The Life And Death of Itsy

I've mentioned before that I'm taking a short story writing class for the summer (gotta get this degree, son). Anyways, I don't usually like to post my stories because I plan on something big for them one day in the future. This week our last short story of the summer is due and I feel like this one is so silly and cute to not share. This short story assignment is supposed to be flash fiction with means around 750 words or less and I decided try my hand at formulism, which just means that the story is formatted to look like something else. For instance some ideas I came up with was to write a story that looked like a text conversation, a to-do list, or like a tweet or Facebook status. Ultimately, I decided to do a story in the form of an obituary of a spider that currently, and actually, lives at the stop of my stairs. So here's my silly story and I hope you enjoy.

*No spiders were harmed in the telling of this tale...yet*

The Life and Death of Itsy

By: Asia Anderson

Itsy started his life as a youngster in a waterspout. As he got older he grew tired of always getting washed out. He soon found his place at the top of a worn-out staircase. A summer home that Itsy thought he could call his own. A frequent creak from anonymous feet would sound from his staircase. An unexpected roommate who Itsy thought he’d hit it off with right out the gate. Itsy was the type who liked to be alone enjoying the space that would unfortunately be his last home. He spent his days being what most would call being a normal spider. He prided himself on being the peaceful kind and not a fighter. Upon the top of the staircase of his very last summer he had more fun than most with his web when he spun her. In her he caught all sorts of pests. Ants and flies he gathered them all for breakfast. There were some left over for lunch and dinner too. His roommate was even so kind to throw him a few. As soon as it started summer was ending. This summer home Itsy thought was time to stop renting. His meals were starting to become too few and so it was time to look for somewhere new. As insect Armageddon was coming to a close he unfortunately met the bottom of his roommate’s soles. See, his services were no longer needed and with the whack of her shoe it was as if she stampeded. Itsy the spider will be sorely missed and all who loved him would want his family to persist. For this lovely creature no services will be held because with his body his roommate expelled.