Lucia Trains her Spider to Trap her Roommates

Here is another illustration I did inspired by a friends poem. The story written to go with it is completely unrelated to the poem. Art has many stories! 

Lucia lives in a dark city in a dark country in a dark world that we've never heard about before. Most people in this world have some sort of strange power, and unfortunately, most people use this power for bad. Lucia is no exception. She grew up on the streets as an orphan, so she had a very difficult childhood which could sort of be an excuse. Despite her difficult life, she likes being alive and wants to be alive forever.

While living on the streets, Lucia befriended a giant spider. She did clicker training with the spider to teach it how to trap humans in his web. Lucia then transformed her trapped victims into plants. This was her  magic power, the power to transform any human into a plant. The plants she created weren't just normal plants, they were plants that when consumed gave the eater youth. Lucia discovered this by accident. While in her mid thirties, feeling glum about her impending middle age, she turned a peeping tom neighbor into a plant. Lucia never has control over which plant the person will turn into, but his peeping tom turned into lettuce. Lucia was hungry so she ate him. The next day, she woke up and suddenly she was in her twenties again.

After this, Lucia started a little scam of luring in roommates who she would inevitably turn into plants and eat. While they slept soundly in their bed, the spider would creep in and cover the person with webs so they could not escape. Lucia needed the people to be still in order to accurately transform them. Her transformation process could be very long and time consuming, and she needed no interruptions. After they transformed into plants, she'd eat them no matter which plant they were, even poisonous ones. In the end, a tummy upset was worth her glorious youth. Lucia unfortunately had a misguided idea of what is truly valuable in life.

Well, things are about to change for Lucia. Her new roommate, Bettina has her own superpower. She has the power to transform any animal into her friend. She can also fully understand any animal she has contact with. Bettina will meet the spider before it has a chance to encase her in web. Bettina will hear the spiders thoughts drumming in the wall where the spider lives. She will hear his thoughts and think, 'Poor spider, he doesn't want to assist in murder. He only wants to be loyal and helpful.' Bettina and the spider will work together to defeat Lucia. The spiders sad enslavement is soon to be over. Lucia's cruel destruction of hapless roommates will no longer rule.