Discovery Channel

“Coming next Tuesday on Discovery: They thought they were safe. But they weren’t expecting … A Haunting. Together, let’s journey around the world, experiencing firsthand accounts of spirits and demons beyond the veil.”

The man made a note on his Google calendar from his recliner chair. He would have to make sure not to miss that one. The boundary between the natural and supernatural had always fascinated him.

“The Mythbusters are at it again! This time, they’re out to prove whether sticking C-4 in a microwave will really cause an explosion. Don’t miss this special event on Friday, 5:30/4:30C.”

The man chuckled and shoveled another handful of Pringles into his mouth. So many questions he’d never known he needed answered.

“This Thursday: There’s a storm coming. A perfect storm. Join the Stormchasers as they take on an F5 tornado just outside of Dodge City, Kansas. Monday 6:00/5:00C.”

The man glanced self-consciously through the living room window behind him. It was sunny and cloudless outside, the only sounds being the muffled noises of geese and his boys playing in the backyard. He allowed himself a smile, thinking, This is why we live in the Pacific Northwest, where we can appreciate cataclysms from a distance.

“Saturday on the Discovery Channel: Survivorman struggles to recover from the parasitic worm infection he picked up from Georgian swamp turtle meat. Can he brave the marshes another week in spite of this setback? Tune in to find out!”

The man shrugged at that one. There were already so many other survival shows—Man vs. Wild; Alone; Mountain Men; Life Below Zero; Survivor … one could journey through television to the South Pacific or the Himalayas only so many times.

Suddenly, he heard the screen door slide open and two six-year-old feet scurried into the room, their host breathing excitedly.

“Dad, you won’t believe what I found in the backyard. It’s the coolest spider I ever saw! Come see, before it runs away!”

The man observed his son’s flustered face with tender amusement. He remembered when small phenomena like backyard insects used to seem like grand discoveries to him as a kid. Yet the world had become so much smaller since then, bringing the universe’s greatest discoveries right to him. Still, the light in the boy’s eyes made him begin to set aside his Pringles and lower his remote. He was reaching for the lever to lean his chair back up when another ad blared on the 48” plasma screen.

“Up next on Shark Week: Follow the largest predator that ever lived, the megalodon, as it seeks its prey in all of its 59 feet of glory—leaving its mark on marine life over 2.6 million years ago. Stay tuned.”

Lightbulbs flashed in the man’s head. He’d always been curious about that prehistoric skeleton they found in Peru back in 2010.

“I can’t right now, kiddo; go play with your brother. I’ll join you after this program.”

The brightness in the boy’s eyes faded, and instead glazed over as they fixed on the screen. Rather than return outside, he took a seat on the couch next to the man, fully absorbed in this fascinating, smaller world, the spider already forgotten.