Exodus
A middle aged man leaves his home for work early in the morning, his family still sleeping soundly beneath safety. Locking the door, he turns and walks to his car, waving to a neighbor jogging down the sidewalk. Reaching for the door handle he sees a spider web on his driver side mirror, neat, perfect, dripped in dew so it was clear for him to see. He looked up frantically, a wave of fear and confusion washing over him suddenly. There was no other sign to reveal itself, no other explanation beyond this webbed display stopping him in his tracks, yet his actions had ceased, his routine derailed by a small arachnid. Finally, after a few quaking moments, the man set down his briefcase, removed his glasses, and loosened his tie. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked back at his home, his eyes burning the image in his mind. He nodded to himself with a heavy weight then got in the car, no case, no desire for work, a new place in mind, or rather, an old one. Turning on the car, silencing the radio, he maneuvered the vehicle out of the drive, shifting into gear and leaving. His family would never see him again, nor would his job. The man they knew disappeared that day, leaving behind only vague clues and breaking questions.
A little blonde girl made her way from the front door out to the waiting bus stop area nearby, skipping about as she hummed a familiar tune. Pigtails, red dress, sparkling shoes, a prim and proper child from a well managed household. She was their shining joy, a prodigy at school, and a voice that rivaled her church choir. She was only a block away from the destination, a few other children already waiting in the distance. As she had been taught, she stopped and looked both ways before crossing the street, pausing as a car pulled up at the stop sign in front of her. Paying the car no mind, her eyes wandered as she obeyed her patient pace, a gaze that scanned something chilling on the red octagon before her. Nestled below the smoothly cut edges, hanging between the round pole piercing the ground below, a weaving of spidersilk. Sight of the web caused her to drop her lunch box, she hardly noticed the lack of weight in her hand, a cold chill taking hold of her. During the whole ordeal, the car had not moved, the man inside staring straight ahead, not looking at the child or anything else, he was fixated, present somewhere else other than where he was currently. Then, he unlocked the doors and waited. A few seconds later, the rear passenger door clicked open and in crawled the small girl. Before closing the door, she threw out her shoes and removed her hair ties, shutting the breach and buckling herself in. She looked up to the mirror and smiled to the man. Together, they drove away, leaving behind more mysteries and quesions than answers.
Later that afternoon, as the day evolved and challenged the people contained by its structure, a police officer drove about the center of town, crusing by the park during lunch time to make sure no one was being disturbed or rowdy. He was also looking for some missing persons, even though they weren't technically missing until twenty fours had passed. There was a possibility though that the man who was absent could have something to do with the lost school girl, but that was mere speculation and he figured he would find nothing unusual today. Yet, as soon as he pulled into the first area of the park, he spotted the car reported that belonged to the missing man. He chuckled to himself, sure that the missing mans wife was just worried for no reason and he was actually going about his normal daily business. The officer parked near the car but far enough away just in case this was more than he thought. Exiting his patrol vehicle, he walked around the missing car to the passenger side, so as to have distance on the driver and not to surprise him. Peeking in the window and knocking, the officer could plainly see the man described from earlier, now sitting in his car and looking out across the parkway. He had not moved upon tapping though, so the officer did so again and made himself known once more. The man did not move or stir, eyes unflinched by this new presence. About to knock again, the officer paused, his vision presenting him with another person in the back seat of this missing vehicle. It was the missing girl...Something was not adding up. Trying not to panic, the patrolman stepped back from the car, assessing the situation. She had not moved either when he established himself, and that was concerning. Confused and a tad scared by this random, uncertain behavior, the officer made his way back to his car. He would call this in, knowing now that it was something more, especially for him to handle. Opening the car door, he reached in to grab the radio piece. He froze, every inch of him trying to stop fast and abruptly, not wanting to sway or move. His hand hovered a fraction of an inch away from a spider web strewn between his steering wheel and dashboard. He pulled his hand away slowly, easing away from the patrol car, sighing and shivering at this near incident. He rubbed his eyes hard and grimaced, looking around for any onlookers or suspicious characters. The park was quiet, the only people anywhere near were the three of them, meaning this was no accident or coincidence. He removed his belt and tossed the weapon and gear into the seat, his badge following next, then his wallet, all piled together, engine still running. The missing cars locks clicked, allowing the officer to enter the vehicle, putting on his seat belt and closing the door behind him. The girl smiled to him, the driver nodded, and the three left the park without incident.
