I was on some secret team of do-gooders not dissimilar to the X-men (in the movies, not the comic strip). I had not yet mastered whatever skill or training I was supposed to master in order to be a full-fledged member. the whole context of the situation was that we were part of some larger fight against the bad guys. I'm not quite certain who the bad guys were.

we had to go to this older theatre (theatre, with a stage, not cinema) and make sure it was clear. it was late night. I was in the round control room while two others flew a helicopter around the front, and then went in. I'm not quite sure what they did, but it was nasty.

later, we found out there was a spider left over from the fight. these spiders could bite you and then the poison would make you their slaves or somethign like that. I said I woudl go take care of it and someone objected, saying I was not yet strong enough to handle a spider. I said how will I ever get strong enough and I went.

yikes it was a big spider. it looked just like my pet spider but fuzzier. it was hiding in a place where the wall plaster had been shot. I realized I did not want to reach my hand in there, so I went back and asked for a pointy instrument, intending to impale the spider. the best we could come up with was a telescoping pointer - which had a blunt piece of metal on one end. I went and poked at the spider anyhow and then it moved. fast. I avoided it but I had failed.

I went to tell them and was considering what to do, and realized that eye level, on a raw wood shelf, there was the spider. and a second one, bigger and tougher than the first. they waved their front legs at me, confident, malevolent, and in control of the situation.

I went back to the control room to report it all. we decided that I could handle them if I wore thick rubber gloves. those gloves were produced and I donned them, but thought they weren't thick enough to prevent a bite from the second spider from making it through. but I went off to go try anyhow.

then I woke up.