The Endangered Tarantula

Chapter 3

Later that evening, we all asked more Tarantulas around the area that were apparently setting up for Humnah, a tradition where they had food and sat in a gorgeous temple called Lymboree Divine, one of the most gorgeous temples in the world. After a small prayer, they stood up and each one of them told off all of their sins and all of their mistakes and wrongdoings and then cried out tears. Their tears were collected to make an absolutely beautiful “glass river” that was kept in a narrow glass tube and set in the hymn room, a room with a Tarantula’s head on the wall carved out of Lithenbourge Rock and natural Earth Stones. Then, they took turns telling their hymns and had wine, then the Priest Tarantula bowed to them and the gorgeous royal lady Tarantulas came in with lovely fans and sang the most beautiful song together known since the Earth was created, “My Love”. Then, the Queen and King Tarantula dismissed them, and Church was over. 

Apparently we were forced into the ritual and made to go, and so we stood behind a curtain. Tarantulas threw dresses and skirts and plaited lavishly decorated clothes on us, until we walked out dragging beautiful dresses behind us. Mr. Bear smiled. I had my hair in a gorgeous bun that was wrapped in a Tarantula Mother’s silk, and it felt weightless. 

“I feel so lovely” Jeff said. Cinnamon smiled.

We were forced to follow the rules- No slouching, no making rude noises, no laughing, no getting up, and absolutely no talking unless it was a Tarantulas’ turn to speak. Every Tarantula had to follow these rules. Simple, but cut and dry.

We all sat down. The benches were made from Marble Wood, cold and flat. A lady Tarantula sat down beside me. Her lipstick was thick and her black hair was curled and past her shoulders. 

“Is this what Church is?” Jeff whispered. 

“Shhh!” Mrs. Kit hissed. “Straighten up, young lady” the lady Tarantula said to me in a snappish tone. I stiffened. 

Jeff’s phone rang. “Silence your phone!” Adelina hollered, so loud everyone turned to stare at us. Jeff fiddled with his phone to shut it off. “Um, no cellphone, sir” the Priest Tarantula said. He was a little older than Cinnamon. 

During Church sins, Jeff was a Tarantula, so he was forced to say his sins.

Everyone stared at him. Jeff rose, his knees shaking and his fur trembling in their follicles. He cleared his throat.

“Uh, I stole a pack of gum when I was two” Jeff said, smiling. 

I could barely hold myself from laughing. We weren’t supposed to laugh.

“Alright. Sir, any more sins? What about mistakes?” the Priest Tarantula asked. 

Jeff swallowed hard. “I broke my mother’s China Cabinet. I uh, made it fall over and all the China broke” Jeff said.

Mr. Bear made this horrifying gasping noise. 

“Anything else?” he asked.

Jeff looked like he was about to lose it. “I stole a Tarantula’s purse at the grocery store. I also um, in the sixth grade, ate a crayon and nearly died” he said, breathing hard.
“How did you nearly die?” the Tarantula priest asked. Jeff looked around. “I um...choked on it and couldn't breathe. And then I inhaled a whole bunch of spit afterwards and definitely couldn't breathe" Jeff said.

Nobody laughed. “Is that it?” the Priest Tarantula asked, looking at him.

Jeff gulped. “Last year, I stole an SUV and drove it to Lowes’ and smashed it into a pickup truck because I had no idea how to drive” Jeff said.