Otto peered out onto another misty morning. Fine drops of dew decorated his web, glistening in the sunlight.
Sounds of guests wakening echoed round the hotel.
He heard scurrying. It was Slater. He was well-meaning, but a louse.
‘Another attack last night. Cleo this time. Why do they do it?’
‘It’s in their nature.’
‘They built this place for us, then they kill us first chance they get. Or stick us in a jar.’ Slater scurried away.
Otto scuttled back into the dark corner of his room where Cleo was still struggling to escape the sticky silk.
Time for breakfast.

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).
To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Please tell me he’s not going to eat Cleo! Ha. Great story.
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I think it is not looking good for Cleo… that’s nature I’m afraid 🙂
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Cycle of life indeed – well done
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Thank you
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🙂
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I liked “he was a louse”
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I’ll be honest, not that fussed about the rest of the story, but I was quite pleased with that line 🙂
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Great take on the prompt. 🙂
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Thanks Sandra.
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Cleo for breakfast today then, Otto. I love the throwaway line about Slater. Made me laugh. Superb take.
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Thanks Jilly, glad it gave you a chuckle 🙂
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Very clever play of words. Nicely done, Iain
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Thanks Varad
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Bug-hotel? Well done on the imagination. Great voice, looking at the world from insects’ POV.
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Thank you 🙂
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Really nice and a good twist too. 🙂
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Thank you so much 🙂
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Ooh, loved this grisly little story – you used some very clever lines to lighten the tone. 🙂
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks Susan, glad you enjoyed.
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Ew. I really don’t like bugs–especially spiders and centipedes!
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Spiders for me – too clever by half!
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Slater the Spider. I like it.
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Thanks
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OOOH I can’t stand spiders, BUT I can’t deny that this was a very clever story. 🙂
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Thank you – I’m with you, not a fan of them!
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You are welcome. I can handle just about any other creepy crawly thing but the only spider I ever liked was Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web. 🙂
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This bug hotel theme is catching fire. Good twist at the end.
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Thanks Fatima, they are becoming a common site around the countryside and in gardens here. Good way to recycle material and give insects a place to stay, helping out nature.
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Grisly and entertaining. I, too, loved Slater the louse.
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Thanks Penny 🙂
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The itsy bitsy hungry spider. Nice one, Iain.
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Thank you
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Funny, really made me smile.
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Thank you, glad it gave you a smile 🙂
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A clever tale Iain.
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Thanks Di
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The arrogance of spiders. 😉
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They do strike me as pretty arrogant insects! 🙂
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Actually, they do a lot of good, but I still don’t appreciate them biting me when I’m trying to pull weeds.
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Ah – so “louse” is literal. Or maybe both.
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I was going for both 😉
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You have managed to lower my already low opinion of insect intelligence, while raising my already healthy respect for spiders. Fortunately (for insects anyway) what they lack in smarts, they more than make up for in numbers!entertaining and fun read.
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Thank you! It makes me more scared of them that spiders seem to be pretty smart…!
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Wonderful story!
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Thank you so much 🙂
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Great to be able to put your blame elsewhere… it helps if you are hungry.
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Smart spider, classic bit of mis-direction.
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This is brilliant, I love every word of it. Poor Cleo though.
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Thank you Gabi 🙂 That’s just nature though, I’m afraid!
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Dear Ian,
Hey, Cleo, guess who’s coming to dinner. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle
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The ‘louse’ line – genius! A great story, Iain. I loved it.
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Thank you Edith 🙂
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Sounds like that metropolis needs a few guards, perhaps they might hire Horace the hedgehog and his wife Nettle
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Ha, a hedgehog police force – not sure how they would get on keeping everyone in order 🙂
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Love it. So Slater is LITERALLY a louse! Breakfast awaits.
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Thanks Sascha, he literally is 🙂
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i feel sorry for cleo, but such is life.
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It’s what makes the world go round.
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That was one of the most creative take on this prompt. I wish I was as good as you are in playing with words.
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Too kind, thank you so much.
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Super scoffing spiders ! Good job.😉
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Thanks Ellen
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Yum yum! Now I feel hungry! Nice one Iain
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Thanks Keith
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How creative to write from the POV of a spider. Loved it!
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Thank you Jan 🙂
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I’m guilty as charged, I’m afraid 🙂
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Ha! Hope he gets some strong coffee to go alon with Cleo!
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He enjoys the finer things in life, does Otto 🙂
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I feel there are going to be a lot of spider stories – mine, yours and one other I have read already!
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They are the boss of the bug world 🙂
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I love this. A slice of life for the bugs!
That louse line was terrific.
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Thanks Dale,glad you liked it 😉
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Aha! Love the hotel vibe… this was fun!
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Thanks Laurie
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Crafty one that spider. Very creative, Iain.
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Thanks Susan
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LOL…excellent!
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Thanks Dawn 🙂
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Don’t eat Cleo, please. I liked the descriptions.
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Thank you
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Love these characters. Slater, it would seem is also a it dim as well as a louse. Otto definitely comes across as top predator.
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Thanks Sarah Ann, I had in mind that Slater wasn’t the sharpest either! 🙂
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Humph! Don’t think this is the sort of hotel I’ll be staying at, even if a few vacancies have just cropped up.
Well done, Ian. I’ve been enjoying the various takes on the prompt and should’ve thought of something along these lines. I really wasn’t sure what that structure was and thought of it as some kind of shed project.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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Thanks Rowena, not one I would stay in either. Having kids, these insect hotels are quite common, on a smaller scale good fun to make with them and let them explore bugs!
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You clearly don’t live in Australia having one of those in your backyard! There are even poisonous red backs in our own backyard and while I haven’t seen a funnel web at large, they are around and it’s not uncommon for them to turn up on the bottom of a backyard swimming pool. There is also the added bonus of snakes.
By the way, my kids’ scout group’s patrol for Jamboree have called themselves the “Bin Chickens”. Don’t now if you’ve heard that term before but a bin chicken is an Australian Ibis. Thought you and kids might be interested and here’s a link: https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/the-humble-bin-chicken-is-headed-for-a-moment-in-the-spotlight-20180801-p4zuuh.html
Best wishes,
Rowena
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Very true, very few insects here to cause us this much harm.
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A delightful and inventive story Iain – you create an alternative world ! Love their names.
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Thank you 🙂
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Great wordsmithy and a very neat take.
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Thank you
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Your choice of tale felt like I was peeking into one of those tube things in the photo
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Thanks, glad you liked it 🙂
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🙂
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Very well done! I think Otto has everyone fooled.
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Too smart by half 🙂
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Har! Har! I loved the reference to Slater the louse. Bugalicious story.
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Thank you, that line seems to have gone down well 🙂
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Clearly, Otto knows where his next meal is coming from. (I wish I did).
I enjoyed the story telling here, the interaction between the characters and the anthropomorphism that gives a this a classical feel. Almost like wind in the Willows or more like the ‘the bugs in the tiles’.
Missed out this week on a flash story – time constraints.
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Thanks James, especially taking the time to read, hope you’re back with a tale soon 🙂
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That leaves a lot of questions of what’s going to happen next!
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Well, it doesn’t look good for Cleo! 🙂
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