< P > D a n c i n g D a r k S p i d e r s < / P > < P > P a r t I < / P > < P > T h e D a r k T h i c k < / P > < P > T h e s u n r a i s e d o v e r t h e t o p o f t h e G a l a p a g o s , p o u r i n g d o w n a t i d e o f b r i l l i a n t , g l e a m i n g s u n l i g h t : i n v o l u n t a r y m o t i o n s , d e l i r i u m s : r i d d l e d t h e j u n g l e , a n d m y p u z z l e d - e n t a n g l e d b r a i n . < / P > < P > D o w n , d o w n a n d a r o u n d t h e t r i b u t a r i e s i t s e e m e d t h e s l o w c u r r e n t l e a d m y v e s s e l : f i l l e d w i t h n i g h t s g o b l i n - f a c e s ; o b s c u r e d i m n e s s , r i d i n g h i g h , h i g h a s l e e r i n g f a c e s n e a r b y f r o m s o m b e r t r e e s : w h i s p e r e d : D e a t h i s p a i n t e d d a r k a n d t h i c k , w e a r e t h e d a n c i n g s p i d e r s o f t h e h a u n t i n g t r e e s o f t h e G a l a p a g o s . < / P > < P > T h e w a l l s , e m b a n k m e n t s o f t h e i s l a n d s t h r e a t e n e d t o c r u s h m y l i t t l e v e s s e l a s i t p u s h e d a n d s h o v e d , h u g g e d a n d t h r e w , t o s s e d a n d b l e w , b l e w u s t w o o n b o a r d , t o t h e i s l a n d s s h o r e s . B o a - l i k e r o o t s s t r e t c h e d f r o m t r e e t o t r e e a l l s e e m i n g l y r e a c h i n g , r e a c h i n g l i k e l i t t e r e d s n a k e s e v e r y w h e r e : h e r e a n d t h e r e ; r e a c h i n g l i k e b r o k e n t o e s , c o i l e d l o o p e d - r o p e s o v e r o n e a n o t h e r . < / P > < P > I t w a s a s t h o u g h t h e p l a n t s w e r e a l i v e : a s t h e y e n v e l o p e d u s t w o u s t w o i n v a d e r s , n o w s i d e b y s i d e , w i t h t h e h u m m i n g h a w k s , a n d L a v a L i z a r d s ; M a r i n e I g u a n a s s i n g i n g ; g i a n t p r i c k l y - p e a r c a c t u s c a c t u s e v e r y w h e r e ; c r a b s , S e a L i o n s a l l a b o u t , p e n g u i n s , g u l l s . T h e f o l i a g e , u n d e r g r o w t h , t w i s t e d a r o u n d o u r t o r s o s , e y e b a l l s ; c l i n g i n g , c l i n g i n g t o o u r t h r o a t s , b l i n d i n g u s a t t i m e s : c h o k i n g , c h o k i n g u s , l i k e f r o z e n m i m e s . < / P > < P > R a m b l e d m y w i f e : L o o k , l o o k a t t h e d a r k s p i d e r s d a n c i n g , d a n c i n g o n t h e r o o t ? P o i n t i n g t o a t r e e ; h e n c e , i n a h o l e c a m e o u t t w o l a r g e r s p i d e r s , d a n c i n g , d a n c i n g h y p n o t i c a l l y ! < / P > < P > ( T h e r e i s n t m u c h t o t e l l : t h e y j u m p e d o n t o p o f h e r , a n d s u c k e d o u t , o u t f r o m h e r p o u r s t h e m a r r o w f r o m h e r b o n e s , h e r c r a n i u m ; s h e w a s , w a s a s e m p t y a s a n e m p t y p o t n o w ; A m b r o s i a s h o u l d n o t h a v e l o o k e d . ) < / P > < P > O d d a s i t w a s n e x t : t h e l o n g - b l a c k t h i c k d a r k s p i d e r s , c l i m b e d , c l i m b e d t h e r o o t s o f t h e t r e e , t o g e t a b e t t e r l o o k a t m e ; l o o k i n g , j u s t l o o k i n g a t m y e y e b a l l s , l o o k i n g h y p n o t i c a l l y ( m y m a t e d e a d , a s d e a d c a n b e ) j u s t e y e b a l l s ! U n c o n t r o l l a b l e c o n v u l s i o n s b e g a n f o r n e v e r , n e v e r b e f o r e h a d a m a n , a m a n w a l k e d u p o n t h e s e s a n d s , m y e y e - s o c k e t s n o w h o l l o w f o r t h e y h a d j u m p e d w i t h i n . < / P > < P > P a r t I I < / P > < P > D e l i r i o u s D r i f t i n g < / P > < P > I t w a s n o t a n i g h t m a r e h e a s s u r e d h i m s e l f , w i t h f e v e r a n d a l l ; u n m i s t a k a b l y , h e w a s a l i v e a l a s , h i s w i f e w a s n t . < / P > < P > ( H i s d e l i r i o u s s o u n d i n g v o i c