They drove through the night, against the wind, winding among roads and pathways towards a southern location. A journey that took nearly a days drive in total without stopping, for which they did not. Fuel being their only need, stopping and filling up, stretching and relieving themselves when possible. Beyond this, they seemed untaxed by the sudden sojourn. They hardly spoke, unless it was in front of staff at the gas stations or when crossing a toll plaza, each sitting in silence, awaiting the eventual arrival at their remote retreat. During the moonlit night of the following evening, the three unlikely travelers reached the summit of a black mountain. Covered in jagged rocks, trees reaching into the sky, together blocking any path beyond foot, halting the vehicle at the bank of a river gushing from beneath the dead giant. The two men awoke, realizing the car had stopped, was powered off, their driver already outside the car skipping rocks across the rushing water. Under that glowing sky, facing the darkness of a range left undisturbed, the trio entered the forest, disappearing into the pine barrier.
With some hidden sense, clear vision granted to them in a such a low light environment, they climbed the surface of the mountain, weaving through places untouched by people for almost a millenia. After traveling for some hours, a faint glow signaled their success, burning torches of poisonous green fire marked the entrance to a once sealed tunnel, large enough to drive a semi truck into if possible to reach with such a vehicle. Hooded figures stood vigilant outside the gaping chasm, blocking the way until a sign was given. The family man moved first, rolling up his sleeve and revealing a scar. It resembled that of a spider, a nasty wound now healed, signifying his place among them. They nodded and he entered. Next, the police man moved up, unzipped his pants, exposing his inner thigh where he too bore a mark of the same type. His was darker, redder, a powerful sign in their group. Noddind, the officer zipped up and moved inside the black hole exposed in the side of the mountain, his sound and sight lost within moments. As the small girl prepared to move forward she heard a noise behind her. Looking back, she could see multiple figures creeping up the sharp landscape from where she emerged, each group in threes, all of them different, yet all of them the same. She smiled then turned to the hooded guards, stepping forward and brushing her hair aside. There, on the base of her neck, the symbol was mounted, only this one was dark, blackened, each piece prominant and formed, the detail so alive it looked as if it were crawling up her porcelain skin, searching to deliver a final kiss upon her neck. The two shrouded figures kneeled before her, the venomous tattoo commanding authority and praise, so powerful that the new arrivals understood the presence of this child, each one hunkered in fear and infatuation. And then, the small girl entered the cave to take her place in the webbed veil within.
Servants met the child quickly, misshapen people resembling half human and arachnid hybrids, faces contorted with mandibles and extra eyes, their bodies covered in black, spiky carapace or thick brown fur. She was ushered into a chamber, hollowed out, adorned with silk curtains and bedding, bones of the old ones mounted upon the wall to display triumph of the wars passed. Her clothes were removed while a spinner was brought to weave new articles for her, ones fit for a queen or goddess in the world of humans. With her new attire, hair brushed by delicate tarsus bearing claws, chittered at by the demonic aranae. Preparations were complete, and so she was taken to the Hall of the Mother, a deep, grand portion of the cave system, now crawling with hundreds of worshippers and workers. Upon her seat made of sinew and bones, forged from those who once challenged her rule, all in the days before fire took the earth and the skies dwelled just above the dirt. Dressed in rags, the beautiful woman awaited her gift, smiling at the sight of this beautiful child. Motioning to come forward, the small girl walked between all manner of beings, each carrying the burning venom of their queen mother.
Reaching the throne, the widow mother hugged the child deeply, her warm affection honoring the prodigy. "Are you ready, my dear?" The rag covered queen whispered in the ear of the child, her mandibles hiding beneath human teeth. "Yes, mother," She replied obediently, graciously, easing her head over and exposing her neck. Rearing her head back, the malevolent mactans fangs hinged outward, sinking down into the pale flesh of the child, a demonic bond taking hold of both females. Spinners approached, unleashing a torrent of webbing upon the ritual, cloaking both ladies in a silk shroud, cocooning them so that their transformation would go undisturbed. Thousands of black eyes watched on in anticipation, awaiting for the emergence of their new queen, reborn from the flesh of pure. During the next few weeks, more followers arrived, joining the Web Witch in her nest high in the dark clutches of that southern forgotten mountain.
