threads, suffering, spider

words by Elaine Ruan

A spider clung to the side of its delicate web, with transparent and fragile threads. One leg bent, trembling with injury. The inescapable pain was lingering, passing through the head, body, and into its legs with a dull ache. Everything paused. The world around it was unnaturally still. The only sound that could be heard was the confounded but rhythmic sound of the heart beating in the silence. Dark. Hush. Empty. Pressed in. Every vibration was a threat. Even the gentle air brushing over seemed like a reminder of how vulnerable and suffering it had become.