The Spider and the Butterfly

Chapter Five

Fang had finished piecing together a small metal frame fastened together with screws. It was in the shape of Daisy's wing. All he needed now was some leather and a bit of webbing. Then of course he needed to firmly strap it onto the butterfly's body and test it out.

Satisfied with his work thus far, he sat down in his recliner and poured himself a bit of flies' blood. The drink was somewhat helping him keep his predatory urges down, but it didn't really help keep his mind clear. So he still had to limit himself.

After sipping the blood for a few minutes, Fang walked over to the reservoir and splashed some water on his face and limbs. After grooming himself, he still felt bored. And impatient. Tapping a few feet against the ground, Fang stared in the direction of the den's entrance. "Where is she?" he grumbled aloud to himself.

The spider couldn't pick up her scent anymore, which meant she either didn't listen to him and wandered off or...or...

No, Fang thought. She's a cautious girl, she'd come running to me if there was trouble. Or she'd hide. There's no need to get all worked up about it. Why would he get worked up about it? Growling, Fang splashed more water on himself before going over to the fireplace and sitting on the rug.

Staring into the flames didn't help. With a sigh, the spider got up and grabbed a random book from his library. He didn't bother reading the title, he just opened it and let his eyes scan the pages. It was a geography book. Interesting, but only for about 20 minutes at a time. If that.

Fang put the book down and glanced once more toward the burrow's opening. Should he go look for her? Maybe it wouldn't hurt, and besides, he needed the fresh air. And something to eat. Probably a cricket. A big juicy one. The spider's stomach rumbled.

He stalked out of his den and into the field.

                              **********

Once Daisy and her friends made it to the cottage, they took a break to rest near the back door. "Wow, that was a long walk..." Sage exhaled.

The sun was about halfway in the sky now. It would probably be dark by the time Daisy could get back to Fang's den. He definitely wouldn't be happy about that.

"Hey, are you thinking of that spider again?" Sage asked.

Daisy snapped out of her thoughts. "What? No. I mean, kind of. I mean..." She felt flustered.

The grasshopper shook his head. "Forget about him. Dot will deal with him later. Let's just focus on getting that leather."

Dot gestured for the others to follow her indoors. "This way," she whispered. "And try not to draw any attention to yourselves."