e c o n t i n u e d w i t h t h e s t o r y t o t h e d o c t o r s . ) < / P > < P > A n d s o i t w a s , i n t h e j u n g l e h e w a s l o s t , n o s i g h t , n o e y e s , a n d b r o k e n t o e s s w a t t i n g f l i e s w h e r e v e r h e d g o . T h e b o a t ! h e f o u n d t h e b o a t . D o w n a n d a r o u n d t h e i s l a n d s h e d i d f l o a t . D e a d i n s i d e h i s e y e s , h i s , h i s e y e - s o c k e t s , n o w a s p i d e r s n e s t , w h o m n e s t l e d w i t h i n h i s i n t e r n a l b r o w r i d g e s : d r a g g i n g , c h e w i n g h i s b o n e s ; s u c k i n g u p t h e y o l k o f h i s e y e s ; d r a g g i n g h i s s i g h t c a s t r a t i n g h i s c r a n i a l l o b e s . A f t e r a l l t h i s , a l l t h i s h e c o u l d b u t h a z i l y s e e t h r o u g h h i s h a n g i n g v e i n s a n d w e b s , a n d t h e r o o f o f h i s b r o w s . < / P > < P > ( A n i s l a n d t h a t s u n k a n d r o s e a t d a w n : h e h a d b e e n o n ; a d e m o n i c i s l a n d , w h e r e s p i d e r s g a v e b i r t h t o h e l l s h e n c h m e n . ) < / P > < P > A n i l l n e s s n o w w a s b e f a l l i n g A m b r o s e A s h t o n K e a t s b e f a l l i n g h i m l i k e a d y i n g t h i e f ; r i g i d l y h e t o s s e d a n d t u r n e d , h a n d s c l a s p i n g , g r i p p i n g a l l h e f e l t w i t h i n t h e b o a t : h i s k n e e s c l u t c h i n g t o t h e s e a t . < / P > < P > H i s m o n s t r o u s e y e - s o c k e t s l o o k e d l i k e d e e p - h o l l o w p a l e - r e d c a v e s ; w i t h d e m o n i c s p i d e r s o r a n g e a n d r e d l o o k i n g o u t u p o n h i s k n e e s . < / P > < P > M o r e a p p a l l i n g t h a n t h i s , i f p o s s i b l e , h i s t o e s g r e w i n t o w e b l i k e t o a d s , d e m o n i c t h i n g s . A n d t h e n a s h e s a i l e d a c r o s s t h e s e a , h e t r i e d t o s l e e p ; t h u s , d r e a m i n g o f h i s s w e e t h e a r t , h e d n e v e r a g a i n s e e . Y e t d a z z l e d w i t h i n , w i t h i n h i s b r a i n , w e r e s p i d e r s w e a v i n g , w e a v i n g t h e i r m a l i c i o u s g a m e ; e x c r e t i n g d e m o n i c b e i n g s ; w h i l e s c r e a m i n g w i t h b i r t h l i k e p a i n s ; s c r e a m s t h a t f l e d f r o m v e i n t o v e i n ; h e n c e , t h e b i r t h o f B u e r a n d G u s o y n h e n c h m e n f r o m h e l l w a s a r r a n g e d . < / P > < P > [ T h e v i c t i m s h y p o t h e s i s w a s n e w t o t h e d o c t o r s , a s M r . K e a t s t r i e d t o e x p l a i n . ] < / P > < P > T h e c u r r e n t i n t h e s e a h a d g r o w n w i l d e r a s h e v a i n l y l o o k e d , l o o k e d o u t a n d a b o u t f o r l a n d m a r k s j u s t j u n g l e i s l a n d s w e r e a l l h e s a w ; h o p e l e s s l y s t r a n d e d i n h i s b o a t ; w i t h a n e b b i n g f e v e r , h i s m i n d s h i f t i n g t o a n d f r o , d e v o u r i n g r a w f i s h , f l o a t i n g , j u s t f l o a t i n g . < / P > < P > ( S a i d a d o c t o r w i t h i n t h e t e a m T h i s i s s u r e l y n o t a d r e a m , n o r a n e a r t h l y t h i n g , c o u l d i t n o t b e f r o m a n a l i e n w o r l d ? O r p e r h a p s , r e m o t e l y I s a y p e r h a p s , a d e m o n i c t e n u r e ? ) < / P > < P > P a r t I I I < / P > < P > P a r o x y s m s < / P > < P > [ A s h e a n d h i s b o a t d r i f t s a i m l e s s l y w i t h i n t h e s e a ] < / P > < P > A u t o m a t i c t w i t c h i n g , c o n v u l s i o n s s p i d e r - w e b s w e a v e d , l a c e d w i t h i n h i s e y e - s o c k e t s ; b o n y - b l o o d y s o c k e t s , r a w w i r e d t o s e e w h a t w a s n o t m e a n t t o b e f o r h u m a n - b e i n g s . H e w i p e s t h e m c l e a n , r e c k l e s s l y . H e i s l i k e b r a n c h e s o