The Smartphone Saga: A Distracted Journey of Spells and Signals

Chapter 9 - Part 1: Gang Up

The spider loomed, deceptively still, and Jasson scarcely breathed. Some part of his mind started counting the eyes of the nightmare, a morbid interest in facts ticking away the time eye by eye.

Seven, Jasson could breathe. At twelve Jasson could move again. At sixteen eyes Jasson could fight, fingers twitching onto the screen in a drumroll of fear.

In the fervent manner of someone who was raised on click-to-win games, Jasson went to war on his screen. And, to the great horror of all arachnophobes hoping that the spider was a Halloween decoration, it reacted.

Jasson screamed and threw the chair at it, getting in a few final taps before buckling and pulling the door closed above him. The scuttle of too many legs drummed above Jasson's head and disappeared behind him.

"Did you get it?" The mother said as Jasson desperately held his bladder, "Is it dead?"

"It didn't sound dead," Jasson squeaked, "Umm...I don't think the chair worked."

"That was awesome!" Ethan said, "It sounds so big! Are you gonna finish it off?"

The kid looked nothing like Jasson's siblings, not that Jasson had ever defended his siblings. Maybe this swell of protectiveness was his subconscious making up for that. A real threat, a real child. And, perhaps, a real hero.

"It sounds like terror incarnate," Jasson looked into Ethan's hopeful eyes, "But...Yeah. I'm gonna finish it off."

I must be crazy today, Jasson thought.

Taking a breath, Jasson looked at his phone. The Punching John game had a number on the corner.

Since when did this game have hit combos? Jasson thought. Still... forty-two is pretty good. Especially while using two fingers.

Before he could stop himself, Jasson pushed open the attic door. This spider was horrifying but thankfully it was not a jumper. Jasson scanned the room through the bare inch of a gap, flicking from place to place before he shivered from to the top of his head to- well. You know where.

There was a strange little tube right beside the opening, and Jasson leaned closer to see what it-

Suddenly the tube curled and Jasson screamed, ducking down again. Jasson saw the family watching him and smiled desperately. As long as he didn't count the screaming and tiny leak, he was still in the running to be a hero to this kid.

I want to use the bathroom, Jasson thought, But if I go I'll never come back. It has to be now or never.

"Just a leg," Jasson said, tears of terror streaming down his face, "I knocked one off. Erm...can I get something to push it away with? I think the spider has gone into hiding."

Elizabeth sent Ethan to fetch the fire poker, which Jasson felt they should have led with the first time instead of handing him a newspaper. The kid returned and Jasson gave it a few experimental swings. The poker wielded better than the chair but Jasson could feel the handle rattle as he swung it. This was a terrible weapon.

"It's mostly decorative," Elizabeth explained, "We use heating crystals, so our fireplace isn't used that often. Usually for the Winter Feast when the kids want to open presents by the fire."

How picturesque, Jasson thought, although not any better for me. I shouldn't rely on this thing unless the big guy corners me.

"This will do fine," Jasson held up his phone, "I'm just using it to poke around."

Jasson eased the door open and shoved the leg of terror away from the opening with the poker. He watched it tumble into the distance, then Jasson broke his gaze away to scan the surroundings. He was peaking through a few inches of the open trap door, hoping to see the spider but unable to see directly behind or *shudder* above him.