Convergence
It was, for her, a matter of survival that her home was perfectly aligned so that every pathway she took would lead to a cache of stored treasure.
Her mathematical genius was second nature, almost as important as the excellent artistic skills she possessed. She prided herself on sewing a fine seam, placing her knots with such exquisite symmetry that they gave strength to her magnificent lacework.
Artistry as well as brains – a talent to be considered blessed for any great engineer or architect, yet this lady is also an excellent mother who finds the time to nurture her children so they are equipped with all of her skills.
Something down the pathway is blocking her road. It is huge and its mighty bulk threatens to destroy the reinforcements she made from the last spate of terror. She makes a detour by using a side route, a byway that links all the major roads together and approaches the monster from behind. It is coated with brilliant blue-black armour that is thick and impenetrable.
A message is conveyed along one of the paths leading away from her home. She stops what she is doing to listen and learns the route leads southwest, an area known to harbour great danger. She sets out with caution, navigating the way by using all the stealth her own mother taught her. She pauses and listens when a further message comes through.
But our heroine has encountered such intruders like this before. She knows where their weakness is, knows they have a soft, unprotected area and attacks from below sending her weapon deep into its belly where her poison takes immediate affect. She gathers her strength whilst the area is settled and peace reigns once more. Another cache put aside to feed her darlings – another stored treasure to wrap up in silk for a rainy day.
She checks her mental compass, listens for messages of more intruders and decides to scour all the other pathways that surround her home. Pathways that are connected with silken lanes secured by beautiful knots: pathways that converge at the heart of her nest – her fortress made of a thread that has the strength of steel.
© 2023 Pat Barnett.
In “Convergence,” we follow the mesmerizing tale of a spider’s calculated defense of her domain. The story unfolds through the perspective of an arachnid architect, whose mathematical precision and artistic skill create intricate pathways leading to her cached treasures. When confronted by a formidable armoured intruder, she demonstrates remarkable strategic prowess, attacking from below with lethal precision. The narrative beautifully weaves together themes of survival, motherhood, and the delicate balance of nature, all told through the lens of this eight-legged protagonist protecting her silk fortress.
“Creatures” is a captivating collection of whimsical tales penned by Pat Barnett, a Manchester-born author whose journey from punch-card computers to storytelling spans continents. Now settled in picturesque Pickering, North Yorkshire, Pat crafts stories that blur the line between ordinary and extraordinary, drawing inspiration from local legends and everyday observations. If you enjoy stories that make you question the hidden mysteries around us, this anthology offers a perfect escape into a world where the mundane transforms into the magical.
