ARACHNID

As she tumbled helplessly through the musty dusty air, confusion scrambled her thoughts.

Where was she?

How did she get there?

What was happening to her?

Why was she falling?

She felt a silken rope brush her arm and her hands instinctively grabbed and held. She came to a bouncing stop gripping desperately onto that strangely sticky rope.

With her downward momentum halted, she clung to her rope and looked around – nothing but murky dimness until she looked up and could see a light shining dimly far above her. It appeared to be reflected light through what looked like a cobweb shrouded keyhole in a huge old door. Her mind refused to compute the concept that she was trapped inside the old lock.

Impossible! Totally and completely impossible!

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she was able to make out shapes around her – bundles wrapped securely in more of the sticky rope that had stopped her downward momentum, and more ropes – many, many more – stretching off into the darkness.

Was she imagining things?

The rope felt almost as though it was vibrating. As she concentrated she realised that the vibrations felt like footsteps, and the tremors were getting stronger. She gazed around and was horrified to see something huge and black approaching across the network of ropes – something with beady, glistening eyes and a huge, black, hairy body. If she didn’t think it was totally impossible, she would have thought it was a spider, but that was ridiculous. No spider could be that big – it would need to be the size of an elephant!

But yes – horror upon horror – it was a spider and it was moving steadily right towards her.

What could she do?

Where could she go?

As she kicked and struggled to free her grip from the sticky rope, the huge creature moved closer and she could see the evil gleam of its pincers opening ready to capture and bind its next meal – HER!

Frozen with fear, all she could do was watch as the menacing shape came closer and closer until she could see the venomous drops on the ends of its fangs. She was doomed unless she was able to break free of the spell of those hypnotic black orbs. It extended its pincers ready to strike and a reflexive jerk had her just out of reach as the pincers snicked together where her head had been just a heartbeat before.

Escape – how to escape!

What could she do?

Missing its first grab seemed to anger the creature and it tried to ensnare her in the silken cords it was spinning and casting towards her.

With a wildly pounding heart, she struggled furiously and managed to break free of the sticky ropes encircling her. Her brain was numb with disbelieving horror as she scrambled away as far and as fast as she could until she chanced upon a couple of ropes that weren’t so sticky. She climbed quickly through them to the other side and climbed quickly but carefully downwards towards what she hoped was safety.

The huge spider followed, moving closer and closer. She could hear the pincers clicking together in frustration as it cast loops of rope trying to recapture ‘the one that got away’.

In her pocket she found a small box cutter blade and used it to slash wildly at the ropes clinging to her legs and arms but it was a losing battle as there were just too many of them. She redoubled her efforts climbing and slashing, climbing and slashing until one last desperate slashing frenzy freed her from the ropes and again she tumbled free, cartwheeling into the darkness where she landed with a thud on the floor –

And woke up –

Drenched with perspiration, heart pounding and thoroughly entangled in the sheets from her bed -

And vowing that she would never again watch horror movies with her sons at night time!