Chapter 329: Christina
*She’s my social anxiety spider. She gives anxiety to most of society. – Shiloh*
It was the Sunday before school started and both stores had been slammed for the last three days. For the last several weeks, Shiloh had been having Saturday night dinner with Pagan and his girls. She was exhausted last night and asked if they could postpone.
As an extra incentive and forcing both her and Gertie to get out of bed, Shiloh offered to make lunch.
With the girls helping, it did not take long for the chicken piccata and sides to be finished. Then they helped Gertie set the table and she showed them how to fold the cloth napkins into bats.
“That is so cool!” Alyssa squealed.
“You should teach them the flying crane.” Shiloh suggested as she sat the last dish on the table.
The second floor was a large open space with occasional support columns. The columns were a black marble look with dark purple trim that matched the other trim on the walls. Large black marble tiles ran across the floor. Mosaic tile rugs helped break up the different spaces.
The living area had dark gray walls. Under the metal and glass coffin shaped coffee table was a tile rug of a raven. NEVERMORE was written above it with QUOTH THE RAVEN underneath. The walls held various pictures related to Edgar Allen Poe.
The dining area had teal wallpaper with black velveteen skulls and roses. Dried herbs pressed between glass with black matte frames were hanging between the windows and along the wall.
The black table sat on a mosaic tile teal and silver rose rug, complete with mosaic tassels at either end of the rectangle rug.
The large open kitchen gave off a witch’s cottage feel. Bright wood cabinets with copper pots hanging above a 1930s style gas stove. A large farmhouse sink sat beneath an equally large greenhouse window. Two shelves of herbs grew happily in the window while others hung drying on a repurposed pot rack.
A large staircase with a temporary banister led up to the third floor and the bedrooms. Past that was a hallway leading to a bathroom, library and media room. And a room that Gertie had called the creepy crawly room.
After they ate and Gertie offered to do the dishes, Shiloh took them down the hall to meet her babies.
Behind the ornate black door was a room with its own climate control system. The room was kept at a balmy 78. Pagan could feel the sweat on his back.
“I know it’s hot in here.” Shiloh said as she opened a large terrarium. “But the babies like it.”
“Cool.” Alyssa whispered as they watched as a large black and purple tarantula crawled into Shiloh’s open hand.
“This is Christina. She’s a purple knee tarantula.” Holding the spider, she carefully lifted it out of the glass box. “Do you want to hold her?”
“Yes!” Alyssa jumped up and down.
“You have to be calm with her.” Shiloh said. “Put your hands together, palms up. She will tickle and if you let her, she’ll go hide in your hair.”
“Really?” Alyssa whispered as she did as she was instructed. As soon as Christina was in her hands she giggled. As eight little legs ran up her arms to settle on her shoulder, Alyssa gave another giggle. “She does tickle.”
“She does.” Shiloh agreed as she opened another terrarium and pulled out a pink and black tarantula. “This is Pink, named for the singer, not the color.”
Ashlyn held her hands out and accepted the new spider. She also giggled as the creature rushed to her shoulder.
“This one stays in her box. She does not play well with others.” Shiloh used a pair of small forceps to get a meal worm out of a container. Opening the lid to a terrarium with skull and crossbones on it, she offered the treat.
A large scorpion crawled over and attacked it with her tail.
“Wow.” Pagan whispered in awe.
“She’s named Rick James, because… well, yeah.” She gave a shrug and amused smile.
He smirked. “I’m Rick James, bitch.”
“Yes.” Shiloh put the forceps up and walked over to a large wood and mesh enclosure. Opening one end of it, she pulled out a large black rock. The rock shifted and moved, wrapping itself around her arm.
“This is Kiss. He is a boa python and has melanism, meaning he is all black.” She unwound him from her arm and offered Kiss to Pagan. “I also have Hug, she is an albino boa. She’s on loan to the zoo right now.”
"So cool." He whispered.
“Gertie has two kittens, but they stay upstairs.”
“She doesn’t like your babies?” Pagan asked.
“Not at all.” Shiloh smiled as she took Kiss back and returned him to his enclosure. “The ladies need to go back too.”
Both Pink and Christina were returned to their enclosures and Shiloh ushered them back out of the room. When she closed the door, Pagan noticed that it had a secure lock on it that required both a combination and biometric to open the door.
Shiloh smiled at his confused look. “It’s a requirement for me to have a deadly pet.
“Never thought about something like that.” He admitted.
“Also guarantees that the kittens don’t get inside.” Shiloh admitted and Pagan hid the shocked chuckle by clearing his throat.
“Can we see the kittens too?” Alyssa asked.
“Gertie?” Shiloh asked as her friend passed by. “The girls want to see the kittens.”
“I’m taking a snack up to them.” Gertie admitted as she showed them the plate with leftover chicken on it. “Do you want to help?”
Both girls ran down the hall to meet Gertie at the bottom of the stairs.
“Be careful, girls.” Shiloh said. “The banister is just temporary.”
Pagan followed them up the stairs and enjoyed the view of Shiloh’s ass in front of him. Halfway up the stairs, she smiled at him over her shoulder, letting him know that she knew shat he was doing. He smiled back and gave a little shrug.
He had been wondering how they kept the kittens upstairs. The black screen door at the top of the stairs answered his question.
Gertie pushed open the door and entered the third floor with the girls right on her heels.
“Those are Shiloh’s rooms.” Gertie pointed down the hall to two open doors. “The closed room is her guest room. This is the sitting room, where the kittens like to hang out.”
She walked into the room with the girls following her.
“Smaug. Draco.” Gertie called and there was a soft mewling sound before the girls both made soft “awwwe” sounds.
A pure white Persian kitten stretched in the window before hopping down on the dark floor. A gray Persian cat jumped off the bookshelf. Both were now circling Gertie meowing loudly at her.
“They’re so fluffy!” Ashlyn said as Gertie sat on the white ottoman.
“The white one is Draco.” Gertie said, handing a piece of chicken to Ashlyn. She then gave another piece to Alyssa. “The gray one is Smaug.”
“I still say she needs a black one named Toothless.” Shiloh teased her friend.
“Toothless is *not* in literature.”
