Brush With Death

I found a black widow spider in the hallway of my apartment building when I went to get the morning paper today. I have a terrible phobia of spiders. I have to change the channel when that stupid commercial with the big orange spiders comes on, the aracomantula scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was well beyond horrifying for me, and I cannot even consider sleeping in the same room as a spider or,for that matter, with a garbage can containing a tissue used to smash the spider. But this one caught my eye because of its shape and its astounding blackness against the fresh white paint in the hallway. I leaned gingerly in for a closer look and immediately skitted back when I recognized the tell-tale hourglass shape. I took off my shoe with the intention of smashing it, then realized that I would never be able to do it. I am altogether too squeamish.

So I went back to my apartment and checked the pantry for something to spray on it. No Raid in the cabinets, so I settled on a can of Lysol. Back in the hallway, I stood as far back as possible and let loose with a stream of Mountain Fresh poison, following the twitching spider with my aerosol can of death. I did not pick up the resulting corpse-- again, far too squeamish.

Now I'm all freaked out with the idea that there must be a nest somewhere and the eggs are going to hatch and my apartment will be infested with deadly spiders. I think I have an overactive imagination.