Arachne

 

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

 

Hurried steps rush in the direction of my room while I try to escape the horror that just manifested itself within a space that is supposed to be safe.
Yet it is here, staring at me, forcing me to press further against an unforgiving wall that just won't budge.
If I'd be able to think straight I might opt for a dash to the door, but at this level of terror I experience in my peril, my body won't move as I want.
The spawn of horror meanwhile does nothing, seemingly satisfied to relish in my apparent panic.

Finally, the steps reach the door and rescue arrives.
It's my father, Devon, whose gaze wanders around the room for a moment before settling on me.

 

"Neri, what is wrong?" (D)

"The-, the-, there." (N)

 

I point towards my bed, more precisely the nightstand directly to the right of it.
On it, the nefarious demon stares at us, probably happy that more prey delivered itself towards its vile maw.
But it underestimated my father's strength and won't stand a chance against him.

 

"Seriously, Neri. The spider is barely the size of a marble." (D)

"Make it go away!" (N)

"Sigh! I never understood how you can be so afraid of them and at the same time always want me to throw them out alive." (D)

Really?
The reason is quite simple.
If you anger them, more will return to exact their revenge.
That's a saying everyone is aware of here in the eastern wilds.

Gratefully, dad manages to catch it with a cup, that I certainly won't use anytime in the future, and transports the scary intruder away.
As we agreed in the past, no less than seventy-five meters.
Why that odd number?
Well, I wanted a hundred, he said fifty, and we met in the middle.
After all, he knows that I'm no fun if I only focus on the possibility that this nightmare spawn may return.
Or worse... touch me!

 

However, now that I'm associating my room with this spawn of my worst nightmares I can't stay here anymore and leave for the kitchen.
There I find my mother, preparing today's dinner.

 

"Considering your father came through here while holding a cup, I'd say you had an unwanted visitor again."

"I just sat on my bed and when I looked up it was there. Why is it always me?" (N)

 

I was always deeply afraid of these creatures.
Since forever, they’ve given me a feeling of dread and I can’t come close to them.
I'm sure I won't be able to sleep well tonight now that I found one in my room.
Even if I, as usual, check twice that there are none.

 

"I guess you're going to find more if you're actively searching for them. But you're already twelve. You should learn to handle such things."

"Tsk." (N)

 

I look away, trying to somehow circumvent this talk while brushing one of my dark-brown curls out of my face.
My shoulder-length hair is starting to get bothersome and I think I might shorten it to my neck soon.

 

"Well, Mirene, you know how she gets whenever she finds one." (D)

 

Father enters again, after successfully having done the deed.

 

"In this regard, living next to a forest might not exactly be ideal. Maybe we should work on this issue." (M)

"Oh, please no. I don't even want to imagine how much she would scream before we would make any kind of progress. (D)

 

I turn away since the nature of this talk is not to my liking.

 

"Sigh, whatever. Seems like your future husband will take over this problem." (M)

"Mum!" (N)

"Yes, okay. It's still some time till then." (M)

 

Finally, it seems like the whole situation, caused by this eight-legged terror comes to an end.

 

"Mum, can I go out and play?" (N)

"Okay, but stick to the farm. We're going to eat soon." (M)

"Sure mum." (N)

 

I move through the exit and enjoy the scenery of this nice summer day.

While we call it a farm, I think it's a bit small to deserve that name.
Mostly, we make a living by cutting the wood and gathering plants that seem to ever regrow so close to the forest.
Also, we have a small field with vegetables and other small crops that we can harvest several times a year.
This is because our country, Ceranis, is blessed by the goddess and the reason why we pray before every meal to her.

I walk around a bit and enjoy the light.
The sun slowly starts to set.
It's still bright yet but I like it when everything turns golden.

Just to say so, I have no issues with being out here in the open.
While it's quite wild here there's nothing dangerous.

