Woman Of Spiders
I had an idea for an original character, and I had a vague idea of a story line, but it was not enough to actually write out a story.
Another problem was simple lack of reliable free time. Mini-fictions on Twitter gave me an idea for how to solve these problems.
Instead of writing a fleshed out story, what if I distilled the story down to just the crucial moments?
And then distilled those down futher until I could fit them into one tweet each?
So this is the result.
The only thing I don't like is that not everything about the character is addressed, so I have made my notes available to read.
THE RESCUE
The empty bottle is a momentary curiosity, but focus is on the knife.
"I just need a sample," the scientist implores.
No thought. Only action.
"Stay back! You don't know what she is!"
Impact. Momentum. Pain.
"Dammit," he shouts, quickly staggering away.
THE FACE
Her black hair is impossibly straight.
Her tan skin is without blemish.
Her flowing movement is precise.
Her unblinking eyes do not waver.
Her expression is blank, yet has a kindness.
She looks unreal.
THE HEAL
His wound, received on her behalf, dripped red before her eyes.
She raised a hand over it and sliced her own skin with unflinching grace.
A strange black flowed from her and knitted him together, stinging slightly at first, but soon there is no pain at all.
THE ACCOMPANY
He is at a loss.
"Thank you," he manages.
Her mouth moves into a momentary smile.
"I... I guess I'll go, then."
He walks past her, homeward and confused.
Glancing back, he finds her following him.
Uncertain about anything, he just continues.
THE EXPLORATION
Her eyes scanned every inch of his apartment.
She opened and closed all of his doors and drawers.
Even his toilet was inspected.
No contents were disturbed.
No one thing held her interest until her attention returned to him.
She watched and followed.
THE MEAL
Queries unanswered, he cooked for two.
She did not seem to chew, despite having teeth.
Something on the floor drew her attention.
She quickly snatched up a sizable roach, swallowed it, and then continued with what was on her plate.
He gasped in shock.
THE TV
She observed him conducting his daily routine on his computer, and then she sat with him as he watched television.
Experimentally, he switched between a wide variety of programs, to see if any would entice a reaction, but her expression never changed.
THE BEDTIME
"Um.... I have to work, tomorrow, so... I need to sleep."
She only stared at him.
"You can stay, if you like, but if you leave, please lock the door."
She remained silent.
"Okay.... I'll be in there.... Sleeping."
He felt her eyes until he closed the bedroom door.
THE DREAM
He'd never had such a dream.
Not the usual fiction, full of symbolism.
Instead, he watched fragments of his memories flash through his mind.
He began to notice a pattern of emotional distinction among them.
Joy. Sorrow. Sympathy. Fear. Courage. Desire. Disappointment.
THE PORN
He wondered if she was still there.
He took a breath before opening the bedroom door.
At his computer, her eyes fixated on one of his porn videos.
"Oh shit!"
He rushed to closed every program she had opened.
She stared at him, expressionless.
"I... have to go to work."
THE CONFRONTATION
"You must have realized she's not human," the scientist implored, quietly.
The surrounding customers heard nothing.
"I'm not trying to hurt her. I just want to know what she is. WHY she is."
The scientist pushed a business card across the table.
"Please."
The scientist left.
THE COOK
The last thing he expected was to find her cooking; nevermind a normal taste.
In the middle of their meal, he pushed the scientist's card across the table and recounted the events that transpired.
She stared closely at the card a moment, and then she continued eating.
THE APPETITE
He just watched in awe.
When the food was gone, she moved on to things that were questionable as food.
Bones. Eggshells. Baking soda.
And then things that were not food at all.
Burnt matches. Toothpaste. Coins.
He followed her outside, where small animals were consumed.
THE BED
When comfort was found in bed, he heard the door open and then close.
Faint light revealed her movement.
His heart pounded as she lay next to him.
He'd never shared a bed with a woman.
She rolled onto her side and placed a hand on his chest.
He calmed and drifted into sleep.
THE EROTIC
She cycles through combinations, as the dream progresses.
Height. Skin tone. Hair length, color and style.
He feels the joy of friendship.
He feels the romance of knowing her mind.
He feels the eroticism of knowing her body.
He feels the unity of knowing her entirely.
THE SLEEP
She did not awaken.
Her skin was warm, and she breathed.
Even through her shirt, he should be able to hear a heartbeat, but there was none.
There was only a faint hum.
A constant, almost imperceptible vibration within her.
Was it his imagination, or did she seem... larger?
THE SHOPPING
After work, he went shopping.
He was almost afraid to return home.
What would he find?
Any shadow of doubt, that she was not human, was gone.
He imagined all manner of metamorphosing creatures, both real and fictional.
Both beautiful and terrifying.
THE WARD
Why was his door unlocked?
He rushed in, through to the bedroom, and froze.
What surprised him more: that she had doubled in size, like an inflated balloon, or that the scientist stood by with a portable defibrillator?
"It's okay," the scientist said. "It's almost time."
THE BIRTH
The back of her body and extremities split open, and then she got off the bed.
Her body returned to its original form, leaving behind a different female body, somehow fully clothed, and with an intubation tube in her throat.
