The school day ends uneventfully. After Charlie expended the entirety of her miniscule mana pool in giving me a static shock, I persuaded her that giving her magic was probably an event best kept for emergencies or practice. Grudgingly, she`d agreed, and we`d parted ways. The Mother had come to pick me up, and the drive home was almost boring, a remarkable contrast to the emotionally draining and mentally exhausting afternoon.

　　As soon as we arrive at home, I leap out of the squat gray vehicle and run inside, heading straight to my room. There`s a very important occupant I need to check up on.

　　Throwing the door open, my eyes inevitably flick upward, and my co- my heart sinks as I see the lack of webs around the ceiling fan. Looking around more carefully, I realize I can`t see any webs at all. A deep disappointment fills me as I sit down, slumping against my bed and closing my eyes.

　　I`d desperately been hoping that Theory would last longer. Even though I`d only acquired her a day before, I`d already somehow gotten quite attached to her innately curious nature, and I can only imagine what sort of traps she would have constructed with her skill. What confuses me is that while fat and stupid, Pop doesn`t seem brave enough to attempt risking the Mother`s tempestuous wrath twice, especially not so soon after getting rid of-

　　A sudden touch startles me, and my eyes snap open as I look down at my leg. A perfectly circular patch of wood, just aside from the squishy carpet, had lifted open. Theory`s dark face is poking out from underneath it, one thin, hairy limb outstreched to touch my lower leg.

　　I smile, lowering my hands and extending a finger to gently brush her head. Her fuzzy mandibles wiggling in happiness, she gives a business-like shake and backs into her hole. The trapdoor falls shut, sealing itself and leaving not even the slightest impression that anything had ever been there.

　　Sighing in relief, I close my eyes again and infuse my room with my consciousness. Aside from the usual dimensions of the room, I can now sense a few feet outside the door and a short distance out the windows, my domain slowly creeping over the house and taking it over. To my surprise, Theory has already set up a full network of trapdoors across the floor of my room, a complex pattern of tunnels connecting them underneath the floorboards and heading outside my sphere of perception. Carving through a wooden stud with her two front legs, she pauses for a moment, detecting my dungeon sense and looking around in a vain attempt to find the source.

　　Eyes closed, I smile at her antics and give a little wave, even knowing that she can`t see it. Despite that, one of her leg twitches as though she wants to give a wave back, before returning to her work.

　　Standing, I head downstairs, where the Mother is rapidly typing on a device called a smartphone`. From what I can tell from the lankier, older children at school, the smartphones are paramount to their survival. Their flat surfaces are so deserving of attention that even the awareness of one`s surroundings takes a backseat to their priority.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

　　The Mother only ever uses hers when there`s a specific purpose behind it, and this seems to be one of these situations. While typing, her face is in a faint smirk, although I can`t tell what emotion is behind it. Not for the first time, I wish I had a manual for all the various expressions and feelings for them, although I know at this point that it`s not anywhere near that simple. Only the basic expressions are across-the-board, such as smiling, frowning, etc.

　　Looking up, she sees me and smiles. "Oh, Jason! I was just going to come up and find you. Charlie`s parents have invited us over for dinner!"

　　My face freezes, and I struggle to paste a smile to it. With this timing? It couldn`t be worse. Did Charlie already betray me?

　　Despite my skill in hiding my true feelings, a look of concern crosses her face, and she approaches me with a mildly worried expression. "Jason? Is something wrong?"

　　Casting around for a good reason, I find one and stare at the ground, mumbling my response. "Is Pop coming?"

　　"Oh, honey." Coming up the stairs, she wraps me in a tight hug. "Not this time. He says he has better things to do."

　　The words hang in the air longer than most words do. We both know what a blatant lie that is. All he`ll be doing at home is sitting in his peeling chair, watching his mirror (which evidently isn`t magic) and getting fatter and stupider by the minute. I make a mental note to tell Theory to stay well out of sight.

　　As if my words had summoned her, a piece of wall flips open behind the Mother, going upward as though it actually had hinges. Poking her head out, Theory sees me and waves one leg wildly. Eyes widening, I jerk my head back at the wall, and she retreats, the trapdoor falling shut once more. The Mother, facing over my shoulder, turns around. "What is it?"

　　I shrug, and she copies it with a faint smile. "Well, it`ll be a few hours until then. If you want to play with Theory, I can get started on a dessert or something for the dinner party. Does that sound good?"

　　Nodding, I wait as she tousles my curly brown hair, then heads around the corner towards the kitchen. The moment she`s out of sight, I reach up and rap on the wall. Another trapdoor opens right next to my head, Theory looking at me curiously.

　　Leaning close, I whisper, "How many trapdoors did you make?"

　　She looks down at her legs, then up at the ceiling, almost as if counting. A moment later, she looks me in the eye, and then her body ripples in the most shrug-like motion I can picture from a spider. It`s frankly impressive how well she replicates the gesture.

　　My eyes narrow. "Do you know where you put them?"

　　Her two front legs extend, waving in a sweeping motion to indicate the whole area, or perhaps she means...

　　I sigh inwardly, not sure whether to feel impressed or worried. I was gone for one day, and she traps the entire house?

　　I decide to go for impressed and carefully pat her on the head. "Good job. Remember, stay out of sight."

　　Raising one leg in a snappy salute, she backs into her hole, and the trapdoor falls shut, once again leaving no trace of its existence.

　　A stab of unease pokes through me. Thesis hadn`t developed this level of intelligence as quickly - is it a side-effect of messing with Charlie`s mind, or is it something else? Perhaps a result of her different species?

　　Hm. I`ll need to research it some more.