Mother of the Spiders: Octagon

13. The Attic (Thread Two)

[Each chapter of Octagon corresponds to a song that inspired the shape of the character arc and/or story arc. You can listen to each chapter's "song" to gain further insight into the world-building of Gossamer Loom and the people who live there. I definitely had fun listening to these songs while I was writing the novel. Chapter 13's "Formation Song" is "Life on Mars?" by David Bowie.]

Leslie paced her bedroom, clutching her phone. She reread the four consecutive texts she had just received from Josiah for a third time:

-Pack ur bags and meet me at Loomridge Haven. Time u got ur grand tour. This is a sleepover type of deal ok? I need you to come.

-Please come.

-I don't mean to sound manipulative but if u care about me at all u will come.

-See u soon. ;)

It was a strange jumble of thoughts. Leslie didn't know what was going on with Josiah, but she didn't care either way.

She needed to get out of the house, regardless.

She looked around. Her new bedroom was small and the walls seemed to be closing in tighter with each passing day. Her house had become a prison since her father's disappearance. Ever since he hadn't come back from that work trip. Ever since eyewitnesses had reported that "Lore-Elle-the-Whore-Elle" had given her dad fellatio at the end of their trip, and now the two were probably planning to run away together.

For weeks, silence had settled into the house like a living thing.

Helen, of course, hadn't been the same since Robert's failure to return. Her high-strung traits had given way to a psychotic, bumbling, obsessive control freak persona that was really starting to become too much for Leslie to know how to navigate. It was like something vital inside Helen had snapped, and now her mom was a misfit fucking toy. She wandered the house like a homeless person, mumbling under her breath, her eyes either glazed over or suddenly frantic as she turned spontaneously over her shoulder to see that once again, she was not in fact being stalked by anybody. Twice now, Leslie had caught Helen staring at nothing for hours on end, her body motionless except for her lips, which whispered strange, cryptic phrases that Leslie could barely understand. Her mother also hadn't eaten for days, and when she did speak to Leslie, her words were fragmented and unsettling.

Leslie was trying her best to help, to be patient. But nothing was working. Her mother wasn't listening anymore. She was lost.

And now, Leslie needed to escape—even if it was just for a night.

She typed out three separate responses to Josiah:

-You're on. Also, I know you dont have a ton of experience with people talking shit about you, but jsyk a co-ed sleepover is basically the exact fucking tea the gossip mill is begging for when it comes to you and i right now.

-i.e. Emily WILL make us pay for this!

-but also I need an escape so its too late for you to take back your invite. I'm gonna pack, then I'll head on over.

After the third message sent, Leslie tossed her phone onto her bed, exhaling shakily. She was tired of taking care of her mom, worrying about her dad, getting mad at her mom, getting mad at her dad, feeling bad for her mom, freaking out about her missing fucking dad, and trying to pretend she didn't feel trapped in the godforsaken hellhole that was her new life in Gossamer Loom.

Loomridge Haven might not be her first pick for a scenic vacation spot to escape her bleak little reality, but this sudden invitation from Josiah promised a night of distraction. A sleepover with Josiah couldn't possibly be worse than another night spent listening to her mom mutter to herself, pacing through the house like she was looking for something she had no shot at finding.