photo prompt © Victor and Sarah Potter
Holding hands, they took a last look at their favourite room.
“Jan, remember when we moved in you ranted and raved about the spiders the previous owner left behind?”
“What was worse – he took the light fittings. Those colanders were only meant to be temporary and they’re still hanging.”
George examined the room, recalling and saving memories. ” I hope they look after Jezebel.”
“Perhaps we should leave a note.”
“Notes are usually left to say when to put the garbage out or idiosyncrasies of the oven.”
“Leave one. Write, don’t kill Jezebel, the spider. She keeps the bigger critters out.“
Thank you to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers and Victor and Sarah Potter for providing the photo prompt.
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About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
A bear-killing spider! I love it
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LOL. We only have koala bears.
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lol great take on the photo, I can imagine the conversation taking place … the kind of thing I’d do/say 😉
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We once moved and I was cranky at the state it was left by the previous owners but it wasn’t long before I learnt the spiders are quick weavers. If you live in Australia, as you know, you just have to get used to them.
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yes it’s cohabitation or massive amounts of toxic spray … I prefer the former 🙂
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For a moment there I thought they were talking about the cat. The spider sounds to have quite magical properties though.
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I don’t know about magic except perhaps the spider had woven its web around them causing them to think the way they didi. However, I think the spider had just been a fixture for so long that they didn’t want anything dire to happen to it.
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Shiver. Spiders are bad enough, what are the bigger critters?!
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An excuse to ensure the new owners don’t kill poor Jezebel who hasn’t done a thing wrong in her life unless you are a fly.
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Ooh, this gave me goosebumps. Very clever.
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Thanks Miriam.
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I liked that! Very true to life!
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Thank you Penny.
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Dear Irene,
I’m not sure I’d be sympathetic to Jezebel. 😉 She might kill critters but she could populate the house with her little ones. No thanks. Good story, nonetheless. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. We have a couple of poisonous spiders here that I gladly get rid of but the rest I don’t bother about too much. I’d let Jezebel be but I understand that like you, many would not.
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I generally leave bugs alone unless they’re poisonous, so I’d let Jezebel be (like Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web). I guess Jezebel should be glad to not have encountered the characters in my story. ☺
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True.
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Nope! It’s the broom for Jezebel if I was moving in. Nice story, Irene. There are people who grow little sentimental towards spiders and snakes. Not me though.
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Varad I understand your sentiments but I’m glad they didn’t sell their house to you.
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Although my wife has me kill any spiders we find in the house, folklore has it that it’s bad luck to kill a house spider and they really do keep other pests under control.
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I’m with you on this one, apart from our deadly spiders. We once put in one of those ultraviolet insect zappers and succeeded in attracting more spiders than insects and the spiders were more successful than the light in getting rid of the little pests.
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I hope Jezebel survives. Or maybe she’ll sneak into a packing crate and leave with them 🙂
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Now that would be a nice conclusion for all of them.
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Love the humour, the dialogue and the spider!
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Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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Ha Ha – this is great! We’ve had many a spider pet – our long term one was Stephen with a home by our fridge 🙂 I love the reasoning with this one though – it’s not sentimental its utterly rational – she’ll protect you 🙂
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Yes I think Jan had done a course in the art of persuasion. 😄
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I’m just thankful I’m not born of the spider sept… then, I couldn’t kill the little buggers. I don’t mind a granddaddy long legs hanging around, but in our area there are too many brown recluses and they bite and make one ill.
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LOL. I can let most go like huntsman spiders but funnel webs and red backs have to be squashed.
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Totally understand that. Here in Northern Kentucky, USA we have Brown Recluse, Black widows, and there’s another I know on sight that’s poisonous, but can’t remember the name at the moment.
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Enjoyed your story – that’s a great name for a spider!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks Susan. Glad you enjoyed it and the spider’s name.
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I don’t even want to know what the “bigger critters” are!
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LOL. A persuasive measure in the buyers imagination.
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Keeps the drop bears away?
