TimeLabs Inc (Romantic Sci-fi - LGBTQ)

Love Spider - Cephalothorax

Looking back afterwards, Joey could remember the exact moment he made the decision that changed the world. He and Evan had been walking along High Street, on their way to lunch at The Beachside Cafe, when they had been attracted by one of the many shop windows. The name of the shop "Myths and Legends," was printed in flowing letters above a display of model dragons, Japanese demons and other, more unusual creatures that neither of them could identify. 

"Let's go in and have a look," said Joey. "Maybe they have some Manga."  

Evan followed him inside with an indulgent smile. He browsed through some of the books on display while Joey searched through the figurines. It was odd, they must have passed this way a dozen times but they had never seen this shop before. It must be new. 

"Look at this one, Evan. Who would ever want one in their house?" said Joey, pointing to a figurine which was half spider, half woman. The face and body were that of a Japanese woman in traditional costume, but she had eight black spider legs. "It's enough to give you nightmares!" He shuddered. "I hate spiders!" 

"Jorogumo," said a soft voice from behind. "Literally 'whore spider' or 'binding bride' depending on your translation. In some legends she traps men and binds them to her forever, in others, she eats them. The same thing in a way, I suppose." The woman who had spoken was dressed in white flowing robes, in keeping with the theme of the shop. For a moment Joey had a weird impression that her eyes were silver, but when he blinked they were just brown.  

"Can I show you anything in particular? Or are you just browsing?" 

"Do you have any Manga?" Joey asked. 

"I have some out the back, just go through that black curtain." 

And it was as simple as that. 

When Joey came out a few minutes later, with a couple of colourful Pokemon characters in his hands, he came out into a different world. 

He didn't realise what had happened at first. Evan was there, where he had left him, browsing through a thick book full of illustrations, and the shop owner was there, still wearing white robes, but this time - her eyes were definitely silver. 

"That'll be twenty dollars, sir," she said, looking at the figures. 

"Here you go. Great contacts, by the way," said Joey as he passed over the money. The shop owner smiled. 

Joey got the next inkling that something had changed, when he and Evan left the shop. A centaur was walking down the street, his four hooves ringing on the pavement, long tail swishing from side to side. He wore a leather vest on his human half. 

"That is the most brilliant costume I've ever seen!" breathed Joey, his eyes wide with wonder. "How the hell do they do it? 

"What do you mean?" asked Evan. "And don't stare, it's rude. You know how sensitive centaurs are." 

Joey looked blankly at him. "What on Earth are you talking about, Evan?" 

"Centaurs," said Evan with a touch of impatience. "They always think people are staring at their genitals. As if! Anyway, let's get a move on or will be late for lunch." 

Joey walked on in bewildered silence. Was he dreaming? Surreptitiously he gave himself a pinch on the inside of his arm. Ouch! Nope, he wasn't dreaming, unless he was dreaming that he was dreaming ... 

By the time they reached the cafe, Joey had managed to put it behind him. The whole thing must have been some sort of joke, or maybe something for one of those reality TV programs. It couldn't possibly have been a real centaur, haha! 

He sat down happily at one of the little tables on the decking and looked at the menu. He chose a Bruschetta with tomato and fresh basil then leant back to look at the view. The white sand was dazzling in the sun and the sea was a sparkling blue. Several people were flying those huge 3D kites. They were so realistic - it looked just as if dragons were flying out over the sea, dragons and - my god! Was that a griffin? Cool. 

Suddenly Joey felt uneasy. Where were the strings for the kites? They couldn't possibly stretch that far, could they?