"Spiders Continued"
The door slammed open, bringing her out of her dazed state. The memories retreated to the darkness of her mind, like shadows fleeing the light. Aqua twins lifted slowly as a dread settled down upon her. She didn't want to know but she had to look. She watched as he brought boxes of different shapes and sizes. Each one was sat on the floor in a large black circle. Once that was finished he pulled the length of chain down from the ceiling. The chain was covered with leather, so no matter how one fought it the sound would be muffled. Finally he turned to her, and she cowered down with a sudden sinking feeling. She knew something horrible was going to happen, but she was helpless to stop it. In a moment he was to her and jerking her up and off her feet. The only sound she made was a strangled whimper as he carried her to the center of the room and placed the leather shackles around her wrists. The chain was pulled taunt so she hung there with her feet barely able to reach the floor on tip toes. He left her like that, delaying the moment when he would reveal his intentions.
He came back just when the pain in her arms and shoulders forced her to stand on tip toes as best she could, to relieve it once more. He moved with deliberate slowness to each box and lifted the lids off. The lids where sat on the floor behind the boxes leaving them gapping open. When he finished he stood just outside of the circle to watch her reaction. She was puzzled at first. Until the first fuzzy legs peeked over the edge of the box. Then her heart fluttered and thudded in her chest. She felt sick and dizzy as she watched the first of the spiders to crawl out of the box and across the floor to her. Aqua twins darted from box to box in shock and growing horror. Each box contained hundreds of spiders of all sizes and shapes. None where truly poisonous to her, but she didn't know that. Her memories kept skipping back to the spider that bit her in her cradle. Tears sprang to those eyes, welling hot before rolling down her cheeks. Her whole body trembled as she was frozen there, watching the spiders approach.
It had taken three days to get all he needed. He bought, collected, stole, and captured spiders of all types. It took two days to get all that he needed and a half to have them checked in case they where poisonous. The poisonous where placed in a separate container for future use. Seals where placed on the walls outside of the hall. Placed in such a way that none of the spiders could get out. And finally he was ready. All the boxes, except the one of poisonous spiders where taken into the room. He watched her without her knowing it as he worked. And he knew she knew. He could see in her eyes, in the way she moved. The way her heart pounded erratically in her chest. The way she watched like a cornered animal. She knew he was going to do something to her. Something that made everything else look like child's play. He fed off that, the fear that he hadn't tasted in weeks from her. From his petite doll.
Abruptly he shook the thoughts from his mind and moved to her. As he lifted her he noticed that she lost more weight. She weighed so little to begin with, He'd have to feed her if she survived this. He didn't want her to die of starvation after all the time and work he's put into this. As he shackled her to the ceiling he grinned, and was rewarded to see her cringe back and hear her faint whimper. He left her there for two hours. Oh how he wanted to run and get it started, but he forced himself to eat then shower in a leisurely pace. Finally he put the poisonous spiders in a large glass box, There where insects aplenty in it. And when he shut it an internal air system started. It wouldn't do for them to die either, well yet. And then it was time. He moved back into the room and so very slowly removed the lids from each box. The spiders didn't come out at first, having been in their boxes for days, and the light startled them. But by the time he finished the first one appeared over the edge.
It was at this moment that she spotted the spider, and proved all his work worthwhile. Her face froze in a mask of shock. As more and more spiders appeared though her face took on a horrified air. Those lovely aqua eyes of hers widened and then tears fell from them. Spilling hotly over the smooth skin of her cheeks. For the longest time he didn't think she was going to do anything. Just hand their and stare at the approaching spiders. But he was wrong... Just as he was about to leave she gave a terrified scream. It was a low scream that ended in a gurgling moan before she fainted. He knew he couldn't wait around for her to awaken so he left the room. He smirked at the door and spoke a few low words. A spell, or the end of one at least. He pulled his pocket watch and flipped it open. On one side was the time and on the other was the room, with her left hanging there unconscious. He'd leave the light on until after she woke up. With that pleasant thought he strode off, shutting the watch with a click and whistling happily.
It took hours for her to wake up, the minds way of rebelling against what was happening. And when she did awaken she wished she hadn't. Spiders where everywhere. Like a thick carpet on the floor and walls. They coated everything. The boxes where lost in the mass of arachnid bodies. The worst part was. She was also coated in the spiders. They crawled in her nose and mouth. In her ears and over her eyes. Every inch of her body was teaming with spiders. She tried to scream but it only caused the spiders to scuttled down her throat. So she spat the rest from her mouth and clamped it shut. She was bit, poked, walked on, and finally used for a base. Webbing spread from ever nook and cranny in the room, to catch bugs that just weren't their. Webbing formed to her body like a second skin. Her mind reeled at each prick. And she felt the tiny minuscule poisons flow into her system. If bitten enough it'd kill her. But it would take days, if not weeks.
