by Jonathan Worlde

Damp ferns conceal my position. The relentless beast draws nearer, but I’m not defeated that easily. I must survive for the sake of my unborn. This creature is gigantic, but I can play that against it. I have stealth on my side. The early jungle mist provides cover. When it passes by this tree where I perch, I can use the element of surprise, targeting a vulnerable spot.

Here it comes, close enough. I leap, my eight legs gripping tight. I’m driving venomous fangs into the human’s exposed neck. Screaming, he crashes to the jungle floor and into my web.

Jonathan Worlde

Jonathan Worlde’s novel, Latex Monkey with Banana, was winner of the Hollywood Discovery Award. He has over forty mostly speculative stories published in various journals, including Cirque Journal, Raven Review, Antietam Review and Gettysburg Review, most recently Mystery Tribune, Stupefying Stories, and Daily SF.