So, I have a tv in my basement, I was watching TED-ED riddles and stuff, and then I decided to change the screensaver. I was looking at the screensaver, and saw this weird shape. I was like: "huh...that's a weird thing to put in an ocean screensaver...what is that a fuzz?" Then I leaned to both sides and it was definitely not part of the screensaver. I put my glasses on and BOOM! It's actually satan's FIRST BORN CHILD! I was freaking out, planning an escape while simultaneously writing my last will in my mind (I'm an arachnophobe okay? Thing was huge) I then find an escape and book it up the stairs and lock myself in my room and here I am now, not wanting to approach the downstairs area. If you want a visual of what it looks like, Look up a brown recluse. Now make it bigger and dump a black paint bucket on it and you've got a pretty good visual. If you know what it might be, PLEASE tell me so that I can prepare myself to avoid it, and probably try and chant "begone evil spirits" in hopes that it retreats to the underworld where it was birthed.

You can talk about your experiences or tell me what the heck that thing is.

the best thing to do is catch it then release it back outside far far away. I always do that with my spiders. since you're arachnophobic, it's probably better to get someone else to do it.
how to catch it: take a clear container and cup it over the spider, then shift if across the wall until it touches the spiders legs. this will cause it to run up the sides and into the container, slide a piece of cardstock under it and pick up the container with the cardstock over the top. take it outside and throw the container plus paper on the lawn away from you. the spider will probably crawl out. to insure that it doesn't crawl back into the house or something, do it far far away. like in the park. and scare children. idk. when the spiders gone go get your container and cardstock. if you're too scared to put stuff in the container now, just make it your bug catcher, (write bug catcher on it so you don't use it by accident!) and keep it handy somewhere to use again. :)

unless you just want to kill it. then just clap a shoe/slipper, really hard, over it. <- works best for smaller spiders. Idk about the big ones... your might get spider goop on your stuff, or a slightly squashed angry spider. it's safer to just take it outside..

sorry for the second post.

but just saying, brown recluse spiders are venomous, and while they won't kill you, excercise caution. however, the spider your described doesn't exactly sound like a brown recluse since it's black. (I've caught a brown recluse before). also, brown recluses aren't that big, around the size of a quarter. if it's not a recluse and not a black widow it's probably not venomous.

BONUS: if your too scared to throw it, just wait for the spider to die. it would take a while, so you'll just have a spider container sitting around and eventually a dead spider. FUN

Okay thanks! Now I feel more comfortable when I spot it.