Tanya pushes open the flimsy door to the lavatory and steps inside. While she hadn't expected anything too fancy, the restroom is two steps above an outhouse. The shower nestled in the back is the only redeeming feature of the tiny space. Releasing a loud sigh, Tanya shuts the lavatory door.

  "Okay. Down to business," Tanya says with a chuckle.

  A moment later, Tanya sits down on the toilet to pee. She studies every inch of the lavatory, the fingers of her right hand tapping out a rhythm on her knee. A scuttling noise behind the toilet makes her blood run cold. Rats? Please don't be rats. She hates rats. She hates anything that crawls, scrambles, or slithers. Oh no. There it goes again. It has to be rats. Or mice. Equally nasty.

  Hastily wiping herself, Tanya jumps up from the toilet and pulls up her pants. She peeks around the back of the toilet as she zips up. Nothing. The sound comes again. Behind her.

  Tanya whirls and grabs the toilet paper from atop the stand it is sitting on. She holds the roll of tissue tightly, ready to hurl it at anything which shows itself. She is unprepared for the strange creature which slinks around the pole propping up that side of the tent.

  The creature is arachnoid in appearance, sporting eight hairy jointed legs. However, the arachnid creature is also equipped with a long mammalian tail; similar to that of a possum. The worst part, is the creature's face. Three purple eyes stare out from a visage made almost entirely of teeth.

  The strange arachnid slowly approaches Tanya, its awkward tail waving behind it. Tanya's hand begins to shake and she reconsiders throwing the toilet paper roll. She doesn't want to do anything to anger this weird bug. Or whatever. Is this one of the circus attractions? Did it somehow get loose? How did they even create such an abomination?

  "Uh...Help!" Tanya yells, hoping she will be overheard. "Someone help me. I think something has gotten loose in here. Can anyone hear me? Desmond? Ringmaster lady? Purple lady? Somebody help me!"

  After a moment, when no one comes, Tanya tries screaming much louder. The creature is now much closer, and creeping closer still.

  "Somebody help me! There's something in here. Something strange. Desmond! Desmond, help me! Help me....Please!"

  The last of Tanya's appeal is barely out of her mouth when the sound of intense scuttling can be heard. More hairy jointed feet. More spider creatures. Oh no.

  Tanya decides to skip washing her hands and rushes for the door. She drops the tissue roll and grabs the handle to the lavatory door. She jiggles the knob and pushes against the door. It does not budge. Locked. But how? She never locked it. She hadn't realized there was a lock. Studying the knob, Tanya gets another shock. There is no locking mechanism. So how is the door locked? Is it simply stuck?

  Tanya frantically pushes against the door as several more arachnoid creatures make an appearance, climbing from what seems to be a hole in the far wall of the lavatory. Tanya let's out a high-pitched squeal and shoves one shoulder into the flimsy wood of the door. She expects it to cave, give way, or burst open. Instead, the door remains intact. Wrong direction, anyway. The door opens in.

  "Noooo!" Tanya wails. "Desmond. Desmond. Help me. Desmond!"

  The first creature to reach Tanya crawls up her leg, scrambling frantically to get higher up. Tanya instinctually knocks it off of her thigh with a swift hand motion. The arachnoid flies through the air and slams into the porcelain sink. It comically shakes itself and then charges again.

  "Nooo! No. Get away. Oh no. No. Help me!" Tanya screams even louder.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Two arachnid creatures are now scrambling up her body. Another launches itself and lands on her right shoulder. Tanya knocks it away in the same fashion she did the first spider creature. It hits a wall and then quickly rebounds, going in for another attack.

  "Ouch!" Tanya hollers out, as one of the toothy creatures gains purchase by biting into her right forearm. "Oww. Oh. Please, Desmond...Hear me. Help me. Oh, help!"

