"The little Trapdoor" By Ben Goode 2016 (c)

It was 1943 in a small little Irish town called Ballykelly
An older mailman was showing his younger apprentice the ropes.
They had walked from house to house this day delivering mail, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The mailmen had nearly finished their route when they came across a particular house where the older mailman stopped suddenly, and he put his arm across the stomach of his apprentice to stop him going any further.
"Aye we shall go no further lad, it is best we cross the road here!"
"Do we not stop in here?" The curious younger mailman asked as he looked at some of the letters from his pouch. 
"There is mail due for a Mister and Mrs Trapdoor!"
"Aye that there is, and much of it. But I shall never deliver it."
"May I ask why sir?" The young apprentice asked.
"No you may not, now cross as I have instructed!"
As the two mailmen made their way across the road a little girl opened the door of the residence and looked directly at them.
"Please Sir deliver our mail. I await news of my father from the war. I can see you have something for us. Please Sir, I have some tea and biscuits for you both." The little girl called out.
The apprentice smiled at the girl and went to walk back over when the old man grabbed him gruffly by the arm.
"Are you daft man?" The old man scolded him. "Do not disobey my instructions. You must never deliver there. Now go on lad and do not dilly-dally on your way back to the post office. I'll deliver to the remaining homes. Take back the Trapdoor's mail, they can collect it there if they really want it!" The oldman instructed.
The apprentice nodded and turned about to go back, and he went on his way. It was late dusk and the old street lights were switched on manually around the town by a light keeper.
As the apprentice walked on down the pathway, he took out the letters again and saw they had been kept for some time in brittle rubber bands, and there was at least twenty of them altogether.
"Poppy-cock, its the old man who is daft. There is no harm in delivering this. I could do with a spot of tea. And perhaps a tip!" The apprentice put the letters back in his pouch, and turned about, back toward the Trapdoor house. 
As he walked up the path toward the house, the door opened again where he saw the smiling girl.
"Oh hello Mister, I am ever so grateful for your return, please you must join us for dinner!" The girl smiled as she opened the door wider for the apprentice.

"Welcome to my parlor!"
The apprentice took out the letters, and as he gave them to her, four very large spider legs sprung from her back, and hooked into the young mans body.

He barely had time to scream as she pulled him into her house. The door slammed behind them. 
Later the older post man returned to the post office and saw his apprentice had not come back. He shook his head and sighed.
"Another damned fool, who didn't listen!' He muttered. "Oh well better put out the job vacancy sign again!"