Arachne

 

"You are an Arachne, my dear." (T)

 

I don't know what to make of this.

 

"N-no that's wrong." (N)

 

I say, feeling completely overwhelmed.
My body might be strange, but I am still me!

 

"It isn't. You are an Arachne." (T)

"No... no, I'm a human. This is a mistake." (N)

"You aren't. The others were very diligent. It reaches to your innermost being. Your insides completely changed, the reproductives too if you want to know. There are those so-called genes, it's not a well-known concept; however, Kyroki is quite proficient in this subject." (T)

"This can't be! You are lying!" (N)

"Says the girl whose tears are currently etching a hole into the ground." (T)

 

I look below myself and there's truly a part of the ground missing.

 

"But I have something else to convince you. Say, do you feel some kind of pressure at your back?" (T)

 

Yes, there was this discomfort since I came out of this sac, but what does she mean?
She lays her hand on me and glides them to my back, where the pain is the strongest.

 

"There is a point you can press for stimulation. You were calling it a sac, but it was made of spider silk and more of a cocoon. And you know what happens in a cocoon, right?" (T)

 

Her fingers slide to a place where the touch feels almost unbearable.

 

"It is the place where you grow beautiful wings!" (T)

 

The moment she says the last bit, she presses at this weird spot at my back and suddenly I feel something pushing from inside me to the outside.

It hurts!!!

The pressure increases and something pierces out.

My skin rips!!!

It breaks through and I feel how it's rushing out.
I fall forward and need a moment to gather my wits.
When I regain my senses, I try to perceive what happened.
Foremost, I try to feel if my back is still okay.
But when I touch there I notice that something is protruding out.
Not just one but several things and they are huge!

I look behind me and see...

SPIDERLEGS!!!

Eight delicate silvery spider legs are there!

 

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" (N)

 

I scream and try to move somehow.
Promptly I get sent flying.
What's happening?

Before I reach the ground, I realize what happened, these legs just catapulted me through the room.

They move!
I can move them!?!

No, this isn't true!

I start to panic and crawl on the ground, while these legs are flailing around me, shaking my body.
Are they reacting to me?!!

 

"Make them go! Make them go away!" (N)

"If you would calm down for a second, I could explain it to you. And are you aware that you are ruining the floor?" (T)

"Help me, please!" (N)

 

I sob and whine while failing to find control.

 

"Just think for a moment about nothing." (T)

 

Easy for you to say!
My panic won't let me think straight and I fail to form any coherent thought while the giant spider legs are flailing around me.
Still, eventually, I grow exhausted, so the movement slows down and I become able to think straight again.
As soon as I can do so, I try to empty my mind and at least these legs stop moving after a moment.

 

"Good, now just pull them back in. Imagine it and try to find the muscle." (T)

"No! I don't want them inside! I want them gone!" (N)

"That's the best you can get. Just try to focus here." (T)

 

I try to do as she said, but get distracted by the sensation that I feel these new appendages completely as a part of my body, now that I can be aware of anything at all.
Yet a moment later, when I concentrate on the part where they are emerging, I think I find the spot Talisa was talking about.
I try to focus on it and quickly the legs pull themselves back inside.
The pain I felt before has now decreased considerably, but there's still a pressure, reminding me that there's something that wants to get out.
Then I feel a touch at my back, right where they retracted.

 

"See, it went smoothly when you tried. And now that the exit was opened once it won't hurt when you extract them the next time." (T)

 

I never stopped sobbing, but I feel more devastated than ever before.
Everything is wrong!

 

"I don't want to be a spider!" (N)

 

I say through my tears.

 

"There might be similarities, but we are more like spider matriarchs than normal spiders. This isn't directly comparable!" (T)

 

That doesn't help!

 

"Don't worry. I think you will settle in eventually." (T)

 

Settle in?
In the spider den?
Are you insane?

 

"But, keke... Now you see how funny this is? I mean an arachne with arachnophobia! Kekeke!" (T)

 

This isn't funny!
Not in the slightest!

I can't cope with this situation.
I am too scared to even think straight.
I hug myself and try to find a way out of my misery, but there is none.
I don't even know what happened to begin with.

 

"H-how is this even possible? This cannot be! I-I mean... I don't know what I mean!!!" (N)

"Regarding the 'how', it was a group effort. I didn't really participate but contributed the cocoon. Akasia first applied a special acid which made your body more prone to accept the changes. Eritu sent her familiars so they would help your body to adjust to the transformation. And Kyroki, who came up with this, created the serum that seeped into your very being and applied it until it fully converted you. All the while Masiabi watched over you, provided food for the familiars to nurture your body, and put you to sleep to ease your pain. As I said they were very into it and each of them is an expert of some kind. And as you might have guessed; I'm a weaver. The fabric you wear was made by me, but now it got rather ragged, so I should soon give you something more appropriate to wear." (T)

 

I am still in denial, but those sisters she mentioned sound as frightening as her.
I mean four more giant spiders! That simple thought terrifies me.

 

"And guess who's waiting for us right now?" (T)

"Is she there?"

