"Spider" by Simoné Harris is a dark, visceral tale of obsession, cruelty, and supernatural retribution. It follows Douglas, a weed-smoking slacker who lives in a cluttered bedroom filled with comics, ashtrays, and apathy. His world tilts the moment he captures a strange spider with an unnatural orange-yellow hue, pinning it to his desk with sadistic glee. But this is no ordinary insect. As Douglas begins torturing the spider, the boundaries between reality and nightmare begin to blur.

A woman appears at his door—pale, beautiful, and terrifying—wearing the same vivid hues as the spider he mutilated. Her quiet voice demands what's hers, and Douglas brushes her off with arrogance. But something ancient, sentient, and vengeful has been set in motion. That night, Douglas hears strange noises. Something skitters beneath his skin, literally. What follows is a disturbing descent into madness and self-mutilation, ending in a blood-soaked tragedy that leaves his mother shattered and the reader chilled.

Gripping, disturbing, and impossible to look away from, Spider is a standalone short horror story that lingers long after the final line.