Spider Bite

by Steven Gowin

“No sucha thang uz spidah bite,” KoKo told Cookie. “Spidah bite mean sumpin' else been goin' down. Yessuh.”

Cookie looked away and rubbed a yellow and purple and red starburst of infected bruise, pin holed black at its center.

“You done done sumpin',” the old man guessed, “Sumpin' bad, real bad you callin' spidah bite. You done it, yessuh.” Cookie looked back to KoKo.

“You stoppit. You hear? You hear me? Stoppit,” KoKo ordered. Cookie shook her head yes, but had already turned away again.