Blood bubbled from her mouth and spilled down and around her chin. It dripped steadily down her body. A sign of the measures she went to keep from screaming. Then the lights went out. It was completely dark and the spiders became quite active. Scuttling and fighting as they explored the room, her, and each other. She whimpered and gave a closed mouth scream as she realized she'd not be able to see the spiders come for her. Tears and blood flowed faster as she twisted her wrists against the shackles that held them. Madness was creeping it's comforting way across her mind. Madness was leaving those terrors to grow. Madness was not a release. Only the beginning of death.
She had to get out. Plain and simple she just had to get out. So her left hand started to twist and scrap in it's binding. At first it only gave her leather burn, but after hours of work it started to rub skin away. Blood flowed slickly down wrists and arms. Coating her white body with stick redness.
He saw her work despite the darkness, yet he was confident she wouldn't escape. Perhaps too confident. The light flicked back on and still he didn't come. An unexpected problem came up and he had to leave without warning. It was all right because he had the watch and could see her torture any time he wished. It would only be for a week. And then he'd come back and give her a break. Let her recuperate before plunging her back into the room. Her terror could be felt from here and he gorged himself upon it. Fear the spiders my little doll. Fear them and fill your master up with your fear once more...
The light...the spiders could be seen again, but the thought barely caused a ripple in her awareness. Aqua twins where glazed, as if in death, and staring straight ahead. She saw the withering crawling mass of spiders, yet she didn't. Millions where being born and they where eating each other almost as fast. Her sanity hung on by a thread, one stretched too taunt. All the while her wrist twisted and tugged. The shackles where becoming thread bare as well, lending a sharp edge to her works. Blood coated her and the floor constantly. And the spiders became blood drinkers. Having only her blood and their brethren for food in this place. Where she couldn't scream her mind wouldn't shut up. Screaming such horror and terror. That internal scream fed Lucas day and night for almost a week.
She worked for six and a half days straight at her wrist and hand. Yet the bones still seemed too large. Her sanity was about to snap completely and she was half dead from blood loss. She couldn't give up though! So with a violent twist the bones locking her hand the shackles embrace cracked and shattered. First the broken left hand, then the scratched and scraped right hand came free. Spilling her down into an agonizing mess on the floor. Her muscles burned and screamed their protest of being in one spot for days. But she couldn't stop now. Madness and desperation forced her to her feet painfully. Her left hand was a useless mess of blood, bone, and spiders. Her right hand faired much better luckily. It was well enough to swat uselessly at the spiders. She stumbled to first one door, and then the other. Locked, they where locked and she was trapped. After all this..and she couldn't take it. Sanity snapped and fled like terrified birds to the far recess of her mind.
Her scream was animalistic and mad. A howl that shook her body to the core. It was unlocked. Hair line cracks of aqua spread over her body. As if at any second she would shatter. The door burst open and there he was. The one who did this to her. The one who brought the horror here. The spiders....And he stood their shocked in the door way. Even now though, her mind tried to warn him to flee. He didn't listen, they never do, and he stepped further in. Once, twice, thrice, and the door slammed shut behind him.
He was only a few miles from the manor when he saw her break loose of the shackles. His blood ran cold as she slumped to the floor. No, she'll kill herself.... With hasty excuses he left. Taking a fast horse by force from one stable hand he rode like the devil towards the manor. He burst in and fairly flew to his room. Just as the howl shook the manor. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he froze in terror. Sudden blinding terror that had fed him so well so many times. He didn't like the feeling. And he would destroy the only one who ever made him feel this way. A dagger was grabbed in passing and he slammed the door of the room open. No spiders even attempted to get out. They where milling around her, as close as they could get. He saw the aqua cracks riddling her body and he got the sudden thought that he may not have to kill her. But no, she wasn't dying. And that made him angrier then he's ever been. The brush of her warning against his mind made little difference and he shrugged it off as he stepped in. Cautiously moving closer. The door slammed behind him, causing the terror to prickle his spine once more. He gritted his teeth and continued forward slowly.
Stupid male, stupid stupid male... Still he came. The spiders on her and around her suddenly fled...to make a perfect circle around the two. She stood in the middle. A glowing aqua figure, madness dancing in her eyes and death hissing through her teeth.
He looked uneasy at the spiders as they milled about, glowing faintly black. Like they where death as well. But he had a job to do so he gritted his teeth and drew him self up.
Bullies where all the same. Picking on the poor little children. The defenseless ones. She screamed again. A scream that shook the room and shattered his ear drums. A scream that spoke of the horrors she endured and the horrors he would endure.
He moved back at the scream. His arm moving up as if to ward off a blow. It hit his brain like a tidal wave. And it said "NO MORE!" Blood, he felt blood burst from his ears and everything went silent. He could never again hear the screams of his prey, his dolls. And it was because of the best of them. The dagger was suddenly lifted and he lunged at her.
