CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

 

 

- Hannah

I feel all my hair stand on end. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I’m screaming in my head but I don’t make a sound or move.

It’s not a spider really—but it’s body is over a foot in diameter! It’s so big. Although I don’t really know all the different kinds of spiders on Earth, it’s definitely looks in the same family!

It’s past me before the squeak totally leaves my mouth. Breaking out into full body shivers, I start to shake. Springing to my feet, I perform the traditional insect on my body dance, slapping and jumping in a circle! I just can’t help it!

What the hell was it?

Its footsteps retreat back towards the way we came in but that isn’t the end. As I’m standing frozen in fear, I hear another coming!

Maybe that one is being chased by this new one? But what can I do? If it doesn’t stop to visit me, I think I will survive. I think.

Even as I shake in place, I keep my eyes open and try to get a better look at it as the next one comes by. Easily as large as a dinner plate, with multiple legs, they definitely look somewhat like a spider. Black and gray, they blend in with the ceiling here perfectly and even with my turbo light, I have a tough time making out features.

Maybe that is for the best? Yes. I’m still shaking uncontrollably.

As the second one disappears the other way, I’m not surprised to hear more coming. Of course, there are.

Fucking hell. Over the next few minutes I count twenty-six more zooming by at top speed. None of them hesitate or slow down which is ideal. But more are still coming and the sound they make as they run is starting to become more of a loud hum. There are a lot more on their way!

Fuuuck. Crossing my arms over my chest, I try not to panic, telling myself out loud, “Don’t panic, don’t panic.” I can’t audibly hear myself though since I’m so freaked out my air supply is just a wheeze.

They reach me before I have time to try to run which was what every fiber in my body was telling me to do. Just run! I would have broken my neck for sure. They aren’t just on the ceiling this time. They are on the ceiling, the walls and the floor, hundreds of thousands of the not-quite-a-spider creatures. It’s a black wave of them.

I close my eyes in terror but pressure on my legs makes me open them to see their bodies pouring quickly around me. One has stopped for a few seconds, resting two of it’s six legs on my thigh, looking up at me with four eyes that protrude from bony looking protrusions off it’s three segmented eight-inch round body. A part of me thought it looked intelligent or pleading.

It hops up and clamps its jaws around my left arm, pulling it away from my body almost pulling me off my feet as it surges behind me, tugging me along. Stumbling a step or two, I shuffle through the bodies surrounding me gasping as it’s grip on me tightens. I’m afraid it’s going to break my arm it hurts so bad!

Five steps later and I’m at the end of my chain and the creature is yanked from my arm by the momentum of the others surrounding it. Only my right hand’s grip on the tightened chain and collar around my neck keeps me from being overrun as I fall to my knees, cradling my left arm. It was practically pulled out of its socket. The sharp flare of pain dies down now that I’m not being dragged by it.

My nerves settle a bit realizing they are more like humongous ants than spiders. Yeah. So much better. I struggle to my feet, afraid of being bowled over or grabbed or trampled!

I think I’m in shock. I’m not thinking clearly. Hard to say and as their numbers taper off and most of them running by are on the ceiling again.

I start to recover. I’m still shaking uncontrollably and crying but yeah. I’m alive.

I didn’t pee my pants. Close.

As the pitter patter of their feet tapers off in the distance, I hear a crunch and scrape sound. Fuck. It takes me a minute as the sound gets louder but could these guys have been running away from something?

Pulling on my collar, I feel it cut into the back of my neck drawing blood. Whatever the fuck they were running from, I feel really inspired to run from too!

I’m stuck though, and I know it. Should I close my eyes again? The choice is taken from me as a shadow moves across the floor and into my light.

Fucking hell! It’s a fucking snake! I watch in horror as the biggest snake I’ve ever seen moves slowly across the floor towards me. It’s not stupid either. It was going much faster until it spotted me and now it has slowed and is eying me up.

When it reaches thirty to forty feet away, I can see the vibrant green and blue on its body reflecting off the scales in my light.

My panic is full blown and manic as I cry out loudly, pulling on the collar holding me to the rock.

I have to get the fuck out of here!