Friend

Boston | The Dark Space

Breaking through my trap of tangled green fibers, the monstrous spider dove its luminescent pincers into the heart of my Boston Celtics logo and began to unravel the stitching. I cried out in desperation and agony but it was quickly drowned out by the spider’s victorious screeches.

In a desperate last attempt to save what was left of the logo, I wrapped as many fibers as I could around the spider’s eight bubbly eyes. I thought that If I could at least blind the monster, maybe it would release its hold on my body and I could use the distraction to tie a tight knot around its eight hairy legs.

The first eye was easy, mainly because it was the smallest of the eight. But it was slimy and slippery. I needed to stay focused. The next two were a little trickier to cover because the spider knew what I was trying to do and kept shifting its bulk on top of me to stay out of reach. Luckily, my leg trap was still tied around a few of its legs so when the spider could no longer shift any further I was able to conceal two more. Then another. And another.

With only three eyes left to see out of, the spider was more than half blind and panic began to sink into the creature’s erratic movements.

Something stirred behind us. I figured it was the smaller spider coming back to assist its larger companion, but I couldn’t risk loosening my grip to look back. It stirred again and again, each time sounding closer and closer. The shuffling finally came so close the giant spider shrieked and propelled its body upwards, ripping free of my hold and scurried into the depths of the shadows.

Taking a brief moment to savor the taste of freedom, I collected as many of my torn green and white fibers as I could and piled them into a neat pile beside me. Optimism was my best ally so I convinced myself that I was still salvageable. Plus, considering Derrick was an excellent knitter I believed that if I could escape the dark space with all of my fibers then there was still a window of hope for me.

The abrupt sound of sharp nails on hardwood shattered my brief jubilation and I was instantly reminded of my reality. I was lost in the dark space and something new was encircling me from behind the dancing walls of shadows. Another monster.

There was also a second and far more nerve-wracking problem. The scuffle with the spiders lodged me deeper within the realm of the dark space and the sliver of yellow light to the living room was barely visible. The black and gray shadows suddenly began to morph into thick dense trees and the clumps of crumbs, dirt, lint and dog hair blended together to create a treacherous terrain. The dark space had come alive.

More shuffling, followed by the pitter-patter of tiny nails on wood caused every single one of my fibers to stand at attention. I shifted myself into a defensive position and prepared to use my loose strands to ensnare whatever decided to foolishly emerge from the darkness.

Hot breath enveloped me and the unique aroma of stinky cheese invaded my nostrils. Two small beady eyes studied my loose fibers with great concern, followed by a series of up close and personal sniffs and three gentle licks with its soft pink tongue. It was a soft gray mouse, and if I included its skinny tail it was just about the same length as I was. Startled by the creature's unknown motives, I remained absolutely still as it opened its pointy mouth and began speaking to me in between sniffs with a very high-pitched voice.

“Hi there friend. It looks like you’ve had quite the battle. What are you doing here? It’s dangerous here. Are you lost? You smell lost.”

Amazingly I could understand every single word the mouse was saying. I had no idea how that was possible, but it was. This little gray mouse was speaking in the rare language of the socks. Maybe the dark space had some sort of magical spell cast upon it. Maybe I was imagining the mouse's voice and my fear had played a trick on my mind. Or maybe I was dreaming the entire situation and it would only be a matter of time until I woke up safe and sound in my cushy throne at the head of the sock drawer.

Unfortunately, I was not dreaming.

Without knowing if the mouse could understand me and with nothing left to lose except whatever little sanity I had left, considering I was about to have a conversation with a mouse, I answered its question.

“I was attacked by two spiders.”

“Ahh yes. Arac and Hnid. The H is silent. They’re the Dark Queen’s top two scouts. Although Arac appears slimier and scarier, he’s always more concerned about gathering all of the new crumbs which accumulate daily. It’s the big lady, Hnid, you need to watch out for.”

I chuckled at that sentiment as my traumatizing war with Hnid replayed in my mind’s bloodshot eye. The H is silent. I had so many questions and so many concerns. Like was this mouse actually a friend or was it trying to lure me back to its place of residence so it could use me as a protective barrier against the spiders which it seemed quite frightened of. I knew nothing of mice nor of their home remodeling tendencies. I was exposed and vulnerable. The mouse had also ventured in too close for me to be able to mount any kind of successful offensive to drive it back. I had lost control of the situation.

“I am lost,” I said, trembling, “Can you help me?”

The mouse sniffed a few more times and even gently examined my pile of loose fibers with its tiny fingers and sharp little teeth. This was it, I thought to myself. Why else would the mouse be testing and tasting my fibers? I would never rejoin my mate, Derrick’s foot or my tribe inside of the sock drawer. I was lost to the dark space forever.

“Yup. Sure can, friend.”

The mouse swiftly gathered up my pile of fibers with lightning speed, nestled them between its teeth, then shimmied its snout beneath my body and flung me to the safety of its twitching spine.

“But first I need to take you to see Harry. It’s too dangerous to venture back across the wasteland. Hnid would have reinforced her patrols with more spiders. We must wait before we can make the crossing to the light. Harry will know what to do.”

“Who is Harry? I asked, as if knowing the answer would somehow make me feel better.

“He’s like you.”

Before I could utter another word we pounced and scurried deeper into the unknown wilderness of the dark space.