Eyes Of Conscience

DREAMSCAPES

DREAMSCAPES

Xentang 6

Wonderful, Dorothy sighed, as she used her pyjama top as a towel to dry her hair as there was not a towel available.  Strands of hair fell off in clumps, twisting their way round her arms.  Some had plastered themselves on her arms and chest.  Sticking to her fingers as she tried to shake them off.  Has it really been this long since she brushed her hair?  Sitting by the fireside, positioned at other end of the waterfall cave, to dry her long thick locks.  Firelight cast dancing flickering shadows on the cave wall - lighting up the silvery water as it fell into a little pool.

Algra scuttled in with a garment and a sharp pair of scissors: “How is it, dear?” she asked as she casually brushed aside Dorothy’s stray hair off her back and arms.  “You look so much better for that!”

“I do not feel better,” Dorothy sighed.  “There is only one thing that would make me feel better.”

Algra stopped fussing over Dorothy, “Ah, the sight of the man you love?”

Dorothy remained silent, sat on the dry uncomfortable rock using her pyjama bottoms as a cushion,  “Did you eat your husband?” Dorothy asked as the Spider Queen.

Algra peered up at her, gazing into Dorothy’s eyes intently.  Disconcerting the human with her eight, big, round, purple eyes twinkling.  “No,” she replied with a slight smile, “my mate died fighting for me,” Algra’s expression became grim, “There are some species of Path’GA that do eat their husbands but that is not a thing I approve of.  Besides,” Algra stared into the middle distance, “I did have what I suppose you humans call love for him.  Rugha had intelligent conversation.  Some of the art work in this cave system was designed by him...” here Algra had finished fussing.  Dorothy glanced up at the thin and thick different coloured strokes - they were of, Dorothy squinted, flowers, how poetic.  “Now,” she said matter of factly, “lets tend to your hair.  I want to keep it long.  What is the point of having beauty if only for it to be shorn away is my thinking!”  The Path’GA Queen scuttled round the rock.  Once Algra was at Dorothy’s back Algra ran her front limbs through her long, honey coloured locks, “a couple of inches...” picking up the scissors she held some in place as she angled the cut.  “Yes, that is about right!” before continuing all the way round holding clumps before snipping more off, “give it some layering! that’ll strengthen it up a bit!”

“I must say I have been through some weird things in my time but I never thought I’d have my hair cut by a spider!”

“Path’GA, dear!”

“Path’GA,” Dorothy corrected, “can I walk out on my own for a bit, please?  I won’t stray far I promise! When you finished cutting my hair and I got back in my...”

“I have made a dress for you, dear!”  Algra stopped cutting.  “As for the other question, I would rather you not,” she said, “that bikini bitch could get you and if those Mambites were to find you - or you were stung by a Relti - I do not think I could...”

“I wish you were my mother!”

Dorothy felt strangely comforted by the flickering fire and the sound of the waterfall behind her.  Spiders were supposed to be fearful creatures but Algra was warm, kind and motherly.  All qualities her mother could aspire to having.  Oppressive gloom descended upon her as she thought of her own relationship with Nancy.  A relationship that was just as fraught with tension and arguments of late.  What had she done to make Nancy hate her so much?  

“You are looking pensive,” Algra said as she continued shaping and cutting the girls hair.  “Tell me what is on your mind, dear!”

Glancing down at her feet Dorothy suddenly broke out in a sob: “My daughter and I have been arguing.  I do not know what I have done to upset her but she won’t talk to me and I feel like I have wronged her in some way!”