The men who live in the woods behind my house had been getting out of hand for some time. They were all in their mid-fifties, golfers formerly, and meat eaters -- jolly men in general -- but since ... [+]
Floris M. Kleijne is the author of the Dutch thriller Klaverblad, as well as over forty short stories in a broad range of genres. He was the first Dutchman to win the prestigious Writers of the Future contest (in 2005, with the science fiction novelette Meeting the Sculptor). He writes both in English and his native Dutch, and his first novel, a Dutch thriller, was published in 2021 to widespread critical acclaim. Read more about his writing, including numerous free stories, on https://www.floriskleijne.com. "All the Spiders" is in Short Circuit #08, Short Édition's quarterly review.
Colonel Mathura beckons me forward, but the balcony is a maw with a balustrade of marble teeth. The crowd devours me with their cheers. I shuffle forward to be consumed by their support. The midday sun feels like sand in my eyes, the wind delivers a lashing. My fingers reach for the tangled beard I no longer have. Behind the lectern on the balcony, President Raúl Orvalo raises his hands. Silence descends over the mob. My clawed hands clasp the balustrade, cold as iron bars. "Friends. Comrades." He spreads his arms. "Did I promise you this day would come?" The marble under my hands shakes with