Silk & Cologne | Miguel O'Hara

Chapter 2 - Rescue

My arachnophobia kicked into overdrive as I shrieked, swatting the spider off my hand as its fangs ripped out from my hand. It collapsed to the ground on its back, its legs frantically swinging to turn back up right as it twitched and spazzed out. I swear it looked like its colours were morphing and changing, as if it was possessed. Before long it went limp, the combined damage from the slap and the fall becoming its demise.

I breathed heavily in and out as I backed into the wall of the studio, my chest rising and falling as I stared at its small form for a few brief moments. The pitter patter of rain helped me control my breathing as I slowly found the feeling in my legs again, dragging myself to stand up. I glanced at my hand, seeing the faint holes and small streams of blood.

What kind of spider was that? Was it poisonous? How can I tell? Is it the bigger they are, the more venom they have? Or was it the smaller they are, the more venom they have? No idiot, that's for scorpions!

I used the sleeve of my hoodie to dry off the blood. "Jesus, I'm panicking!"

Should I go to the doctor and get it checked out? Or a walk in clinic? So many questions were flooding my mind as a car pulled up near me. The driver rolled down his window and leaned closer to see me, "Uber for Lisa?"

The question managed to snap me out of my panic long enough for me to double check my Uber map. The driver and car description on my phone matched the one before me and I sighed in relief knowing it was the drive I requested. Maybe I should get back to the hotel first, and clean up this wound. Then I'll figure out what to do.

I gathered my bag and quickly scurried into the backset of the car, "Yes, thank you,"

"Four Seasons hotel, right miss?" He asked, as he began to pull back into the street.

"Yes," I nodded, sighing as I leaned back in my seat.

I looked out the window, watching the rain as I took in the view of the city. I still had trouble processing that I was actually here. It was my first actual gig since I left and moved away from my parents. It was exhilarating. A new sense of freedom, I felt I finally made a choice for myself for a change.

I opened my phone, looking back in my photo gallery to see one of the last pictures I took with them. It was after winning a dance competition in Seoul just after my 26th birthday. There I was, holding my medal, my mom hugging me, a wide smile on her face, and then my step father. I could see the pride in his eyes, but there also. . . something else. There was always something else.

That was just over 2 years ago. Hard to believe how much had changed since then.

Suddenly my head was throbbing. Whether it was from looking back on old memories and cringing, or the fatigue catching up to me, or. . . oh, god, what if that spider was venomous?

I googled "How to treat spider bites" on my phone as the drive pulled up to the hotel. I thanked him again for the ride, leaving a 5 star review as I jogged into the lobby to avoid getting anymore wet than I needed to. I went into the hotel gift and convenience stores, finding medical supplies and advil to treat this headache before making my way up to my room.

I followed the online instructions as I cleaned and bandaged my hand. I took an advil and drank some water, laying down in my bed to try and take a nap to subside this headache. But the more I tried to fight it and sleep, the more intense it seemed to get. I could feel the pain split to other parts of my body. My back, my chest, and I felt these awful cramps. It was as if my period was here, but I knew it obviously wasn't it because I just had it last week.

The pain was slowly getting worse as sleep eluded me. I glanced over at the clock and when I realized I had attempted to sleep it off for roughly an hour, I cursed under my breath. "Screw this," I groaned as I slowly sat up. I saw a walk-in clinic a block away from the hotel. I'd try my luck there.