It was a plutonian night. The usual reflections of the Italian alabaster and African ebony burl walls of my chamber were steeped in blackness. I lie still, beside the beauty of the bosom of my beloved. My beloved, the daughter of the Chaucer. My beloved, the Lady Diana. My heart excited upon her waking hours, stillness not to be attained even during her time of drowse, even though her I could not see in the darkness, the ebonic tide of night. The moon still lying beyond the mountain arête.


Taught well by the Master I was sired by, this sagacious lord of knowledge, this idol I grew to admire, earlier on spoke to me these words of wisdom I shall always hold dear to my true heart. “Respect thy Mother. Respect all Mothers. For they endure the pain. Bear the children do they. Love thy Mother, Love all Mothers.” And yea I do! For my beloved, the Lady Diana, bore unto me a fine legacy.


In our kingly, canopied, place of rest, still I was, waiting for the first hint of Luna’s appearance so that I may feast mine eyes upon the Mother I love so deeply. Seconds, minutes, hours passed by with a deliberance so incomprehensible. The preponderance of that first vision of my Lady swelled my heart.

Without warning, the first ray of light began to creep in through the solitude of our evening sanctuary. Faint, oh so faint, stillness broken only by a whisper of wind entering through the open window panes, gently disturbing the usual calm of the satin drapery. Behold, the moon shared its light with me. I could see my Lady Diana in all of her splendor, her peaceful smile, and this beautiful sight I beheld for a moment pondering her oblivion to my obsession.


Then to my horror, I did see it, in the vagueness of opacity, from the farthest edge of my sight. The black widow! My heart began to race violently. The chamber grew cold, yet I soon became drenched in perspiration. The black widow! I shall not bid thee welcome, for as a child, your sting I did feel, your pain I did endure, the sickness you bestowed upon me, unbearable. Astride the massive, fine grained, canopy pole, at the foot end of my bed, the spider clung as if boasting its presence, fearful certainly not of I. Large enough for me to observe the luminescent hour glass on its torso; it taunted me with its stare.

Petrified, I lie still, pondering the situation afore me. Would I again suffer the agonies from which this hideous creature could inflict? Worse yet, I could not allow such tragedy to be bestown upon the Mother of my own offspring. I remembered the master’s words, “Respect all Mothers.” Paralyzed, wrought in fear, I knew I need be the offender. I must take battle to the enemy. I clamored for strength, willed my energies to be bold. A thousand thoughts through my mind did race.

With the stealthness of a feline stalking its rewards, I reached down past the side of my bed to the floor for my evening slippers. Obtaining my weaponry, I slowly sat up. My body and mind wracked with fear, I summoned the courage needed to throw one of the laceless leather foot wraps at the maniacal beast. With all my might, heave it I did. Alas, I missed. I would have to repeat these preparations yet anew! Panicked, terrified, all emotions negative pervaded my being. Calmness was at last achieved by repeating thy master’s words, “Respect all Mothers.” I was now prepared, ready to destroy this evil, to render Satan’s ally back to hell. The slipper flew from my wet hand with acute accuracy. The widow stunned, along with the shoe, both disappeared into the darkness from whence they did come.


Elation set in. I had defeated my own fears. Exuberance, a welling inside of warmth, and satisfaction. The oversized widow was gone. I found myself exhausted, heart and soul drained. No more adrenalin, only an extreme tiredness, experienced only by those whose nights were spent in long hours making love to their favourite maidens. Sleep I needed, and slumber did I with the utmost depth of peacefulness and serenity.


Luna had settled back in for the next evening. Ra, the sun god, thrust his mighty spears of light upon my chamber. Slowly, I did arouse. The silk drapes danced in the opening of the window. A gentle breeze, the light of day, a new beginning! I wiped the evening’s sleep from my eyes and stretched my stiffened body. Awake, refreshed, ready to embrace the morn. I turned to greet my beloved into this glorious new day. Horror struck me at once! In a ghastly contorted form lay my Lady Diana. Frozen in death, her mouth wide open in position for one last breath, before thine own eyes, she lay lifeless. Her body was covered with small spiders, a dark blanket of infant black widows. Oh, suffer, how she must have. Then realization reared its terrifying truth.


I had not heeded the master. I had not ‘Respected the Mothers”.

~The End~