Whisper lived in the countryside of Oklahoma with her mother.  On Sunday afternoon she was helping her mother on the farm.  Then her mother called out to her.  “Whisper, clean the spider webs off the house.”

“I thought you were going to spray them?”

“I should of, but I forgot.”

Whisper took the broom and swept under the window and door trims around the house.  She noticed a very large daddy long leg spider.  She didn’t scream, because she knew he would not hurt her.  When she finished she went into the house. Her mother was now making dinner. “Whisper, I need you to sweep up the leaves on the porch.  Every time the door opens the leaves come in.  That Sooner wind.”

“I thought you were going to fix the screen door.”

“Well, I should of, but I forgot.”

“Fine, I got it.”

Whisper went back outside.  A huge wind gust came.  She turned her back against it. The wind  was so forceful that rubber band on her braid came off.  When the wind slowed down Whisper’s long red curly hair was in her face.  She was so distracted by her hairs flying about she didn’t notice the small black spider that landed on her red locks.  When she finished sweeping she went back inside to eat dinner.

“Thanks for doing that.  Those leaves are such a mess.”

“It’s fall.  They’re supposed to be everywhere.  You should of just fixed the screen door.”

“I’ll get to it soon enough.  You need to do your homework.”

“I wanted to shower first.”

“Well, you don’t want to be a procrastinator like me.”

Whisper didn’t say anything.  She finished her dinner and then went to her bedroom to do her homework.  She was sitting at her desk when her head started to itch.  She scratched it.  She finished her algebra.  Her head was starting to hurt, so she rest in bed.  Her mother came in the room to check on her. “I thought you were going to take a shower?”

“Yeah, my head hurts.  Can you look at it?”

“Later, go shower.”

Whisper took a shower and then went to bed.  By now the small black widow spider was safely resting under her pillow from when she had lay down before.  Not knowing about the spider Whisper went to sleep for the night.  In the morning her scalp warm to the touch. “Mom, look at my head.  It really hurts.”

“Ok, ok” She looked closely at her scalp and sure enough she noticed the two small red humps.  “I think you got bitten by a mosquito.  You’ll be ok.”

“What if I’m not?”

“If it’s not better tomorrow, I’ll call the doctor.”

Whisper went to school.  All day she had a throbbing pain on her head.  When she came home she did not do her chores and went to sleep instead.  Her mother came home.  She was upset. “Whisper you need to do your chores.”

“I don’t feel good.”

“You said that this morning.  I told you I’ll call the doctor tomorrow.”

Whisper did get up and finish her chores.  Then she went to bed without eating. In the morning her head was warm to the touch. Now instead of two bumps she had three. “Mom, I’m really sick.  I can’t go to school.  Look at my head.”

“I told you I will call the doctor today.  Go to school.  I’ll get to it.”

Whisper went to school.  Her teacher could tell she was ill so she sent her to lie down in the principal’s office.  The secretary called her mother, but Whisper’s mother never called back.  Whisper went home and lay down in bed.  This time her head, neck and back was hurting.  She fell asleep in aching pain.  When her mother got home she saw her.  “Whisper, you look terrible.  Are you ok?”

“No” She was too weak to talk or open her eyes.

“I was so busy at work I forgot to call the doctor.” Her mother noticed the bumps on her neck and back, but thought it was more mosquito bites.  “I promise tomorrow I’ll call the doctor.”

“Ok mom, love you.”  Whisper went to sleep and never woke again.