It was almost midnight, and the sounds of the restless city were seeping into the apartment through an open window. There, in the dim light, sat John, a glass of whiskey in hand, a cigarette dangling from his lips, filling the room with foul-smelling coils.

His eyes drifted towards a spider cautiously crawling along the edge of the table. John downed his drink and trapped the insect under the glass, then lifted it slightly, just enough to blow a thin stream of smoke inside. The spider began running in panicked circles.

“Welcome to my life,” John said, leaning back in his chair.

His phone began buzzing. With a heavy sigh, he pulled it out of his pocket.

“Hello?”