"Dad, please listen to me. I have made an awful discovery. Simon is a spider!"

Dad roared with laughter and left. Lars was alone again with Simon who slept or pretended to. He wanted to wake Mum but didn't dare. Dad was tough and he could very well stop all his pocket money.

Lars felt tiredness came over him and he didn't think he could stay awake much longer. But he must. If he slept, the horrible spiders would return at once and creep into his mouth and nostrils and down into his windpipe so he couldn't breathe. Now he could hear the rustling of the spiders as they come closer and closer. They must have injected their poison into him as he slept despite the approaching danger. Lars dreamt that his nursery bed had become a deathbed, his own deathbed. Then a weak but demonic voice told him everything was now over.

Outside, the birds twittered and the kitchen radio was playing good morning music. Dad stretched himself, yawned and went into the nursery to wake the boys.

"Jump up boys, it's breakfast time. Oh no! Oh no!" He yelled.