"Awww... you're such a cutie!"

The Winward Spinnerette was in my lap. Making a kind of buzzy rattle. Purring?

"You like that, don't you? Yes...."

I was combing it out with a paddle brush. It seemed to be mostly made of hair.

"And such long arms. Soooooo beautiful."

Like a starfish made out of hair. Five long arms, all coming together in the center. Some kind of barnacle structure at the center, maybe for its eyes. Didn't seem to be a mouth on the underside.

"What? You want to get up? Ok, but only in the room. You can't go outside, ok?"

The Winward Spinnerette slinked out of my lap and onto floor. It shimmied across the carpet, up a chair leg, and onto the table. Grabbing at things like an octopus.

"Well you're quite a climber, aren't you? I should give you a name. Winnie? Too on the nose?"

Winnie was sliding across the table, fluidly, around my laptop. Knocked over an empty cup.

"Hey, you be careful, little buddy!"

And pulled itself up to the open window, and slipped out.

It was a very deep, dark hole. And a lot roomier than it looked from the outside.

"Spzzzzzz.... spzzzzzz....."

There was light still coming in through the hole behind me. It looked a long way off but lit things up just enough. Things were cob webby.

"Spzzzzzz... spzzzzzz...."

What was that noise?

"Put your finger in it."

"Who said that?"

Dang intrusive thoughts. I hate that guy.

I walked farther down the hole.

"Spzzzzz.... spzzzzz...."

Ah, there it was. A Winward Spinnerette. Snoring.

I prepared myself both mentally and physically as I approached the hex in question, practicing the 9-layer pousse-café breathing technique while subconsciously reciting the Gramaphonium at 16 rpms. I summoned my Magic Eraser in my right hand, and the called the Bronze Wool Fleece into my left.

"Ok, now, feel your way down the side of the towel dispenser. Good, now put your fingers on the wall right next to it."

"Like this?" I asked.

"Yes. It's right in that area, I think."

"You are wise not to look at it, my friend. Only someone with advanced Hexa-flexa protective goggles, like the very ones I am wearing, should ever look directly at a hex," I assured him. "Now, let's take a look at what we've got."

Well, that was odd. It was more like a hole in a wall.

"Did you know you've got a hole here?" I asked.

WHOOOOOSH! VOOOOOOMP!

You see, I'm the president of HEX CLUB!

"I dunno, kid. It's pretty stubborn. Janitor is still sobbing out back."

"Well the first thing, sir, is that your janitor undoubtedly looked directly at the hex."

"Sure he did. How else do ya think he'd go at it?"

"Wearing THESE!" and I whipped on my Hexa-flexa protective goggles.

"Now," I said, "if you'll please escort me to the bathroom. Down that long hall. Take me by the hand... I can't see a thing in these..."

I brought a sack of gummix and a bottle of shoulder oil to the clerk.

Beep! Beep!

"That'll be fourteen ninety-seven."

I knew I couldn't aura up all that. Not that much in the bank.

"How about for just the sack?"

"AIEEEEEEEEEE!" came a scream from the back room.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Somebody drew a hex on the bathroom wall. They're having trouble removing it."

"Removing it, you say? I might be of some assistance."