by S. E. Smith
“Living bloodsuckers,” he dryly repeated.
She nodded. “Yes,” she replied.
He warily scanned the forest. “Nice, real nice. Is there any chance you could perhaps expand upon that a little? Are we talking mosquitoes or vampires? It would be nice to know what we are up against so that…. Never mind, I think I’ve figured it out,” he murmured, looking up.
She followed his gaze, and instinctively stepped closer to him, curling her fingers into the back of his jacket as she stared upward with fascinated horror.
“I think you are going to need a bigger stick,” she whispered.
“To hell with a stick, I need a frigging flamethrower,” he responded in a hoarse voice.
The canopy above them was filled with thick threads of silk, in some places so thick it was impossible to see through. While they couldn’t see the spiders, there was no doubt what type of creature had created the webs.
“Move very quietly,” Gem murmured, pushing against his back.
He reached behind him, gripped her hand, and began pulling her along the path. He held the stick out in front of him. They both continually glanced up from the path to the webs above them as they walked.
Gem tightened her grip on Ross’s hand when she thought she saw a shadowy movement among the dense threads. He must have seen it as well because he began to walk faster. She moved her hand to the hilt of her short sword.
The sound of a cracking branch drew her attention away from the webs above to the thick cluster of trees to their right amongst surrounding ferns. A giant, hairy leg rose into the air and pushed against a tree. The movement caused a rippling along the silky ropes of the web above.
“I’ve landed in a fucking Stephen King novel,” Ross growled.
“I do not think I would like to read this Stephen King’s stories,” she replied, watching in horror as the web split and thousands of small, dark shapes began to appear through the tear.
“I think it’s time to say to hell with stealth and run – run fast,” Ross muttered.
Gem nodded. She fully agreed. The monstrous spider was made from dark magic and something else she couldn’t place at first. Then her eyes narrowed in horror when she realized the creature was a grotesque creation formed by a part of the malevolent alien.
Rage built inside her even as Ross pulled her behind him. The spider shoved the tree aside, sending thousands of smaller spiders cascading down to the forest floor. A gasp slipped from her lips when Ross reached around, grabbed her by the waist, and pushed her in front of him.
“Go!” he ordered.
She ran as fast as she could down the path. She had covered several hundred yards when she realized that she didn’t hear Ross’s footsteps behind her. She skidded to a stop and turned around. He wasn’t there.
“Ross!” she hissed with dismay.
Ross backed up with a sinking feeling as the huge spider took a step forward. He jumped when the heel of his boot sank in the soft soil. The sound of a loud hiss and the smell of rotten eggs filled the air.
“Come to me,” the spider hissed.
Shock swept through him. “What the fuck? Spiders can talk here?” he exclaimed in a startled voice.
“I can give you power,” the spider replied.
Ross raised an eyebrow and warily stepped back when the spider slowly advanced. He gripped the long stick with both hands and held it out in front of him. He didn’t even bother trying to make sense of the fact that he was preparing to battle a talking spider the size of a Sherman tank – and that he was more than likely going to die. His only thought was to give Gem enough time to get far away.
“Yeah, well, you know something? I’ve seen what power can do to someone and it isn’t pretty. If it is all the same to you, I think I’ll pass on the superpowers,” he retorted.
The spider paused, as if processing his response. Ross could see his reflection in the two largest eyes of the creature. He wasn’t overly impressed by what he saw. Stepping to the side, he jerked when his heel sank into a soft spot and the foul odor of sulfur filled the air again.
Great! If I don’t get turned into a spider-kabob, I can sink into a pit of methane, he wryly thought.
“You are weak compared to the other and of no use to me. The other is very powerful,” the spider concluded.
“Yeah, well, whatever you say. I should warn you that I made a promise to help the Princess find her parents, and I’ve got this really weird thing about breaking my word once I’ve given it,” he said in a voice filled with more bravado than he felt.
“They are no more,” the spider hissed, taking a step forward.
“I hope you’re wrong or we’re all in a shitload of trouble – not that you would probably care,” Ross replied.
He wobbled unsteadily when the ground beneath his feet shuddered. Multiple popping noises and the stomach-churning smell of rotten eggs filled the air. He stumbled forward a step and grimaced when he caught sight of the ferns moving with a black wave of hairy legs.
“Kill him,” the monstrous spider ordered.
Ross watched with growing horror as the tide of spiders advanced on him. He tried to keep his focus on them and the freaking monstrous one behind them at the same time. He stumbled backward until he bumped into a tree. The damn things were emerging from the ferns onto the path now.
Muttering a curse, he turned, grabbed a low branch, and started climbing. His fingers slipped when he tried to grab a branch while still holding the long stick. The stick slipped from his fingers, and he tried to grab it but missed.
His eyes widened when he saw the mass of moving bodies below the tree. He turned and climbed higher as quickly as he could until there were no more limbs beneath the webs. Twisting around, he looked down at the spiders that were beginning to surround the trunk of the tree.
“Death by spiders is right up there with – okay, nothing,” he muttered before turning his attention to the monstrous spider.
“I will find the powerful one. She will not escape us this time,” the spider gleefully informed him.