  Tanya's eyes grow impossibly wide as an even larger arachnoid squeezes itself into the hole near the tent pole. This new arachnoid is easily three times the size of the others--the size of an overweight tomcat. The enlarged spider-thing's tail waves menacingly. It stalks toward Tanya with slow calculated steps.

  Tanya shakes her head from side to side, watching the disgusting arachnid with wary eyes. She screams as yet another spider attempts to take a chunk out of her arm, blood running freely from the nasty bite.

  "No. This isn't happening. This can't be real. I'm having a reaction to poison ivy or sumac. I've overheated from exertion. I have to be hallucinating. I'm going to wake up soon. I have to. Please, don't be real."

  Another painful arachnid bite jars Tanya from her hopeful thinking. She wails loudly and then begins to sob.

  "Oh no."

  The gigantic arachnid is now very close, preparing to spring. An arachnid on Tanya's shoulder wraps its tail around her neck. Tanya tries to scream, but finds herself unable to do so. She yanks at the tail threatening to squeeze the life from her. And that is when the larger arachnoid strikes.

  ≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠

  "You see? It's like I said...This was our show in Vegas. The man you see there was my assistant, Hugo. The elephant was Bejar. A very loyal pet, she was. So beautiful. I hated to lose her."

  Desmond purposely catches the ringmaster's eye. She meets his gaze and blinks slowly.

  "What happened to her? Your elephant, I mean."

  "She died," the ringmaster says, tears pooling in her eyes. "It was...Terrible. I don't like to talk about it. We were forced to try a new act when Bejar died. Our success was never quite the same after that."

  The ringmaster flips to another page in her enormous photo album. Desmond lets his eyes graze over the page, trying not to take notice of the ringmaster's cleavage as she bumps him with an elbow. The wooden bench they are seated on is quite uncomfortable, and Desmond adjusts his bulk in slight embarrassment.

  A noise near the back of the tent draws Desmond's attention. He looks over one shoulder, in the direction of the lavatory. Did Tanya just call his name?

  Desmond listens carefully, but the sound does not repeat. Although, if he's honest, Tanya has been gone a long time. Maybe she had to go number two. He decides to give her a little more time before seeking her out. She may be angry with him for choosing to stay here. She may need time to seethe.

  Beside Desmond, the ringmaster smiles inwardly. She will let Tanya play with her new friends a little longer. Maybe another five minutes, if she's feeling merciful.

  "This was taken in Orlando," the ringmaster says, interrupting Desmond's thoughts. "By then, Hugo had moved on. To bigger things, I am told. We were planning to--."

  A loud scream pierces the still air inside the tent.

  "Desmond! Heeeelllp me! Please!"

  "What the hell?" Desmond exclaims, his eyes bulging.

  The ringmaster's face contorts with slight disappointment. He broke through the spell. How could he have broken through the spell? His love for the spoiled wench must be very strong. He must really care about her. She will have to do something about that.

  Desmond takes off like a bullet, nearly knocking the photo album from the ringmaster's lap. He races toward the lavatory and presses his ear against the door. He can barely make out what sounds like muffled screaming.

  "Tanya, baby! I'm here. Hold on."

  Ramming the lavatory door, Desmond gets it open on the first try. When he enters the bathroom, there is no threat, and no legion of arachnoid creatures. There is only Tanya. She stands shivering in front of the splintered door, a frightened expression on her face.

  "Tanya...Hon.... What's wrong?"

  Tanya glances around the lavatory in disbelief. She looks over her body, holding up the arm which once had rivulets of bright red blood running down it. The bites on her throat, shoulders and hands are also gone. There are no longer dozens of arachnoids climbing over the walls, floor, and ceiling. There is only her. Her and Desmond. And the ringmaster, standing with arms crossed behind Tanya's very frantic boyfriend.

  "It was nothing. Nothing. I got spooked," Tanya lies.

  With a sinking feeling, Tanya observes the sly smile which plays across the ringmaster's painted lips

  To be continued.....