 

Also, I'd like to clarify that I'm fine with most insects.
I even find bees to be cute.
Yes, there are some bad ones.
If I had to give a rule of thumb, those with the long legs are bad.
But none of them can cause even close to the same reaction as a spider.

Fortunately, they seldom leave the forest.

 

Behind me, I see that dad as well leaves the house with a plow.
I guess he wants to tend to our field before it gets dark.

 

"Hey, Neri. Having fun?" (D)

"Uh, yes?" (N)

 

Actually, I don't know how to answer this. Am I having fun just because I like the air and the atmosphere?
Yet an answer is better than nothing.

 

"Nice to hear. But you know, don't get too close to the forest while wandering around." (D)

 

I wouldn’t even want to.

They’ve been saying this since the time I was young.

 

"Sure, I don't want to get eaten by a monster." (N)

 

Mum and dad always tell me that this forest is famous for being inhabited by big bad monsters of all kind yet I’ve never seen a single one.
Everyone knows that it's totally safe to settle here.
Yet apparently, the forest is really big and expands much farther than I can see.
So they still insist it is extremely dangerous and that at other places there are frequent attacks.
When I asked them why there are none here they told me that this is another blessing of the goddess.

So I guess there is another reason to be grateful.

I move around and am glad that there isn't another encounter with a spider.
When I reach the hillside of our house from where one can see everything below, I notice that there's a group of five people walking in our direction.
I can't see them very well, but they look weird, all of them carrying stuff.

 

"Dad!" (N)

 

He comes over, but when I show him the men he doesn’t react for a while.
But then he speaks to me.

 

"Neri, get into the house." (D)

"Dad..." (N)

"NOW!!!" (D)

 

I never saw him like this.
What is going on?

The men are quite close when I reach the door, where mum already stands.
Dad puts himself firmly in their way, on the path to our house.
They seem to start talking, but I can't tell what they're saying over there.
Then suddenly, one of them lashes out at him with his club.
He intercepts the strike with his plow, but while he does so, one strikes with an axe from the side and injures his leg.
He tries to defend against the next strike, but once again they attack him at the same time from the other side.
And then all of them hit him together on the ground.

 

"Whack"

"Whack"

"Whack"

 

I can't process what I'm seeing.
They, they're killing him!
And they won't stop.
Why won't they stop!?!

 

"Okay, boys, you know the drill. Take everything of value and be careful not to damage the merchandise. And after that we'll make a nice little fire."

 

They're coming in our direction!

Mum locks the door with the simple latch that prevents it from opening at night to prevent animals from entering, but that won't hold these men off.

 

"Neri, come here." (M)

 

Mum?
Why is she holding a cooking knife?
I don't think that she can win with this against the men.
She's looking at it for a short time, while they start to pound against the door.

 

"Wham"

 

The moment she hears it her gaze settles on me.

 

"Mum?" (N)

 

She stares at me while her hand grasps the knife so tight that her joints turn white.
Then she moves in my direction, walks past me, and opens the window.

 

"Neri, you need to escape. Climb through the window and run as fast as you can!" (M)

"Wh-Wha-..." (N)

"Neri! There's no time for this! Run away and whatever you do, don't stop!" (M)

"Mum." (N)

"Neri!" (M)

 

She shoves me to the window.
Then she almost violently forces me to pass through it.

 

"Crack"

 

The door just broke!

They're entering!

 

"Neri, I love you. RUN!" (M)

 

I do as she says.
Yet after a short distance, I look back.

I see that she doesn't even try to escape as well.
Instead, she blocks off the window.

One man approaches her, but she stabs his neck with the knife she hid behind her back.
Then the others try to grab her, but she wildly slashes at them.

One of them raises his hatchet and...

 

"Whack"

 

NO!!!

No, no, no.
This can't be true.
This is a nightmare

 

"Fucking bitch!"

"You idiot! You weren't supposed to kill her!"

"What else could I do? She stabbed Greg!"

"We can't sell corpses! Now squeeze your ass through that window and get the girl to make up for it! And don’t you dare return without her!"

