Tom stands tall and resolute, his weapon of choice clutched expertly in both hhands as he glares down the menace, the fiend, that had decided that today of all days was the day it would choose to try it’’s hand at breaking and entering.And it was good, too good in fact, and brazen. Just standing there, a smug satisfaction in it’s dark beady eyes as if to taunt him; as if to say, “I’ve got skills, Tom. Like a ninja. You didn’t see me come in and you wont see me leave. Hell, maybe I won’t leave. Maybe I’ll make a nice little home here in your walls and for the heck of it, jump out every now and then just for shits and giggles. How’s that sound?”

The nerve!

But that wasn’t going to happen!

No! The dastardly beast wouldn’t succeed; not today or any other day!

But especially not today!

He would make sure of it.

“Don’t you realize…I’ve just been promoted to store manager? That AND it’s the holiday season?” Tom growls as he shifts his stance, prepares to strike; “I’m in retail hell right now and haven’t had a single day off in seventeen days! SEVENTEEN! And every. Single. One of them needed me to do overtime!”

Tom takes -what he hopes is - an intimidating step forward, starts to raise his weapon, waits for the perfect moment to strike…

“After seventeen days!” He repeats, breathing harshly, his face flush in anger. “All I wanted was a lazy Sunday…and now?…I have to kill you!”

The weapon is above his head now…

He’s a moment away from ending this; finally vanquishing the fiend …

Ready to claim back his home…

When suddenly, the bedroom door is flung open and Tom’s delicate flower of wife flounces in; a paper cup in one hand. And note card in the other.

“Damnit TOm, I could hear you monolouging from the kitchen” she announces irritably as she walks straight up to the menace and covers it with the paper cup, promptly sliding the note under it to trap the cretin inside. “It’s just a spider,” she states as ifTom doesn’t already know this, “and not even a fast one. Hell, it looks pretty old too… it’ll probably be dead come dark…”

She turns, freezes and looks to wear Tom still holds the broom above his head, ready to strike.

“What…?” Daisy starts before shaking her head, trying again she says, “I know you’re terrified of spiders but really Thomas…? A broom? Then what?”

Tom says nothing, lowering his weapon as the adrenaline begins to leave his system.

“I don’t know…I guess I’d squish it then clean it up” Tom rubs a handover his face, “maybe even burn the broom…”

“Sure” Daisy nods as if talking to a crazy person, maneuvering the trapped spider to one hand so that she can pat Tom on the shoulder, “next time you see a spider, honey? I’ll handle it, okay?”

Tom nods in resignation as Daisy kisses his cheek.

“Good. Now go watch you car shows while I go take care of the fiend”

Tom only nods, sighing as he sets his broom down and heads back to the living room, forgetting that which he had come into bedroom to get in the first place.