Dagger met the flesh of her arm...cutting clear to the bone with a hiss of burning flesh before she wrenched it free and let it drop limply to her side. Her right hand then lifted to claw his face. Five deep scratches. One down the center right over his nose. One over each of his eyes. And one on each of his cheeks. Five scratches that would never truly heal. Five scratches for the pain he caused her. For the pain of all those that came before her.
She scratched him! His free hand flew to his bleeding face as he stumbled back. He was blinded by the blood. He could sense the spiders around them. Watching and waiting for him to fall. He could feel his fear, taste it in the blood he was spilling. He didn't like being afraid of this wench. He didn't like how he was backing away and wishing he hadn't of came in. And then it hit...
She watched and circled, like a wolf about to take down a wounded moose. Even wounded animals could be dangerous... She was looking for an opening. A dropping of his guard. As he backed away she moved forward...And the circle of spiders followed. Finally his fear fouled the air with it's bitter scent. Fear. The perfect opening. And She cried out once more. The light grew around her, boiling and rolling in excitement. Building, building until finally it burst from her. Streaking to him and hitting him like a freight train. It attacked within. Building on his fear and putting doubts in his mind. Destroying his sanity like he did hers.
He screamed as he was hit. And screamed more as his terror grew. He clawed at the air, dropping his dagger with a clatter. His hands lifted to shield his face and then to grab his head as he dropped to his knees. He howled as the last of his sanity shattered and fled. Leaving him a maddened shell of a man. Left with the haunting memories of all the pain he caused, and the voice that said they would pay him back. She stepped back as his sanity burst from him, shoved by the light, her light. It came in droves of insects. Insects of all shapes and sizes, but all dark. The spiders stayed put for a moment, watching the insects with their multilayered gaze. Waiting hungrily for something, a sign. She Stood in the center still. Watching the mad husk of a man with an impassive eye. Her own madness dancing and singing through her in waves. It kept her from destroying everything in sight, kept her to doing what needed to be done. A curious madness. Her mind was gone yet she was calm and doing something of a higher order. Slow measured steps took her backwards and out of the circle. She stood just on the edge for the longest time before she dropped her head in a half nod half bow. The wait was over then and the spiders loomed forward in a hungry massive wave. All insects where consumed in a matter of moments. All insects that is, except for one butterfly. A delicate little thing that had hid in her ear. It was a pale rose color. The shade the clouds are tinted just before the sun rises.
As the spiders parted and moved back from the circle she carried the butterfly forward. One hand, her good one, was lifted and the butterfly lighted upon it. She lifted her hand to eye level. Stormy, glazed eyes regarded the butterfly for the longest moment before she spoke. A hushed whisper that spoke of a retribution that was doomed to be placed upon the husk of a male.
"It 'as been nearing three months. Day in and day out ye abused and tortured me. Ye raped and forced me tae to 'orrible deeds. But naething could compare tae the folly ye did this week. A folly tha' ye will live tae regret. Each spider in this room 'olds a piece of yer sanity, yer memories. Each spider will 'old it until death and then that sanity will pass to another spider. Listen well little one. For this is yer only redemption. The spiders shall be sent off. to make their 'omes across the world. Spiders that where used in the vilest manner. And ye must find each spider. Ye must find and consume the spiders like the consumed yer sanity. Ye will live tae regret this day. And ye will live tae get each piece back. If ye forget yer quest. Or decide ye 'ave enough back it'll start again. Remember this Always. And never try tae find me. For I am only the messenger."
With that she gave the butterfly to the male on the floor. He crushed the fragile thing and ate it without a thought. Without a thought until the words seeped into his mind. For now he wouldn't know all the words meanings. He just gave a voiceless cry and collapsed. Still she watched, quietly from the center of her circle. When it was apparent he wouldn't try to catch the spiders yet she lifted her arms and face towards the ceiling. Bloody lips parted in one single note. A note as sweet as a sirens. A note that rang of immense pain and sadness. One single note hung in the air, gaining power. Aqua light formed a heavy mist around her, swirling and boiling with the note. The note that finally shattered the hall's walls and spells like it was nothing but a thin piece of ice.
With the wall being down the sun dappled across the floor in red undertones. It took but a moment for the spiders to scuttle off in a black wave. She watched until the last was gone before lifting her voice once more, this time to the setting sun. The mournful song rang clear in the air for miles around. A song that made many think this would be the last sun set. The bloody red light touched all with warm fingers, quite opposite of the fingers that reached from the song. Fingers that sent chills down one's spine. Fingers of the dead. The last note hung in the air as the sun dipped below the horizon. Despite this, the sky and ground was still tainted with a red light. It was the night of the blood moon.