 

H-He's coming!
I need to get away from here!

The forest!
Maybe I can shake him off behind the trees.
But what about the monsters?
No, there's no other way.
The real monsters are behind me!

 

             

 

Run!

Run!

Run!

 

I need to get away!
Mum wanted me to escape, so I have to run with all I've got.
And I know what they do to girls like me.
If they sell me as a slave for manual labor I would be lucky.
But slender girls with long hair don't have it that easy.

My life is already over.
They're going to burn down the house and I don't know how I'm going to live from now on.
Yet, one of them is directly behind me to catch me back.
I don't want him to get me, no matter what!

 

"Stay where you are! Where do you even want to run to? If you stop now I will be gentle!" (bandit)

 

Run!

.

.

.

He's still behind me!
I tried to get away in the woods but can't outrun him.
He's so close!

I don't know what I can do.
It gets darker and darker in this forest.
I am so scared!

Help!

Please help me!

Anyone!

.

.

.

After a short while longer I grow too exhausted.
I can't keep up my pace.
Only a moment after I slowed down the slightest bit I get tackled from behind.
He got me!!!

 

"Now that was it you nuisance! You will have to make up for this." (bandit)

 

I think I hurt my leg and my face is scraped and bleeds.
I try to squirm away, but a stone is blocking my escape.
I can just press myself against it.
He comes closer!

 

"No more running, little girl!" (bandit)

 

He's directly in front of me.
I sob and whimper, but he just smirks and slaps me in the face.
I can't get out a single word and it wouldn't change anything.

Suddenly I freeze in shock.
Not because of the man, who is absolutely intimidating.
On his shoulder is a giant spider.
As large as a rat.

Ohmygod, just why?
How can this be?
Normal spiders are already bad enough, but this one is so much bigger!
It’s terrifying!
The man noticed my gaze and subsequently finds the spider.

 

"Damn, what is this shit!" (bandit)

 

He rips the spider from his shoulder and stomps it.
This squelching sound gives me the creeps.
He turns back to me.

 

"You're coming with me now even if I have to drag you! Which will be necessary judging by the look of that leg. Though, at least you won't run away a second time with that."

 

He's laughing as if there's something funny about this situation.
I'm so afraid.

But then I see something that frightens me even more.
There are more spiders!
And they are running in our direction, as if on purpose.

 

"Aggackakk!" (Neri)

 

I try to point at them, but can't squeeze out a single word.
But he figures out what the gesture means.

 

"Fuck! What is going on here?!" (bandit)

 

Not only two or three but a whole army comes at us.
The man stomps some of them, but soon they are all over him.
Crawling up his legs while covering the whole ground, jumping from the trees onto his body.

 

"Aaaahhh!" (bandit)

 

He screams and I can't move, paralyzed by terror.
They bite him and after a short time he falls down.

But I'm still here.
And now they come at me as well.
From all sides!

I fail to catch my breath and cough.
They crawl along my legs, but I can't do anything coherent aside from squirming.
My vision gets blurry and I feel them all over me.

Please, let this end!

Stop this!

 

"Sstk"

 

Suddenly I feel something sting my back and the world gets dark.

 

"A good hunt today!"

"He killed some of my little ones."

"I always tell you not to grow so attached. They already have such a low life expectancy!"

"Shall we dig into this one right now? There's not much to feast on her!"

"This bulky one here is more than enough. Do we really need more?"

"But just leaving her here? That's such a waste! This cub will never make it by itself."

"However, don't you all think that she's quite cute?"

"You’re right!"

"No opposition from me!"

"I'm with you!"

"So, do we eat her? That's a waste too!"

"Ehm..."

"Yes?"

"There is something I would like to try."

"Try?"

"Yes! It would require quite a bit of effort and burn a little of our resources, but could I still try?"

"Tell us first!"

.

.

.

 

"That sounds nice! I'm in!"

"Me too!"

"I don't mind."

"Now we just have to explain this at home."