GINORMOUS

by Benjamin Langley

When a shrill scream shocks me from sleep, I work on auto-pilot. Possibilities run through my head and with them the implications. If Kara's fallen out of bed, her mum will analyse every bruise and bump when I take her back home and she'll hold it against me.

On my way through the hall I stub my toe on Kara's toy buggy and I stifle a yelp by biting my knuckle. I hurriedly hop the rest of the way, expertly swerving through the maze of doll's accessories.

I switch on Kara's light. She's in bed. Phew.

Kara shields her eyes. Her hair is bedraggled with strands pasted in tiny ringlets to her forehead. She has her teddy-bear in a tight headlock, squishing him against her cheek.

"What is it?" I ask as I step over the toy ponies which clutter her doorway. A good parent would have tidied before bed. "Bad dream?"

"Stop!" she screams and scuttles along the bed, closer to me.

I stop. "What is it?"

"A spider!" she cries, shivering.

"That's nothing to worry about, pet," I say and hurry to her.

"Get on!" she says, urging me with tears forming in her eyes.

I sit on the edge of the bed. "Calm down," I say. "A spider can't hurt you."

Kara pulls my legs up onto her duvet. "It was ginormous." She stretches her arms apart, as wide as they'll go.

"Where'd it go?"

"Under the bed."

I hop off and as I'm about to bend down Kara grabs me.

"Don't." She's trembling. Tears roll down her face. "Don't let it get you."

"I won't," I say. "I'll grab the hoover and suck him up."

She shakes her head. "He won't fit."

"He can't be that big."

"I told you, Daddy," her voice drops to a whisper, "he's ginormous."

Between Kara's sobs I pick up a soft rapping sound coming from behind us. Dappled shadow stains the wall.

Kara sees it over my shoulder and gasps. She squeezes her teddy-bear with one arm and puts her thumb in her mouth.

I turn to see a moth fluttering in the light-shade.

"Is that what scared you?"

"No, Daddy, that's a moth. Can I sleep in your bed?"

"Sure," I say and pick her up. She's heavier every time she stays. As I step over her toys she drops the bear.

"Teddy!"