“ELLSWORTH’S FAMOUS SPIDER PETTING ZOO” and “TRESPASSERS WILL BE PERSECUTED #WeirdDarkness
Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, Supernatural, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved
Deep Dive
What is the premise of the story 'Ellsworth’s Famous Spider Petting Zoo'?
The story follows Johnson, a man fascinated by spiders, who stumbles upon a sign for 'Ellsworth’s Famous Spider Petting Zoo.' Intrigued, he visits the zoo, only to discover it’s a trap set by an old man who breeds giant spiders. Johnson is locked in a barn with a massive spider and its offspring, leading to a horrifying encounter.
Why does Johnson visit the spider petting zoo?
Johnson visits the spider petting zoo because he has a lifelong fascination with spiders, stemming from his childhood experiences observing a spider in his backyard. The sign advertising the zoo piques his curiosity, and he decides to take a detour to explore it.
What happens to Johnson in the barn?
Johnson is locked in a barn by the old man and encounters a giant spider, the size of a pit bull, which attacks him. The spider injects him with venom, paralyzing him. He then realizes the spider is carrying its young, who begin to feed on him as he loses consciousness.
What is the significance of the old man’s spider breeding?
The old man breeds spiders for research purposes, supplying them to colleges. He takes pride in his work, claiming that breeding the best spiders produces superior results. However, his experiments have led to the creation of a monstrous spider, which he uses to trap and kill unsuspecting visitors.
What is the theme of the story 'Trespassers Will Be Persecuted'?
The story explores themes of supernatural retribution and the consequences of trespassing. A surveyor’s clerk enters a mysterious wood despite warnings and experiences bizarre, terrifying phenomena, including shifting paths, moving trees, and ghostly figures, ultimately being ejected by the wood itself.
What happens to the clerk in the Fairy Wood?
The clerk becomes disoriented and trapped in the Fairy Wood, where he encounters moving trees, ghostly figures, and a shifting landscape. He is eventually ejected from the wood by unseen forces, finding himself back at the starting point, shaken and confused.
What is the significance of the inked-out sentence on the postcard in 'Trespassers Will Be Persecuted'?
The inked-out sentence on the postcard reveals a warning about a shortcut through the wood, which the clerk initially cannot read. Later, it becomes clear that the wood is enchanted and dangerous, and the sentence serves as a subtle hint of the supernatural forces at play.
What is the moral of 'Ellsworth’s Famous Spider Petting Zoo'?
The story serves as a cautionary tale about curiosity and the dangers of underestimating seemingly harmless situations. Johnson’s fascination with spiders leads him into a deadly trap, highlighting the potential consequences of indulging in morbid interests.
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