Woolworths shopper's 'horror movie' find in family's gingerbread house
A “horror movie” has become reality for a Woolworths shopper who was shaken after spotting a massive huntsman spider and its egg sack inside a Christmas gingerbread house.
Katie Gompertz was about to head to bed and was contemplating sneaking an early piece of the treat to have with her cuppa, but had a swift change of heart after spotting one of the huge spider’s limbs.
“I glanced up at the gingerbread house thinking ‘hmmmm I wonder if I can sneak a piece off without the kids noticing,” she explained.
“Then I saw it!
“The tip... of a leg, and then another leg and then another, and then the body, carrying a mother trucking egg sack.”
Ms Gompertz, from Berowra Heights in northern Sydney, called out for her husband who rushed to the scene and gave the box a shake, exposing the huntsman and a sack of eggs on its back.
The gingerbread house was delivered with a grocery order about a week ago and had been sitting on top of the family’s microwave, unwittingly housing the spider for an unknown number of days.
The mum of three shared her alarming experience in a comical post to the supermarket’s Facebook page, revealing she had since named the creature “Hunty the Huntsman of course”.
She said the spider had been relocated to the outside deck and was awaiting a friend to collect it and ensure it survives its gingerbread house ordeal.
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“I’ve left some ice chips for her and some calm birth music,” she jokingly wrote in a comment.
Woolworths offers mum spider-free replacement
Woolworths offered Ms Gompertz a refund or replacement if she returned the product, along with its “house guest” to a store. She understandably declined.
“Oh no Katie - this critter just wanted a home, but this is definitely not the right one for her! Thanks for letting us know, and we apologise for the scary surprise. After all, it’s Christmas, not Halloween,” a Woolworths employee said.
“Please feel free to return the gingerbread house to our store service desk for a replacement – one without an added houseguest.”
Ms Gompertz blatantly refused to put the package in her car out of fear the animal would hatch hundreds of baby spiders while driving.
“Woolies I love you and all your goodies but I am not sticking that in my car. It’s 2020, so obviously it’ll hatch it’s tiny little offspring x 200 as soon as it gets into my car,” she wrote.
Her experience left hundreds reeling, with her post being shared more than 700 times and attracting over 100 comments.
“Home ownership is tough y'all. She just wants somewhere to raise her babies,” one sarcastic social media user wrote.
“Sweet baby Jesus this is going to give me nightmares... like forever,” another said.
Many others accepted the ordeal was hardly a surprise given the chaos of 2020.
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