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Hahaha
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Lovely dialogue and very sound advice – never kill a spider! Unless it can kill you, of course. Great tale Irene
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Thanks Lynn. Glad you enjoyed it.
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My pleasure 🙂
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Exactly! Spiders can be your friends. I always leave the web spinners alone. Don’t bother them and they won’t bother you. Even better, they’ll eat all the bugs that bug you. That’s a smart family there.
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I have to agree with you as you probably knew I would.
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Couldn’t they take Jezebel with them?
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They could but they knew how long it took her to spin her web and are reluctant to make her do it. Could be preferable to death though.
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I think that I would build a outdoor spider house, it would be safer for spider. In the interest of the spider.
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Now people might have some cause to really think they/you were crazy. 😄
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I’m not sure how note would be received. Probably, goodbye spider.
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You are probably right.
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I’m afraid my compassion bypasses spiders. Bye bye spidey.
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So far I think the spider has been squashed more than let live. Thanks for dropping by.
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It’s a cruel group. The good and bad news is that we kill people on a regular basis too.
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To be fair, in my story, people *do* feel bad for the spider.
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Goodness, Jezebel sounds like she’s become part of their family! Maybe instead of warning the new tenants they should warn her — to stay low. Interesting take!
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LOL. I don’t think she understands English too well.
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Unfortunate for her. 🙂
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Awwe, so sweet. After all, spiders are people too 🙂
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Thanks. You have me thinking – are they people?
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You have woven a very delicate tale here, Irene. As far as maintaining the status quo is concerned i am not very sure if the new tenants would empathetic towards their presence.
Nevertheless, a highly imaginative story.
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Thanks Neel. I don’t think Jezebel stands much of a chance with the new people but time will tell.
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I want to adopt Jezebel 🙂
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I’ll let the spider adoption agency know.
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What a brilliant name for a spider! My sister had a cat called Jezebel too. I know you get big spiders down your way. What do you get that’s worse than giant spiders?
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Thanks for the thumbs up re name. Your sister and I must be on the same wave-length. We do get some horrible spiders here – I think we have the most venomous in the world but certainly in the top few. A funnel web spider has fangs that are bigger than a brown snake and we had a brown snake death yesterday.
What do you get thats worse than giant spiders?
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You should work for the tourist board…I don’t think!
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They should take JZ with them – sounds like one of the family!
Click to read my FriFic!
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The would feel sad that she had to make a new web for herself so think she is better off where she is used to.
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Somehow I love their wanting to protect Jezebel. Which says a lot about this story!
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Glad it moved you Dale.
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Love this. Save Jezebel!
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Could be the start of a movement.
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Nice idea, but how could leave their pet behind?
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Yes you have to wonder if they are worthy of pet ownership. She may be better off taking her chances with the new folk.
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Nice story, on trying to save the spider. Myself, I don’t like killing them, though I don’t object to others’ doing so.
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I don’t kill spiders but grass hoppers are altogether a different kettle of fish. Squish.
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I think they should bring the spider with them… after all there are always big critters (guests) to keep at bay,.
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You have given me an idea. Guest control. Thanks Bjorn.
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Jezebel the spider. I like it!
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Thanks Dawn.
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Jezbel! What a lovely name and story 🙂
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Thanks Dahlia. Glad you liked it.
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Jezebel is an adorable name and looks like a part of the family . I wonder if the note with the mention of the ‘ big critters’ would scare the new tenants away .
Lovely storytelling , Irene.
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Thanks Moon. Hopefully they’ll just keep Jezebel.
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YIKES … I want to like Jezebel but since I dislike spiders I’ll have to say I would stomp on her despite their note. Great way to approach the prompt … with sympathy for Jezebel. : )
Isadora 😎
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At least you want to like her….. thats a start before stomping begins.
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We once had spider named Igor but he lived in our garden. Had he tried to live indoors, he wouldn’t have lived long. Fun story to read, Irene, I really enjoyed this one.
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Poor Igor. I won’t feel sorry for him because better to be alive outside than squashed inside.
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