n t r e e s : s w a y i n g , f a l l i n g b e i n g t o s s e d b a c k a n d f o r t h , t o a n d f r o , i n s i d e h i s b o a t . H i s h e a r t b e a t v i l e , y e t a p r a y e r n e v e r l e a v e s h i s l i p s . H e g r a b s h i s c o m p o s u r e i l l w i l l e d , f e v e r e d a n d a l l , d r i f t i n g , j u s t d r i f t i n g t i m e h a s l e f t h i s b r o w l i k e a n e l a p s e ; i n s e c t s n o w c r u s h i n g h i s f a c e , t r y i n g t o e n t e r h i s h o l l o w a s h e s w a t s a n d s w a t s t h e m f o o d f o r t h e s p i d e r s , a s t h e y d r i f t u p o n t h e s e a o f p e a c o c k g r e e n . < / P > < P > [ H i s m i n d i s l i k e a m e l t i n g g l a c i e r , l o s i n g c o n s c i o u s n e s s ; a s h e l o o k s , a n d d r i f t s a b o u t . ] < / P > < P > T h e m o o n w a s l o w i n t h e h e a v e n s , c o i l e d s e r p e n t s h a d o w s : l e a p i n g , j u m p i n g a l l a r o u n d h i s v e s s e l o r s o i t s e e m e d g r o t e s q u e l y . L i k e a n a r m y e s c o r t t h e y p u l l e d h i s b o a t t o s h o r e . < / P > < P > S e l f - p o s s e s s e d , s i t t i n g u p , a c c o m p a n i e d b y t h o s e , t h o s e g i g a n t i c h o l e s , v o l c a n i c r i m s s o c k e t e y e s , w i t h s p i d e r s l o o k i n g o u t , h e t a k e s h i s a n c h o r , u n e a s i l y , t o s s e s i t i n t h e w a t e r n e a r b y , i n t h e w a t e r h e d i v e s , i n t h e w a t e r h e d i v e s . < / P > < P > [ A n d t h u s , t h i s i s w h e r e t h e s t o r y c h a n g e s , f o r h e i s f o u n d , a n d i n t h e h o s p i t a l h a s t o l d t h e d o c t o r s t h i s v e r y s t o r y y o u h a v e j u s t r e a d ; b u t n o w f o r t h e c l i m a x . ] < / P > < P > P a r t I V < / P > < P > D a n c e o f t h e S p i d e r s < / P > < P > L o o k i n g f o r h e l p , a i d o r j u s t s i m p l y p e o p l e w o u l d d o , s o h e g a z e d u p a n d d o w n t h e s h o r e : l e o p a r d f a c e d , d e e p s e t - i n c h e e k s , w e b - f e e t , h i s l i f e d e c a y i n g a s i f s o m e o n e h a d s u c k e d a l l t h e s p i r i t f r o m h i s f r a m e l i k e n e d t o h i s w i f e h e n o w w a s d y i n g . < / P > < P > A l l h i s v e i n s n o w c o u l d b e s e e n t h r o u g h h i s p i n k - l i k e f l e s h , d e m o n i c b e i n g s h i d d e n w i t h i n h i s c h e s t . < / P > < P > ( D y i n g : h e l i e s t h e r e n o w , l i k e a s l a u g h t e r e d b u l l , i n t h e h o s p i t a l , a s t h e d o c t o r s l o o k o v e r h i m . ) < / P > < P > T h e d e m o n s h a d a t t a i n e d t h e i r n o u r i s h m e n t : b o d y m i l k , l u m p s o f p a l e s k i n s t r e t c h e d r e m i n i s c e n t o f a l i z a r d . T h e y w e r e n o w a s s i g n e d t o h e l p m a n s i n . < / P > < P > A n d f o r A m b r o s e A s h t o n K e a t s [ p a t i e n t ] , h e d i e d a s h e c a m e o u t o f a c a t a t o n i c p o s t u r e , i n t o a d e e p , d e e p s l e e p a s t h e t w o s p i d e r s ( s u r r o g a t e a g e n t s f o r d e m o n i c b i r t h s ) c r a w l e d s l o w l y o u t , o u t o f h i s e y e s - s o c k e t s , o v e r h i s e y e - l i d s , t h a t n e v e r c l o s e d o r w i n k e d , j u s t c r i e d a n d c r i e d f o r r e l i e f . N o w b y h i s b e d s i d e t h e e i g h t - l e g g e d b e a s t s w e r e s a i d t o b e s e e n : d a n c i n g d a n c i n g , j u s t d a n c i n g a b o u t , a r o u n d : h i s s i n g a n d p i s s i n g . < / P > < P > N o t e : W r i t t e n : A p r i l , 2 0 0 4 ; r e v i s e d J a n u a r y , 2 0 0 5 [ p r o s e p o e t r y ] , D a n c i n g D a r k S p i d e r s < / P >
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Dennis Siluk
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