Spiders Part 1: How I Came to be Arachnophobic

When I look back to the times I actually remember of my childhood I kind of realize how much of a coward I have become.

 Especially when it came to spiders.

One of my sisters, The Random One, who is only three years younger than me, had countless pet spiders, most of them the ones that will jump at you. I was not yet Arachnophobic at that time, and I was fine with the existence of spiders and in fact rather enjoyed squishing them. This changed one fateful day when I was nine years old. At this time I still had my very blond hair because I had not learned the wonders and art of dying my own hair. The Random One and I were currently living at our Grandparent’s House and we were in the living room

Me, being three years older and all, and way too sophisticated to play with Barbies, in public at least, even though I had some, and treated them as Golem did with the ring. I also was too proud to play with my little sister because it would be boring. I stayed silent until The Random One discovered something

 It was in fact a spider, and the next part is controversial. I say The Random One asked me to squish it, The Random One denies ever asking that request since spiders are her friends and pets. So in a hopeful avoidance of bickering over this issue, I will say this I saw the spider and my urge to kill it dead with its innards splattered across the carpet and my shoe won out over the perseverance over allowing it to live.

 What happened next has haunted me for over fourteen years. 

 

After stepping on the rather large spider it imploded and baby spiders leaked out everywhere. I ran to the back of the house screaming forever traumatized by the baby evil little bastards.

 It was then that I learned that spiders had defense mechanisms to protect themselves, not just their freaky way of defying gravity, and their fangs. No they have the ability to explode into millions of clones, they are trying to take over the world, and if you squish them they win, but if you don’t they still win, because they will make themselves explode anyway. They will always win because they are spiders, and they are creepy... and I am so Arachnophobic. Now whenever I see a spider I get this image stuck in my head

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