A middle aged man leaves his home for work early in the morning, his family still sleeping soundly beneath safety. Locking the door, he turns and walks to his car, waving to a neighbor jogging down the sidewalk. Reaching for the door handle he sees a spider web on his driver side mirror, neat, perfect, dripped in dew so it was clear for him to see. He looked up frantically, a wave of fear and confusion washing over him suddenly. There was no other sign to reveal itself, no other explanation beyond this webbed display stopping him in his tracks, yet his actions had ceased, his routine derailed by a small arachnid. Finally, after a few quaking moments, the man set down his briefcase, removed his glasses, and loosened his tie. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked back at his home, his eyes burning the image in his mind. He nodded to himself with a heavy weight then got in the car, no case, no desire for work, a new place in mind, or rather, an old one. Turning on the car, silencing the radio, he maneuvered the vehicle out of the drive, shifting into gear and leaving. His family would never see him again, nor would his job. The man they knew disappeared that day, leaving behind only vague clues and breaking questions.
A little blonde girl made her way from the front door out to the waiting bus stop area nearby, skipping about as she hummed a familiar tune. Pigtails, red dress, sparkling shoes, a prim and proper child from a well managed household. She was their shining joy, a prodigy at school, and a voice that rivaled her church choir. She was only a block away from the destination, a few other children already waiting in the distance. As she had been taught, she stopped and looked both ways before crossing the street, pausing as a car pulled up at the stop sign in front of her. Paying the car no mind, her eyes wandered as she obeyed her patient pace, a gaze that scanned something chilling on the red octagon before her. Nestled below the smoothly cut edges, hanging between the round pole piercing the ground below, a weaving of spidersilk. Sight of the web caused her to drop her lunch box, she hardly noticed the lack of weight in her hand, a cold chill taking hold of her. During the whole ordeal, the car had not moved, the man inside staring straight ahead, not looking at the child or anything else, he was fixated, present somewhere else other than where he was currently. Then, he unlocked the doors and waited. A few seconds later, the rear passenger door clicked open and in crawled the small girl. Before closing the door, she threw out her shoes and removed her hair ties, shutting the breach and buckling herself in. She looked up to the mirror and smiled to the man. Together, they drove away, leaving behind more mysteries and quesions than answers.
Later that afternoon, as the day evolved and challenged the people contained by its structure, a police officer drove about the center of town, crusing by the park during lunch time to make sure no one was being disturbed or rowdy. He was also looking for some missing persons, even though they weren't technically missing until twenty fours had passed. There was a possibility though that the man who was absent could have something to do with the lost school girl, but that was mere speculation and he figured he would find nothing unusual today. Yet, as soon as he pulled into the first area of the park, he spotted the car reported that belonged to the missing man. He chuckled to himself, sure that the missing mans wife was just worried for no reason and he was actually going about his normal daily business. The officer parked near the car but far enough away just in case this was more than he thought. Exiting his patrol vehicle, he walked around the missing car to the passenger side, so as to have distance on the driver and not to surprise him. Peeking in the window and knocking, the officer could plainly see the man described from earlier, now sitting in his car and looking out across the parkway. He had not moved upon tapping though, so the officer did so again and made himself known once more. The man did not move or stir, eyes unflinched by this new presence. About to knock again, the officer paused, his vision presenting him with another person in the back seat of this missing vehicle. It was the missing girl...Something was not adding up. Trying not to panic, the patrolman stepped back from the car, assessing the situation. She had not moved either when he established himself, and that was concerning. Confused and a tad scared by this random, uncertain behavior, the officer made his way back to his car. He would call this in, knowing now that it was something more, especially for him to handle. Opening the car door, he reached in to grab the radio piece. He froze, every inch of him trying to stop fast and abruptly, not wanting to sway or move. His hand hovered a fraction of an inch away from a spider web strewn between his steering wheel and dashboard. He pulled his hand away slowly, easing away from the patrol car, sighing and shivering at this near incident. He rubbed his eyes hard and grimaced, looking around for any onlookers or suspicious characters. The park was quiet, the only people anywhere near were the three of them, meaning this was no accident or coincidence. He removed his belt and tossed the weapon and gear into the seat, his badge following next, then his wallet, all piled together, engine still running. The missing cars locks clicked, allowing the officer to enter the vehicle, putting on his seat belt and closing the door behind him. The girl smiled to him, the driver nodded, and the three left the park without incident.
