From the story archive · Fictional encounter
Delivering my aunt's eulogy. Solemn moment, sharing a touching story about her love of gardening. Mid-sentence about how she "always found peace in nature's sounds"—the barking spider made an unfortunately timed contribution.
After a moment of shocked silence, my cousin whispered loudly, "Aunt Mabel just wanted to chime in one last time." The tension broke, and everyone laughed through tears. Somehow it was the perfect tribute to her humor-loving spirit.
Later at the reception, I overheard two elderly ladies discussing whether it was a common house barker or a midnight squeaker variety. Apparently one was an avid follower of some community forum for enthusiasts. I had no idea this was such a studied field!