Episode 25 - Spiders

## Spiders

A white drawing of a spider, viewed from the bottom and facing downwards. Next to it is a red violin with its strings broken and twisted. Two strings are connected to the spider's thorax. Underneath the spider are the words "25 • Spiders". The border is made up of web.

### Author

William A. Wellman

Clara goes somewhere she shouldn't, Riot listens to the ocean, and Solomon makes a business arrangement. The theme of tonights episode is Spiders.

***Content Warnings:** Abuse, animal death, violence, kidnapping + abduction, death + injury, blood, sexism and misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, gun mention, strangulation/suffocation, misgendering, static (including sfx), emotional manipulation, bugs and LOTS of spiders, body horror, consumption of inedible materials*

## Intro - Blasphemous Pig

Nikignik tells of a farmer checking on the pigs in the morning. They have changed since coming north. Most of them cower in the corner, but one has doubled in size. Its skin absorbs light, and the spiderwebs above it spell, "Blasphemous." The following day there is one less pig, and the spiderwebs say, "Indescribable." Finally the nightmare boar is alone in the pen, huge and squealing.

They are sitting in a dark corridor. The stones are carved with ancient names, and the only living things are librarians.

## Story One - Soul Weaver

Clara is lost as she goes exploring through Downing Hill Library, accompanied by a nervous Dogsmell. She worries that she doesn't belong here, as her only power is seeing ghosts. As the lights blink on, she finds herself in a chamber with a high ceiling, full of figures wrapped in spiderweb. A giant spider looms overhead, and catches Dogsmell in its web.

Friday shows up and lights the web on fire with a flamethrower, distracting the spider so Clara and Dogsmell can escape. Clara follows Friday through twisting halls and up a staircase, emerging onto a rooftop platform.

Friday asks Clara why she went in there, and Clara responds that she was looking for books. Friday gives Clara a rundown on which doors to avoid in the library. She should avoid going into portraits, the painting with sunflowers, and umbrella stands. The books will let her find them when she's ready.

Clara asks about Friday's friend, and Friday tells her they aren't coming back. Clara explains what happened with Riot, and Friday tells her that nobody will care. Everyone at Downing Hill has experienced misfortune, and the Library tests them to see who will survive and who will die. Clara made it to Downing Hill, and Riot didn't.

Clara gets upset, saying that no one has told her what being at Downing Hill means, and Friday responds that it's the only way to survive. The Library is full of dark secrets and dangerous knowledge. Downing Hill brings in people with gifts, who show potential to help humanity survive as long as possible.

Friday leaves, and Clara decides that she will play Downing Hill's game, and win.

### Interlude One - Spider Day

Nikignik informs the listeners about Spider Day, which comes every spring. Spiders hatch and begin searching for food. They cover the trees in webs that may catch flies, or larger prey. Spiders in the Hallowoods are getting bigger and stronger every year, so be careful to avoid any webs, especially those larger than you. It would be safer to avoid the woods altogether on Spider Day.

## Story Two - Like Ocean Waves

Riot is flying along behind the Instrumentalist, carried by his ghosts. Olivier flies up from behind her to speak to Solomon. She tries to find a way to escape, and wonders if she will find out what happened to Clara.

Suddenly a ghostly woman appears in front of Riot. She motions for Riot to keep quiet, and releases her.

Riot falls into a giant spiderweb, and gets stuck tighter in her attempts to free herself. A spider the size of a car appears,but rather than eating her it approaches a giant egg sac. Riot watches in horror as the baby spiders emerge and move towards her. Just before they reach her, Big Mikey appears. She screams for help, and he begins to eat the baby spiders.

Riot asks him to get her out of the web, and Big Mikey agrees as long as she'll read him a story.

### Marketing - Only Strategy

Lady Ethel Mallory talks about how she helped the Botulus Corporation grow to surpass its competitors. Using spider analogies, she describes how they capture the public's attention in order to own them. Consent is irrelevant in the process of giving consumers what they want: Comfort and convenience. Every choice is an opportunity to convert people to your cause. She goes on to say that there is no good or bad, there is only strategy.

### Story Two, Continued - Like Ocean Waves

Nikignik warns the dreamers that you may be horrified at what Botco is doing, but you should still see the truth in them. The truth is that the world has been shaped by the horrific things humankind did for profit.

Riot wakes up to find herself face-down in the dirt with Big Mikey watching her. They are in an abandoned town. He let her sleep when he realized she wasn't dead. He doesn't know how long she was asleep because he hasn't learned to keep track of time yet. She asks how old Big Mikey is, and he says that he is eleven. Riot asks if he's always been like this, and Big Mikey responds that the woods changed him after the bigger boys pushed him in the mud.

Big Mikey says he is getting better at reading, but isn't always sure he's doing it right. Riot eats and reads aloud to Big Mikey, watching out for danger and trying not to think about Clara.

### Interlude Two - Become Soft

Nikignik contemplates why they are here with you. Many of their kind would rather watch you die. They feel they have grown soft, because they do not see you as insignificant. Like Nikignik you can feel and think, love and grieve, and remember. The greatest difference between you and them is the number of eyes, and the things you fear.

## Story Three- What a Humble Man Wants

Solomon returns home and orders his staff to put away his instruments, instructing them to take special care with the piano key. Olivier notices that Riot is gone, and Solomon asks his groundskeeper where she is, but they only saw him and Olivier return. Solomon is confident that the ghosts could not disobey him, and accuses Olivier of letting her escape. She must be disciplined and purified, and he reminds Olivier that this was part of the terms of their agreement. Olivier quickly agrees to find Riot so Solomon will continue to teach him. Olivier leaves, and Solomon falls asleep, exhausted from the effort of controlling his orchestra.

The Groundskeeper wakes Solomon and warns him of something approaching. An aircraft appears, and Solomon prepares for an attack. Two leashed flies emerge from it, followed by the giant figure of Lady Ethel Mallory. He immediately feels a kinship with her and feels as if she must be royalty, or an angel.

Solomon asks who she is, and she replies with her name and tells him that she's here to do business with him. She tells him she can get him things that he wants in exchange for information about the process of creating his instruments. He agrees that this might be a possibility, and Ethel also asks after Riot. Solomon admits that she has been a problem for him, and asks Ethel to come in for an iced tea. She declines, but asks him to make a list of what he needs in return for Riot. She leaves swiftly, and he falls asleep again.

## Outro - Spiders

Nikignik ends by speaking again about spiders. They are not so different from you, and have a countable number of legs and eyes. They are only feared because of very minor differences. They also hold unknown secrets, and you know if you were as small as their prey they would outsmart you. Watching humans deal with spiders reminds Nikignik of their kind dealing with humans. They urge you not to be afraid, because they will not step on you.