Demise

One day, a spider caught a butterfly, a fly, and a grasshopper in its web. The butterfly said to the fly and grasshopper, "Let's try to please the spider so that it won't eat us." The three insects agreed and the spider came to them for its meal.

"Wait, Spider. I am small so I don't make much of a meal," said the fly.

"My wings have poison," said the butterfly. "If you eat me, you would die instantly."

The grasshopper said, "My shell is hard and my arms are sharp. You will get hurt, dear Spider."

The spider then said, "I eat insects for survival. I cannot let you go. Fly, a meal is still a meal no matter how small. Butterfly, I am a poisonous creature myself. Why would I fear your poison? And grasshopper, my strong pincers can penetrate any shell. Do not compare me to a lowly worm."

The three captives looked at each other and then back at the spider.

"Spider, eat the fly. There are so many of them in the world. One less fly wouldn't make a difference," said the butterfly.

The fly then angrily spoke, "Well you butterflies are quite useless only to be pinned on a board for exhibition. Spider, I say you eat the butterfly. You would have a beautiful meal. While you're at it, eat the grasshopper."

The grasshopper who was struggling from the strong silk threads stopped moving and then announced, "You treacherous fly! I thought we agreed to help eachother. Spider, if you eat me, my brethren will come in herds and incur you in their wrath!"

The spider only laughed.

"You petty creatures spin such lovely stories. Grasshopper, I admire your courage, but numerous of your so-called brother-in-arms have fallen into my trap," said the spider.

"Spare me!" pleaded the fly. "If you release me, I'll show where the other flies are so you can have an endless meal!"

"Fly, you are the most wretch of our kind," remarked the butterfly. "Spider, why not change to a diet of flowers and sweet nectar? It's much more better than our bitter blood."

"I demand that you end my life immediately. I refuse to linger any longer with these two cowards," ordered the grasshopper.

"Enough of this nonsense!" the spider angrily shouted.

Just as the spider crawled near the grasshopper to eat it, a fruit from above fell, collapsing the web and terminating the spider into a pile of mush.

"We are free!" exclaimed the butterfly.

"But we are still tied up in this stupid spider's web," said the fly.

"We must struggle our way through," said the grasshopper who was wiggling out of the silk threads.

After some time, the grasshopper was free and turned to leave.

"Wait!" called the fly.

"You said ill things of me," said the grasshopper.

"What about me? I never said anything," said the butterfly.

"You said too much, coward," said the grasshopper and hopped away.

Just as he hopped away, a sparrow from afar swooped down and pinned the insect to the ground. It tore off the grasshopper's head and swallowed the rest whole.

"Serves him right!" said the fly.

The skies began to darken and the clouds gathered. Raindrops began to fall on the fly and butterfly who were stuck in the bonds of the web.

"What are we going to do now?" asked the butterfly now worried.

"We can't get out right now anyways. Let's just wait for the rain to soak into the threads and loosen them," said the fly.

So the two insects decided to wait instead of wiggling out like their dead grasshopper. As the rain began to patter more, puddles began to form. The two insects began to soak in a small pool of water.

"Maybe we should get going," suggested the butterfly now even more worried.

"What can we do? This water is soaking our wings. We can't fly anyways in this weather," said the fly.

"I guess," said the butterfly.

The rain didn't stop and the pool of water began to grow. The two insects could no longer wiggle out of their web, but slowly submerge underwater. When the storm receded, two insect corpses floated to the surface and the fly was right. The water had soaked into the threads and loosened it.

#demise #shortstories