Denishea Young 

“Today is the day!” You announce as you swing open the door. Cringing slightly as it’s rusty hinges' squeaks and squeals end abruptly with a

 

BANG!

 

The door hitting the wall.

 

You reach to the side feeling along the wall you know there’s a switch there. Ah you’ve found it and with a flick of your finger the light flares, humming to life deepening shadows and illuminating areas rarely seen. You wait for a while but the humming continues. Shrugging you take a step beyond the doorway blinking to adjust to the glare. While stifling a sneeze from the lazy stirring of dust in the air. You gaze in dread at the gravity defying towers of papers, the pyramid of bags, the twice and thrice labeled boxes, the kitchen chair with the wobbly leg you planned to fix, the totes that are bursting at the seams filled with random stuff. You squint and look into the distance. Is that….? Yes, it is! It’s a stack of CDs. You try to remember the last time you listened to CDs. Was it a year ago? Ten?

 

Staring at the endless mass of half-finished projects, towers of old shoes, stacks of books and scattered tools. You shake your head. Trying to ignore the tightening of your neck. The spread of goosebumps. The increased beating of your heart. As you calculate just how long this will take. An hour, two, ten? You blink and wonder did the piles grow larger. Is that tower leaning more towards me? Is it me or is it starting to look like a giant’s open maw?

 

You take a breath "Calm down," you say "it's just a little spring cleaning." You laugh nervously as you take another step before freezing. You feel something on your skin. Is it!?! Lifting your hand, you grab the strand and pull it from your face tracing its path to the ceiling.

 

Is that a spiderweb!?! It is and it's the largest you have ever seen. A thought detonates in your mind releasing floodgates of dread. 'Where.... is... the... SPIDER!?!

 

You hear a rustle and see a shadow move quickly along the wall. Letting out a stifled shriek. You whirl around, jump for the entrance, slapping the light off and slamming the door. You press your back to it and breathe. Just breathe as you try to calm your racing heart. Counting slowly in your head just like your mother said

5…..

4…..

3…..

2…..

1….

Calm…

 

You look down at your to-do list and shake your head. I rather wash dishes instead. Pushing off the door you walk quickly away putting off the daunting task until another day. With a vague reminder to buy some Raid to kill any bugs that dare try to stay.