"Does she look fine? I hope she's alright."

"You d-did a great job s-sister, I believe in you."

"I am so excited! I get a new sister!"

 

The voices gather at the doorway, just hidden enough to obstruct the view.

 

"And? Do you want to meet your new family?" (T)

 

I can just manage to shake my head unsteadily, my view fixed on the doorway where I sense the danger coming from before averting my gaze when I realize that I don't want to catch sight of what lurks there.

 

"That is sad. But maybe I should grant you a bit of space to gather yourself." " (T)

 

It is impossible to deal with any of this.
I'm in a spider's lair, there are monster spiders, and I turned into a monster myself.
I don't want this!

This can't be true!
I'm dreaming!
This isn't real!

But why does it feel so real?
The pain I felt, the sensation of touch, how clearly I am aware of everything.
A dream feels different.
Not like in that sac.
Cocoon?

 

"And? How is she?"

 

I feel how they're watching me.
This isn't good!

 

"Hey you lot! She's still confused, so give her a bit of leeway." (T)

 

Should I be thankful for this postponement?

 

"You really don't need to fear them! They are all eagerly waiting and devotedly cared for you." (T)

 

I really don't want to meet the spiders who did this to me.
Who tortured me!

I curl myself together and try to forget what happened.
This is too much to face!

Talisa, the giant black spider in human form moves towards the doorway with the voices.

 

"Yes, girls, I know you are all dying to meet her, but she's still a little bit scared, so show some compassion." (T)

"Maybe if we introduce ourselves one by one?"

"It's more a general problem with our kind and especially her current state." (T)

 

I perceive a bunch of "Ohs" and other exclamations of surprise.

 

"But if she has problems, this is bad! I don't want her to hate us. But we cannot revert it. Can we?"

"No, we can't. Things only go one way. There is no possibility that wouldn't kill her. The changes are too deep, there is nothing that can revert how her innermost being changed. I don't work this sloppily!"

"I-I know Kyroki! It wasn't meant like this, but you know she might hear you from this distance?"

"Oh!?" (K)

 

I heard it!
I didn't want to hear it!
I didn't want to know there is no hope!

What can I do now?

I remain unresponsive for who-knows-how-long, trying to block out whatever else might come to me, yet get startled when a hand touches me shortly below my neck.
It's not the spot for the legs, but I am very conscious now of this whole region.
So it throws me out of my daze and makes me notice Talisa, with a smile that's probably supposed to ease my mind.
As if that's possible!

 

"I don't know how much you could think over everything, however, you should've realized by now that leaving and going back to the humans wouldn't lead to anything good for you, right?" (T)

 

This much I can grasp even in my sorry state.
This world and especially towns aren't nice to young girls.
But I guess even less to young spider monsters.
I can't leave if I don't want to die.

 

"I prepared a calm chamber for you, where you can sleep. I presume you are very tired. Each one has her own way to sleep, yet I assumed you would be more familiar with a bed and prefer it over a cocoon. Meanwhile, I will talk to the others." (T)

 

Well, I managed to sleep in that sac, but that might've been more because of the sleeping stings.
Nonetheless, I had no issues.

But a bed sounds good.
Even if it's here.

By now I am on a logical level convinced that they aren't going to hurt or kill me.
My personal feelings are a different matter entirely.
I am not good with spiders!

So she guides me through those weirdly marbled, round floors until we apparently reach our destination.
However, there is nothing to see here, especially no room.
Yet Talisa pokes against the wall and a moment later a hole opens up.

Just now I realize that this isn't marble.
The whole surface of all the floors consists of countless strings.
A web so fine you cannot differentiate it from an even marbled stone.
This is the reason why there are no torches.

The opened hole gives way to another white room.
It looks fine, but now I know what the surface is made of.

 

"There is not much here for now, but we can surely furnish it a bit. The bed is already there. It might lay a little low, but you don't need to be concerned about insects here." (T)

 

Haha, sure.
No insects.
Because the spiders eat them, right?
The giant monster spiders!

Wait small ones too!
There was this rather big one!
How many are here?!!
I need to know this!

 

"E-Ehm. Will spiders come in here?" (N)

 

I won't be able to sleep when they could enter any time.

 

"You mean our familiars? That's what I call them. Servants wouldn't really fit, as they are more like family. But you don't need to worry. This is your lair, so none of them will trespass your territory. They are very committed to these rules." (T)

 

My lair?
That sounds wrong.
That sounds like I would foster spiders in here.
Isn't this just a chamber to sleep?
This is all too much and I feel so tired.
I can barely keep myself on my legs.
My normal ones that is.

Before I fall, Talisa catches me and guides me to this bed.
It is more of a thick, large white sheet on an even rock I think.
But it feels so soft when I touch it.
And I'm so sleepy.

Before my consciousness drifts completely away, I notice that Talisa comes near me and a moment later a sheet appears from somewhere and covers me.
It feels warm and cozy and it is difficult to stay awake like this.
So I fall asleep.

 

"Good night and sweet dreams, my little spider princess." (T)