The ancient witch came to see me last night.
She doesn’t come around often on her own.
Sometimes I invite her with an offering,
to ask something of her;
to probe her experience and wisdom.
Her eight eyes have seen a lot over the millennia.

Late at night she taps my door and retreats into the shadows.
She is well aware of the affect her appearance has on people;
a spider of her size…
As usual, I went out and sat on the stoop,
and we made our salutations.
A sliver of moonlight reflected off a couple of her legs.
They were as thick as baseball bats.

“It is not just on the TV,”
she said in a disconnected voice,
“or the corporate news websites.
There are people who get paid
to join social media groups and chat rooms…
not much, but it’s a job, and everyone has bills to pay.
At least they get to feel like they’re on the winning team.”
It sounded a little like jealousy.

I almost reacted and asked
how she knew such things,
but memories of past embarrassment
sprung up as an effective barrier.
She snapped an answer to my thoughts nonetheless,..
“Weaving webs to snare pray is my specialty.
It is the lens I view this world through.”
I nodded and let her continue.

Again, she disconnected and it sounded
like she was reading a report,.. or a mind.
“Their job was to observe and report any noticeable trends.
No different than infiltrating an environmental group
or a militia in the real world.
More recently they are being ordered to engage.”
Once again, she had come to warm me of something
I was just only beginning to suspect.

“They manufacture a personality
that can connect with the people in the group,
then tell stories that make subtle suggestions
to reinforce an established narrative.

“These ‘Narrative Managers’ are hard to spot
without a healthy dose of cynicism.
What gives them away is that they tend to be too perfect;
from the perspective of a specific group.
It’s the sort of thing
police investigators are trained to look for;
obviously crafted stories,
practiced for affect.

“And in the middle… is the product placement.
Usually a small tangential piece added to the story.
So the same story could be used in another group,
with a different product.
The product is always something
that is current, highly divisive,
and backed by a large amount of money…
and political will.

“I have come to warn you about their webs.
Be aware of them. Do not avoid them, but do not stir
lest you should trigger the traps they are setting.”
Sensing my question, “One of their tactics,
to neutralize a perceived threat,
someone who persistently resists their narrative,
is to make them react without discipline;
thus making them appear irrational.”

A moment of silence passed
and she lifted her body making it clear
she was finished.

I thanked her.
“There is no need to thank me.” She said,
“I have my own reasons.”

“I know.” I replied,
“We work well together, so thank you anyway.”
I didn’t expect anything in return.
I’m aware how cynical and acerbic
I’ve gotten over the few years I’ve been alive…

I can’t imagine the walls I’d build over thousands.