They drove through the night, against the wind, winding among roads and pathways towards a southern location. A journey that took nearly a days drive in total without stopping, for which they did not. Fuel being their only need, stopping and filling up, stretching and relieving themselves when possible. Beyond this, they seemed untaxed by the sudden sojourn. They hardly spoke, unless it was in front of staff at the gas stations or when crossing a toll plaza, each sitting in silence, awaiting the eventual arrival at their remote retreat. During the moonlit night of the following evening, the three unlikely travelers reached the summit of a black mountain. Covered in jagged rocks, trees reaching into the sky, together blocking any path beyond foot, halting the vehicle at the bank of a river gushing from beneath the dead giant. The two men awoke, realizing the car had stopped, was powered off, their driver already outside the car skipping rocks across the rushing water. Under that glowing sky, facing the darkness of a range left undisturbed, the trio entered the forest, disappearing into the pine barrier.
With some hidden sense, clear vision granted to them in a such a low light environment, they climbed the surface of the mountain, weaving through places untouched by people for almost a millenia. After traveling for some hours, a faint glow signaled their success, burning torches of poisonous green fire marked the entrance to a once sealed tunnel, large enough to drive a semi truck into if possible to reach with such a vehicle. Hooded figures stood vigilant outside the gaping chasm, blocking the way until a sign was given. The family man moved first, rolling up his sleeve and revealing a scar. It resembled that of a spider, a nasty wound now healed, signifying his place among them. They nodded and he entered. Next, the police man moved up, unzipped his pants, exposing his inner thigh where he too bore a mark of the same type. His was darker, redder, a powerful sign in their group. Noddind, the officer zipped up and moved inside the black hole exposed in the side of the mountain, his sound and sight lost within moments. As the small girl prepared to move forward she heard a noise behind her. Looking back, she could see multiple figures creeping up the sharp landscape from where she emerged, each group in threes, all of them different, yet all of them the same. She smiled then turned to the hooded guards, stepping forward and brushing her hair aside. There, on the base of her neck, the symbol was mounted, only this one was dark, blackened, each piece prominant and formed, the detail so alive it looked as if it were crawling up her porcelain skin, searching to deliver a final kiss upon her neck. The two shrouded figures kneeled before her, the venomous tattoo commanding authority and praise, so powerful that the new arrivals understood the presence of this child, each one hunkered in fear and infatuation. And then, the small girl entered the cave to take her place in the webbed veil within.
Servants met the child quickly, misshapen people resembling half human and arachnid hybrids, faces contorted with mandibles and extra eyes, their bodies covered in black, spiky carapace or thick brown fur. She was ushered into a chamber, hollowed out, adorned with silk curtains and bedding, bones of the old ones mounted upon the wall to display triumph of the wars passed. Her clothes were removed while a spinner was brought to weave new articles for her, ones fit for a queen or goddess in the world of humans. With her new attire, hair brushed by delicate tarsus bearing claws, chittered at by the demonic aranae. Preparations were complete, and so she was taken to the Hall of the Mother, a deep, grand portion of the cave system, now crawling with hundreds of worshippers and workers. Upon her seat made of sinew and bones, forged from those who once challenged her rule, all in the days before fire took the earth and the skies dwelled just above the dirt. Dressed in rags, the beautiful woman awaited her gift, smiling at the sight of this beautiful child. Motioning to come forward, the small girl walked between all manner of beings, each carrying the burning venom of their queen mother.
Reaching the throne, the widow mother hugged the child deeply, her warm affection honoring the prodigy. "Are you ready, my dear?" The rag covered queen whispered in the ear of the child, her mandibles hiding beneath human teeth. "Yes, mother," She replied obediently, graciously, easing her head over and exposing her neck. Rearing her head back, the malevolent mactans fangs hinged outward, sinking down into the pale flesh of the child, a demonic bond taking hold of both females. Spinners approached, unleashing a torrent of webbing upon the ritual, cloaking both ladies in a silk shroud, cocooning them so that their transformation would go undisturbed. Thousands of black eyes watched on in anticipation, awaiting for the emergence of their new queen, reborn from the flesh of pure. During the next few weeks, more followers arrived, joining the Web Witch in her nest high in the dark clutches of that southern forgotten mountain.