
THE WEAVE:
Arachne looks around
the Weaving Room, and at
Athena and Vesta, “I’ll help you
under One condition,”
Arachne propositions…
"Whats that?" "We need to talk about the first Game, Athena." "What Game?" Athena says, blank faced, and innocent. Arachne stares at her, as cold as ice, "The One where you shamed me, and I hung myself." "oooOOOooh, that Game. I don't want to talk about that," Athena shrugs, and turns aWay. "Well, it sucks to be you then. I won't help you," Arachne pulls out a thread, to swing herself aWay. "OKAY FINE!" Athena screams, "Arachne Please, don't leave. It hurts me to weave. I need you. What do you want to know?" "Why did you let Neptune into the Temple, to watch us weave competitively, Athena?" "I let everyone into the Temple, to watch us weave, Arachne." Arachne crosses her arms, "Well you have shitty boundaries, and that is not enough, of an explanation for me." Athena sighs, and paces across the room, throwing up her hands, "I liked what I could remember of his mind, and I wanted to try to feel differently about a creepy Uncle I wanted to trust, who I could not. But he could never be straight-forward with me, and he asked me annoying questions, like I was a child. 'Is your solar plexus ticklish right Now? My solar plexus is very ticklish,' he said as he watched me descend into my childhood behaviors, more deeply fueling the scene I was making. I knew what the fuck he meant, I had been a fucking energy worker, and massage therapist. It was irritating, and it made me mad so I gave him annoying answers, but they were also true. I really can turn off my ticklishness, because of childhood abuse, and I told him so, in the hope he would just leave me alone. But he didn't, and I didn't ask him to, and slowly, over time, I tried to numb him out too, but it just fed the madness." "But why did you let him in Athena?" Athena throws up her hands, exasperated, "Why does anyone do, anything? The master trusts people who are trustworthy. She also trusts people who are not trustworthy. THIS IS TRUE TRUST." "Don't raise your voice at me, because you don't like who you have been, Athena." "I started the Game, because I was bored, and lonely, and I thought I could win, and then I was in over my head, and Neptune just stirred the pot. I asked him for help once," Athena states. "Don't lie," Arachne spits, "You know you did not." "I came as close to asking for help, as I knew how to at that Time. I was raised by Jupiter in a 'pull yourSelves up by your own bootstraps' kind of Way, OK? Neptune knew me Well enough, to know what I was asking for. I was losing my shit as he watched, when I asked him if he still meditated. He asked me why I was asking and told me, 'You seem to have your own practices.' I don't know what you want me to say Arachne. I made a mistake. I fucked up. I lost the competition because I had pride, and you died because I was insecure. I'm sorry. You are Here, and I am Here, and I am trying to leave the men who have never meant me Well behind. I do not want to betray you, anymore, or chase what is not meant for me. I know you are a better weaver than I could ever be." Arachne is quiet for a long moment. She walks towards Athena, and lets a hand land on her shoulder, as she recites the Tao Te Ching, back to her, "A great nation, is like a great man: When he makes a mistake, he realizes it. Having realized it, he admits it. Having admitted it, he corrects it. He considers those who point out his faults, his most benevolent teachers. He thinks of his enemies as the shadow he himself casts." Vesta walks into the triangle chiming in, "And when you make a mistake, you are forgiven, Athena. That is why everybody Loves the Tao." Athena bursts into tears, as Arachne and Vesta hold her there.