Dark Trail

Mother of Spiders

It wasn't until that night when things started to get straight up scary. Eira had gotten back from her exploring at nine at night and she seemed different to Ember. Her lips seemed to be curled at the ends in a permanent smirk. As if she knew something that was a secret to everyone else. Ember also noticed that she seemed to hold her gaze on Ember and Salem longer than the other kids. The look in her sister's eyes terrified Ember even more than the creatures that could be held by these woods.

When it was time for bed, Ember hesitated. She stayed outside of the two tents, staring at the fire. "Are you coming, Em?" said a certain wispy voice behind her. Ember didn't bother turning around. She would rather face the burning fire in front of her than the cold girl behind her.

"Was it real?" Ember whispered so quietly she barely heard it herself. Ember forced herself to keep staring at the ever changing fire in front of her when she heard a crow in the tree above her. One by one, more and more crows landed on the branches.

"Was it real?" Eira repeated behind her. Ember clasped her shaking hands in her lap. "I think," she clicked her tongue. "That you should go now."

It was then that Ember spun around on the log only to find that there was no one behind her. Black feathers fell from the sky like hell's snow. Ember looked above her to see empty trees laughing at her. Ember's hands slid under her hair and pressed over her ears. She refrained the urge to scream at the sky. With her mouth pressed to her knees, she knew for a fact that the scream she heard was not hers.

She stood on the fallen tree as Alena, Salem, and Oliver came out of their tents.

"Where's Jarvis?" I asked, but no one answered in time. Another blood curdling scream came from deep in the trees. Ember didn't hesitate to hop off the log and sprint in the direction of the scream.

"Jarvis!" Salem called from right behind me.

"HELP MEEEE!" Jarvis cried out.

When they reached Jarvis, blood was pouring out the sides of his mouth as he lay on dead leaves. "Jarvis!" Alena's scream chilled Ember to the bone. Ember stepped backwards. Right into something fuzzy. She yelped and fell to the ground when she turned around. Behind her was exactly what Finick Wilder described to get him tossed in the loony bin.

This creature had the top half of a woman, and the bottom half of a giant spider. Her long, black hair hung over what seemed like a tight shirt made from spider webs. Her red eyes glowed as she glared at us. She straightened up and puffed out her chest as a wolf would do when challenging another. Her lips parted to reveal rows of jagged teeth.

"What-what are you-you?" Oliver's voice wavered. The creature hissed.

"Not what, my dear. But who," her voice sounded like nails on a chalk board, but any of us were to frightened to move. "Mother of Spiders, Weaver of Webs, The Woman Who Was Turned Into A Beast Because Athena Took Pity On Her. Arachne, my dear children."

Ember tore herself from the ground and started to run. She caught the hands of Salem and Oliver. Alena got the notion and ran with them. Arachne's chilling laugh howled at them from far behind. "I won't chase you, my dears! You'll be nothing by morning!" She yowled until her voice faded out with a cackle. 

They didn't stop running for what seemed like years. When they finally slowed, Ember felt like her lungs were on fire.

"Poor Jarvis," Alena cried. "I should have gotten to him sooner. I should have-"

"There's really nothing you could have done," Oliver consoled her. Ember looked at Salem with wide eyes. Their nightmares were becoming reality.

"Who is Athena?" Alena asked. "The spider lady said that Athena made her that way."

"She's a Greek Goddess," Ember told her. "Arachne lied and got ahead of herself and challenged Athena to a weaving match. When Athena tore up Arachne's piece, Arachne committed suicide. Athena felt bad I guess and turned her into a half spider so she could hang and weave forever..."

"How do you know that?" Oliver asked. Ember shrugged.

"My mom was big in Greek mythology. She made me and Eira learn it," Ember's voice hitched when she said her sister's name.

"Where exactly is Eira?" Salem asked. Ember shook her head. Not only because she didn't know, but because she didn't want to.