Prompts: Sinister, Seoul, minty-fresh, Add to Cart, Gold.

There was a dead spider in the hall. It disturbed her, even when it shouldn’t; the overturned belly was helpless, powerless. Still, it’s form made her lip curl with unease, she hated the very form of it. It was huge, about the size of a fifty cent piece. How long had it been living around her, hidden away in the corners?

Her husband called her into the kitchen again. He wasn’t happy. When was he happy? She stood there in front of him, while the words continued. She drifted off to her own world, her hands empty and swinging while the voice went on. This time it was about the brand of toothpaste he wanted. She would have to get on to the Tesco site again, get the right one, with the minty-fresh flavour. She wasn’t paying attention, was she paying attention? Seriously, was she even awake in there?

So, was the spider dead from old age, or from something else? They’d had rain, lots of it, just last night. Maybe it had crept in all wet and dying, trying to take shelter while it breathed its last, until it died in the hall all alone. Did spiders feel sad? She didn’t think they did. But she didn’t know anything.

He seemed done. “Are you listening? Are you?!” his eyes were wide, silence finally happening. She answered as breezily as she could.

“Of course I am!” A big smile, shoulders dropped, all calm and good. All good.

He shook his head at her. “I’m going to work.” He stood up, and he left. Oh hurrah, he left. Finally she was free, the house empty of his voice for a few hours. Okay. She watched from the sitting room as his car pulled away, and felt herself finally breath out.

But first, toothpaste. She sat herself down at the computer, and clicked onto the shopping website. Add to cart. Pay. Do you want to collect your gold vouchers. Done.

She looked over to the spider again from her seat. Didn’t some spiders kill their mates? What did they do with them once they were gone? How did they explain it, make it all smooth and calm again?

The spider’s body was still in the hall, and she sat there, looking at it.

And in her mind, a plan began to form…