Work Text:
There’s a centipede in my study.
There’s a centipede in my study, and it crawls along the walls. I think it wants something from me. It looks at me with loving eyes and forcipules, but I am revolted. All it wants is love, but I am horrified to reciprocate.
I blink, and it’s gone. I blink again — nothing. It doesn’t soothe me. I can still feel its presence, its suffocating aura. It smothers me with its affection and obsessive desire.
After a moment, there’s movement in the corner of the room. I look over in the direction of it, chasing it with anxious eyes. They lock onto the arthropod’s own. I gasp and cover my mouth. There it is! There’s a centipede in the corner of the room, crawling onto my desk.
There’s a centipede in my study.
I reach my hand out to the creature, despite my best judgment. After all, who could deny affection? It accepts the offer gratefully.
The centipede creeps into my hand, gliding through my fingers and tickling my palm. I am revolted. I am revolted, and I remain still. I remain still while it twists and spindles up my forearm. Its splintery legs poke into my skin with every numerous step it takes. I. Remain. Still.
Mandibles clicking and bruxing, the creature slips under my sweater sleeve and proceeds up my upper arm. It seems to enjoy the warmth. It reaches my shoulder, and I begin to cry.
I look up — not with my head, the centipede is wrapping itself around my neck — and Jedidiah is there. He lingers on the other side of my desk. He does not notice me. He does not see my tears, nor does he hear the click, click, click of the centipede’s many acicular legs. He looks away.
There’s a centipede in my study.
“There’s a centipede in my study,” I call out. Jedidiah does not hear me. It crawls into my hair and leaves violating chills on my spine. It tangles its jaws into my curls and thrashes around, trying to free itself. I call out again.
“There’s a centipede in my study,”
…And it wants to eat me from the inside out. It scuttles out of my hair and crawls along my face. The centipede is slithering across my lips. The clock behind me ticks louder.
The centipede’s legs enter my mouth and they try to pry my jaws open. I reject it, but it is stronger than my will. It slides into my mouth and rests on my tongue. The clock ticks louder.
The centipede creeps along my molars and bites them, as if it is ungrateful for the meal it has been provided. The clock ticks louder, and I cover my ears. It is deafening.
I can no longer call for help, as the creature that had once loved me has now begun to suffocate me. I choke on its tail and spit it up. It does not let go. I cough and sputter and gag. It does not let go. There’s vomit on my sweater and I claw at my mouth. There’s nothing there, and the centipede does not let go. The clock’s ticking and tocking hit my ears like bullets to the brain, and Jedidiah does not let go.
There’s a centipede in my mouth, and I bite down.