The scientist rushed to action.
THE RESUSCITATION
Under instruction, he pumped the intubation bag, stopping only when the scientist shouted, "Clear!"
The body convulsed, and then the scientist checked for life signs.
Again, once and twice; his heart pounding.
The scientist paused, and then smiled.
"There is a heartbeat!"
THE AWAKENING
This new woman's eyes blinked open, adjusting to the light.
To his surprise, she behaved like a normal human.
Her face expressed discomfort. Her movement was not fluid.
As she slowly sat up, she let out a disapproving groan.
She walked to the strange woman and embraced her.
THE BEAUTY
She turned to him, smiling.
It began to register with him that he was seeing everything that he loved.
He gasped in a rush of emotion and disbelief.
Tears escaped him as he realized that every aspect of her was beautiful to him.
And then she spoke.
"She says, 'Thank you'."
THE DISBELIEF
"Are you real?" His fingers trembling against her cheeks.
"By every atom."
She held up her palm, and small amounts of the black spilled over both of their lips, and pooled together.
"You gave her a way, and a reason, to become fully human, after so many centuries."
THE MEMENTO
They decided to frame the scientist's business card and the email they found in the Sent folder.
"I am the woman of spiders.
Come at 4pm tomorrow.
Bring a defibrillator and an intubation bag.
The door will be unlocked.
If you help me, I will teach you."
Character Notes
Here's what I have, so far.
A rare species of spider evolved a kind of empathy, and through that, and sort of hive mind, or vice-versa, and began working together more.
They also developed different kinds of webbing.
They began using the different kinds of silk for various reason, eventually, including construction or "tools".
Over time, they began to "feel bad" for the things they killed, so began obtaining their nutrients from other sources, including already dead animals.
They also evolved to be smaller in size and more plentiful in number.
This enabled them the create "tools" with greater detail and complexity, as well as more "knowledgably" deal with molecules for greater varieties of silk.
This also allowed them to learn how things are made.
What started as "tools" and types of homes eventually became mimicry of the human form.
Their empathy and hive mind eventually developed into a singular consciousness.
They effectively built a human-shaped home with enough complexity to look and move like a human.
The only major internal organs they mimiced were a stomach, so they could carry their food around, and lungs, plus a system of ventalation tubes, for both the breathing and cooling of the spiders contained within the body.
Most of the spiders are the size of molecules, effectively making them organic nanobots.
I have not decided if they have given their body speech capability, but they would be able to.
As per the dream I had where the large spider turned into a young woman, that is the form.
As a note: While "she" is not invulnerable, "she" is effectively immortal.
I seem to dream a lot about spiders... and bug spray.
I dreamed a rather large spider, maybe 18 inches, was chasing down a cat.
I followed it to a torn up back porch, but lost it. I sprayed all over, then saw it. It ran away, but I sprayed a long solid stream on it.
It halted in the grass, briefly effected, but continued more slowly. I sprayed again, it halted again.
The third time, it turned into a young woman wearing a black leather jacket.
She had shoulder-length, straight, black hair that curved in slightly at the ends.
She started trying to climb a chain link fence.
I didn't spray her, and she didn't seem to notice I was actually there.
The dream started falling apart as I started to wake up more and conciously think about it.
Turning human would save her, but she should wash it off.
I know for a fact that if Raid is on your skin for hours, it will start to burn your skin, kind of like acid.
Incidentally, that was the first time I've dreamed of a spider turning into anything.
I never really got a look at her face, but she was otherwise, pretty darn diggable.
She wore all black with combat type boots.
I would have liked to continue the dream.
His wound, received on her behalf, dripped red before her eyes. She raised a hand over it and sliced her own skin.
A strange black flowed out from her and onto him, stinging slightly at first, but soon there was no pain at all.
Moving of its own accord, the blackness traveled off of him, fell into her open palm, and returned to her own wound.
It was not blood in her vains. Instead flowed rivers of countless tiny spiders which constructed and maintained her with various kinds of webbing.
Partially inspired by Eucliwood Hellscythe, in "Is This A Zombie?", I think she will find his actions touching, and she will find him curious, and part of her will want to reward him, but she will initially not know what kind of reward she would like to give.
She will stay with him, and be a bit nosey, eventually discovering his image and video collection on his computer.
With everything she learns about him, from his chosen surrounding and listening to him talk to her, she will decided to create a woman for him.
She will eat many things in order to secretly knit together a body inside of her own.
At some point, the body will need an electric jolt to bring it to life, but at least the body's face must be outside of her own so that it can breathe.
She will insert one or more nano-spiders into him to study his neurology, and if there is a conflict in the story, she may infest the antagonist to study his/her brain and other parts that she has yet to previously create.
She will not create vocal chords for herself, but the female she creates will be fully functional, legitimate human.
In studying neurology she will be able to design a compatible personality for the female, including memories.
Some memories will be copies of his and her own experiences with him, but also just general knowledge for functioning in the world.
The female will be born knowing him, and will be partially a reflection of her feelings for him.
This will be her gift before she leaves and returns to her own exploration of the world.