Kitchen Critters

Eight-year-old Kaitlin interrupted her cartoons to watch her dad head out the back door wearing his thick work gloves. Building his tool shed had been his favorite weekend past time for the last few weeks. This was the loneliest time for her. With dad out back and mom doing the weekend shopping, her cartoons were the only things left to keep her company. She didn't mind it much, but she'd prefer to go somewhere like Chuck E Cheese or to the park.

Her rumbling stomach gained her attention and she looked down. Mom didn't make breakfast and she didn't want to bother dad. A box of cereal had to be in the pantry so she left the couch to check. Upon opening the pantry door, a box of Apple Jacks stared back at her and she smiled. She pulled it out and went to set it on the glass kitchen table.

That's when she spotted it. She let the box go and it spilled sideways.

A black mass sat on the floor beneath the kitchen table. She backed away then she ran to the door and called her father. He rushed into the house and she pointed at the floor.

He stooped down and moved closer to the mass. She watched him stand back up and go into the cabinet beneath the sink. He came out with a can of Raid in his hand - then he sprayed the thing. The mass scattered, ballooning across the floor in all directions.

"Wow! They're baby spiders running off their momma's back. Get back," her dad said.

Kaitlin screamed then ran and jumped onto the couch. She watched her father spray a great big circle around the scattering spiders. After a few minutes, all that was left was circle of dead bugs.