Ross narrowed his eyes and took deep calming breaths. He looked up at the thick layer of web above him before looking down at the ground again. The spiders were beginning to climb.
He tightened his grip on the limb and bent his knees when the ground shuddered again. Dozens of popping noises echoed in response to the Isle’s moan. He glanced at the ground and back to the creature that had been speaking to him.
Ross released his grip on the tree and patted the pockets of his jeans. Not finding what he was looking for, he reached into his jacket pocket. His fingers wrapped around the familiar metal housing of his lighter. He might have given up smoking, but he’d never stopped carrying a lighter.
Pulling out the lighter, he popped it open and flicked the metal wheel. The lighter was one of the old-fashioned kind that didn’t have a safety on it. It was the only thing he had kept from his dad.
The wick ignited and the flame danced. He reached out onto the limb and broke off a dead branch from it. Lifting the branch up, he snagged some of the spider web above him, wrapping it around the tip until there was a thick coating of web.
He held the end of the web-coated stick to the flame. The silky threads caught fire, sending a scorching wave of heat toward his hand. He pulled back just as the smell of rotten eggs began to reach him. He smiled and looked out at the alien spider with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t think so,” Ross replied as he held up one hand and lifted his middle finger while he released the flaming branch from the other hand.
The branch rotated as it fell. The gas that had been released from the thin layer of moss when the ground shook flared into an intense flash fire that rolled across the ground. The accumulated layer of gas was almost ten feet deep.
Ross hissed, closed his eyes, and hugged the tree trunk as the intense heat rose. The explosion caused more vents to open, releasing even more gas and fueling the already horrific fire. Bowing his head, he pulled
his leather jacket up and tried to protect his face while peering through his fingers at the massive spider.
It had turned to run, but became entangled in a blanket of webbing that had fallen from the canopy. The webbing caught fire and melted around the large body.
Flames flared out toward him and his clothing was beginning to smolder. He closed his eyes – waiting, wondering, and hoping that being burned alive wasn’t as painful as it looked on television.
He was surprised when a draft of cool air suddenly surrounded him, and the thick miasma of rotten eggs and smoke vanished. He cautiously opened one eye before he opened the other and lifted his head. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked several times before wryly smiling.
“Saving my ass again, Princess? If you aren’t careful, I might get used to this,” he teased.
He didn’t know if she could hear what he was saying. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if Gem was here or if she was just creating the shimmering bubble that protected him from the burning inferno beneath. Either way, he appreciated being saved from a fiery death.
The thought of death drew his gaze back to the white-hot skeletal remains of the black spider. The creature had collapsed and looked like it had tried to roll. The spider’s long legs stood straight up and still glowed from the heat, the tips burning like Tiki torches.
Ross rubbed his hand, wincing when he touched his blistered skin. Opening the hand, he looked down at the silver lighter. He slid his thumb over the image of the fishing boat etched into the casing. For the first time in a long, long while he thought about his dad without resentment. It felt good.
“I never thought I’d say this, but thanks, old man,” he murmured before he slid the lighter back into the pocket of his jacket.
It took almost twenty minutes before the flames died down enough that it was safe to descend. There were still spot fires burning where thin funnels of gas continued to rise, but at least there were no more spiders. Late afternoon sunlight shone down through the canopy of trees now that the spiderweb above was gone.
Ross was about to start climbing down when the bubble surrounding him moved and lifted him off the branch. He reached out and steadied himself when it began to move, warily holding his breath as the skin of the bubble gave slightly under his hand. At first, he was worried that the bubble would burst and send him tumbling nearly ten feet to the ground. He sighed in relief when it remained intact.
The sphere floated downward, occasionally bobbing upward to avoid a patch of still-burning gas before drifting closer to the path. Through the glossy, transparent film, Ross could see Gem standing twenty feet away. Her arms were stretched out in front of her, and her hands moved as if she were conducting a beautiful symphony.
The bubble dissolved when he was a foot off the ground. He dropped and stumbled forward several steps. Partially twisting to look behind him, he couldn’t help but think that the forest looked like a firebomb had been detonated – which of course is exactly what had happened thanks to his lighter and some swamp gas. He dispassionately watched as the legs of the spider crumbled.
Returning his gaze to Gem, he saw her standing with her hands by her side now, her eyes focused on him. A wry smile curved his lips, and he strode down the path. She met him half way. Opening his arms, he wrapped them around her waist and pulled her close.
“You didn’t run very far,” he teasingly chided. She glared at him. “What? What did I do this time?”
She answered him with an inelegant sniff. He rubbed his cheek against her hair and closed his eyes for a moment. A myriad of strange feelings were engulfing him. He didn’t know if it was from having so many near-death experiences in a short period of time or the fact that ever since he first saw Gem, he had been feeling off balance.
“You have got to be either the craziest man I have ever met or the dumbest,” she finally muttered in a voice thickened with emotion as she tugged his hair in reproach.
10
By late afternoon, they had made it past another obstacle. This one hadn’t been as frightening – or as dangerous – as the ones before. Gem chuckled and shook her head when she heard Ross muttering about it under his breath while he pulled lumps of viscous plant sap out of his hair.
