourselves, dear. I’ll see you at 7.”

Jamie turned, beckoning Sam, and trekked home.

***

Jamie rapped lightly on the cabin door. It opened slowly and narrowly. Edith poked her head out, her smile stretching broadly across her cheeks.

“Welcome. Please forgive the mess. I still have a lot of work to do to tidy up.”

The door opened further, and Sam pushed his way past the woman, sniffing furiously around the house. Jamie entered, her eyes adjusting to the gloom of the room. It was a small living area with unusually high ceilings and monochromatic furniture matching the dust settled on the floorboards. More cobwebs hung low from corners of the room and extended on the ceiling of the short hallway leading to what Jamie assumed was the bedroom. In the kitchen to the right, a slab of meat sat in its juices on a cutting board, pierced with a large carving fork. Jamie eyed the counter, studying the cutting board and the serrated knife laying nearby for signs of dust or dirt. Edith must have noticed the concern on Jamie’s face. She walked over and grabbed the knife, bringing it closer for Jamie to observe.

“It’s all clean, dear. I brought the kitchenware from the city and made sure the kitchen was the first thing I tidied up.”

“Of course. I’m sorry. I don’t know where my manners are tonight. It looks delicious.” Jamie looked down and fidgeted with her clothes. “Um...so where’s your furry friend you were talking about?”

“Oh he’s outside somewhere. Have a seat and I’ll go find him. You want to help me, Sam?”

Edith disappeared out the front door and Sam followed. Jamie heard the door lock from the outside, followed by three loud bangs on the side of the house.

“Edith?” Jamie yelled, trying the doorknob unsuccessfully.

Jamie turned to the window and scraped the cobwebs from the glass. It clung to her hands, distracting her until Sam’s frenzied barking grabbed her attention. Sam’s behavior was erratic. He was spinning in circles and jumping frantically, all the while continuing to bark incessantly. A reflection in the window moved, and Jamie noticed a giant black body with eight beaty eyes on the ceiling behind her own reflection. It moved closer. She stared at the reflection, not wanting to turn around. Eight thick, hairy legs spread wide as the arachnid slowly lowered itself down, leaving a thick string of silk in its wake. Jamie turned as it reached the ground. The spider scurried forward, its eight legs moving in rapid independence. It towered over Jamie, its fangs dripping with venom and moving closer until they clamped down on her shoulder. She screamed and sunk to the ground, unable to move. The spider’s feelers moved furiously across her body, and then lingered near her face, inspecting. It’s black eyes seemed to hold no life, only Jamie’s reflection. Silk enveloped her and so did the 8 hairy legs.