Abiola has been having a tough time at work, but a good brainstorming session will soon change things in ways she doesn’t expect.

Abiola frowned in concentration as she dragged the glittery gel pen across the page. This brainstorming session had been her most productive yet; surely Jemma would be impressed this time. With a flourish, Abiola finished off the last arrow and held up the page to admire the realisation of her thought process. Lines swooped over the page, letters danced and gave birth to new ideas which spidered into the corners of the paper. Arrows in glittery ink leapt from one idea to another and connected Abiola’s thoughts. This was possibly the most beautiful mind-map she had ever made. As Abiola turned the paper so the glitter would catch the light better, one of the legs of the mind-map shuddered.

Wow, she thought, it’s going to happen, it’s actually going to happen to me! Gingerly, she put the paper back down on the table and pushed her chair back slightly. Abiola held her breath and waited, the mind-map stirred. Its tendrils twitched on the paper. Abiola was tense with excitement; if she could pull off this product redesign then she would be put in charge of the development stages.

Her mind-map writhed on the page, picking up speed until one ungainly, sparkly leg burst up into the air. It trembled with its newfound freedom. With the utmost care, the rest of the mind-map’s body lifted itself from the sheet of paper and came to rest on the table. It sat still as if surveying its surroundings. Abiola hardly dared to breathe as she laid her hand on the table. The mind-map twitched and started to creep towards her. It moved one leg at a time until it built some confidence in the shape of its own body. Quickly, its 7 legs were moving in a sinuous, rippling motion. Abiola thought it looked like a lopsided tarantula. The mind-map approached her hand and slowed. It deliberated before it put one foot on her finger. Again it paused as if weighing up its options. After a moment that lasted an eternity, it made up its mind and climbed onto Abiola’s palm settling into a crouch. Abiola lifted her hand and brought the mind-map to her face. She turned its delicate body and its many legs glittered in the light from her desk lamp. A grin stole its way across Abiola’s face. Oh yeah, she was definitely going to get that promotion now.