“I’m going to need another shower,” he informed her in a gruff tone.
The thought of seeing him without his clothes was still firmly burned into her mind, and it sent a flash of heat through her. She barely stifled her groan at the memory. She clenched her fists as she resisted the urge to offer help in taking his clothes off.
Get a grip, Gem, she silently admonished herself.
“You have some goop on the tip of your ear,” she replied instead.
He reached up and ran his fingers along his ear. She laughed when he muttered a few colorful words and swiped the plant sap away. She decided now was not the time to tell him that he had a large glob on the back of his head.
“I’m so done with being almost buried alive, stomped on, sucked dry, burnt to a crisp, and eaten – all in one day, too!” he dramatically exclaimed.
Gem giggled. “I know it isn’t funny, but – it is funny. I did try to warn you,” she reminded him.
“Ha ha ha,” he dryly replied before he lifted a hand and found the glob coating his hair. He snorted in laughter. “You know, every Halloween, that’s a holiday back home, the owners of the local bar would play Little Shop of Horrors. I swear I’ll never be able to watch that movie again with the same enjoyment,” he vowed.
“Why not?” she asked.
Gem stopped walking when he turned to face her. She plucked a piece of plant fiber from his hair and scowled in distaste when she felt how sticky it was.
“Your expression pretty much says it. The story is about a huge plant that likes to eat people. Being eaten by an oversized Venus Flytrap gives me a whole new understanding of what an insect must go through,” he explained.
She nodded. “You are lucky that you were able to escape as quickly as you did. The sap of the plant would have begun dissolving the flesh right off of your bones in another few minutes,” she said
“Are you serious?” he demanded with dismay.
The snort slipped from her before she could stop it. The expression of disbelief and horror on his face was priceless. She created a small rain cloud over her hands so she could wipe the sticky residue from them before she wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes as she shook her head.
“No, not really. The plant would have sucked you down through its stem and into its stomach. It would have taken weeks before your body was finally dissolved, but I would have cut you out way before then,” she replied with a straight face.
Ross shot her a haughty glare before shaking his head. “I have goop in places that goop should not be. This is the second time today that I’ve been in this predicament. Someone should have warned me that this hero business is much harder, messier, and slightly more embarrassing than I thought it would be,” he informed her.
Gem laughed at his dramatically pained expression. “Well, I think you’ve been a great hero. If it makes you feel better, I can make warm water and air dry you again,” she teased, wiggling her fingers at him.
His expression softened and his lips curved into a rueful, crooked smile. “Yes, you can,” he conceded.
They stared at each other for several seconds. She didn’t know what was going through his mind, but she hoped it was similar to her own thoughts – she wanted to kiss him, then she wanted to help him out of his clothes and….
“I think we should stop for the night. It will be dark soon and too dangerous to proceed,” she suggested in a slightly breathless voice.
“Good idea. So, is there a place that you think would be safe? I mean, like, there aren’t going to be any night-swarming flesh-eaters, ghosts, or weird monsters trying to eat us while we sleep, are there?” he halfheartedly inquired as he looked around them.
“Of course not – at least I don’t think so. By the way, monsters are not weird.
In fact, most of them are very polite and sweet,” she informed him with a pointed look.
She tried not to laugh at his expression of disbelief. He shook his head and lifted his eyebrow at her amusement, then he stepped closer to her. She parted her lips in anticipation. He lifted his hand and placed a finger under her chin.
“You, Princess, have a very sassy sense of humor,” he murmured.
“Is that a bad thing?” she asked.
Gem watched as several different emotions – confusion, hesitation, desire – appeared on his face. It was the last emotion that held her spellbound. How was it possible to desire someone so much after just meeting them? She didn’t believe in love at first sight.
Perhaps this isn’t love – just desire, she thought.
“No, it isn’t a bad thing,” he replied in a gravelly voice.
“I know of a place where we should be safe. There is – there is a cave near here that I have used before when I needed to seek shelter,” she said.
“Sounds good,” he quietly responded.
Gem was disappointed when dropped his hand to his side and stepped away from her. She had hoped that he would kiss her again. Chiding herself for her wayward thoughts, she walked around him.
“I’ll lead the way. It isn’t far but can be easy to miss,” she said.
“Lead the way, Princess,” he said before muttering under his breath. “Besides, it will be a hell of a lot nicer looking at your ass for a change.”
She almost missed his barely audible remark – almost. She smiled, not bothering to hide her pleased expression because he couldn’t see it with her back to him. Striding forward, she continued down the path feeling like she was floating on air.
Ross stared in awe at the spot Gem had chosen for the night. There was a short but wide waterfall that emptied into a small pool. The pool flowed down into a series of smaller waterfalls before it ran into a narrow creek.
Behind the main waterfall, he could see a dark recess that opened into a cave. Ross suspected that the cave had been formed by a lava tube at some point based on the weathered volcanic rocks that lined the opening. Thick tangles of plants grew from the rocks. Flowers of all different shapes, sizes, and colors were interspersed among the ferns and moss.
