Reality of Darkness

Chapter 8

It's amazing how fast a week can fly, in less than 24 hours, we will be leaving home again and heading to another investigation. After the last few days of making up for lost time, we decided tonight we would do something together, normal, not x-rated. It also didn't include packing which Zak was still avoiding like the plague. I hated rushing around in the morning and already had my holdall sat by the front door, waiting. Zak however, was dragging his heels and I knew that by tomorrow morning, I would have to pack his case for him. 

He thinks he is clever, but I am onto him... One day, I'll pack colour clothes. Teach him a lesson. 

 So tonight we were winding down, in the form of  a movie night, but one thing was getting in the way...

"Take that!"

Thwomp! Thwomp! Thwomp!

"ZAK!" I scream, running away and almost tacking him to the floor. 

"Jesus! What's going on?! I only went to do popcorn!"

"SPIDER!" 

He laughs and catches my waist, pulling me into his side as I try to scarper from the monster on the floor. 

"Get it out! Look at it! It's evil!" I point accusingly at it.

"It's a spider." He says calmly making me look at him. 

"It. Looked. At. Me." I reply through my teeth.

"It's a harmless spider." He says, walking away and scooping the eight legged freak up. "Come here."

"Fuck no." I answer causing his brow to raise. I don't swear often, but it always happens when there is a spider about.

"Elle, come here." 

I shake my head vehemently, whilst trying to work out what on earth would possess him to pick the creature up. "I can't. I'm going to be sick, get rid of it."

"Face your fears.."

"I'm happy running from them." I reply, moving backwards as he takes a step towards me.

"Do you trust me?" He asks as I put a couch between us. 

"No." I point at him. "No you can't use that line. You know I do but this is different. This is-"

"A harmless spider.. Now come here."

"Please get rid of it."

"Eleanor."

My eyes turn into slits, which only makes his smile spread across his face. "I beg your pardon."

"Don't make me say it again. Now get here."

"If you throw it at me..." I warn. 

"I'm not going to." He says as I walk over slowly. When I'm near to him, he opens his hand letting the spider run around his hand. "It's tiny.. It's-"

"Zak! Put the fucking thing down!" I panic realising what he is holding in his giant hand. It was massive to me, but small to him because Zak's hands are a whole lot bigger than mine!

"Elle calm down." He tries to take my hand to pull me closer, but before he can, I grab a couch cushion and almost take his hand off when I hit him. "Elle!" 

"Desert Recluse spider!" I shout, climbing onto the couch. When he realises, he too volts over the couch and we both, grown adults, watch as it tears across the marble floor and towards the garden doors. 

If anyone was to walk in now, they would find us in our smalls, hiding from a damn spider. When it pauses on Gracie's toy, I watch Zak jump over the couch and boot the toy and the spider out the house and into the pool.