Stuck

Midnight came and went. No fanfare. No bells. It was a milestone, but no one cared.

Tom stood up and flapped his arms. He had to keep the circulation going somehow. And he had to scare away the spiders. The bus stop was packed with them, and he didn't care for the close company.

How long had he been waiting? An hour? A day? A lifetime? It was all a blur.

But he didn't leave. He sat back down with his arachnid neighbors. Watched a trapped bug struggle in one of the webs.

He could relate to the inevitability of its demise. Every movement tangled it further. Every minute he became more a part of the scenery. It flew into the web on its own accord, and yet it seemed unfair. But still, he watched and didn't help. He could be as indifferent and disconnected as the rest of the people in the city.

Then a miracle happened. It escaped. Tore its way out of the sticky strands and flew away. He leaned back in amazement. The little guy actually made it. Maybe there was still a chance.