Day 10: The Nest
The air inside the church had grown thicker—heavier. Eli's breath hitched as he watched the creature skitter across the wall, its many legs clicking softly against the stone. Its eyes—so many of them—blinked in eerie unison, all focused on him and Cass. His mind raced, heart pounding in his chest as he glanced around, trying to figure out why it was here, why it hadn't attacked yet.
Cass was already on her feet, knife drawn, her body tense like a coiled spring. The weariness Eli had seen in her eyes moments before was gone, replaced by the hard, steely resolve that always surfaced when they were in danger. She didn't waste time asking questions. She was ready to act.
"Stay close," she muttered under her breath, her eyes locked on the creature.
Eli nodded, his hand gripping the small blade Cass had given him days ago. His palms were slick with sweat, his stomach churning with fear. This wasn't like the Wraithkin. The spiders—they were something else. Something worse.
The others were still asleep, oblivious to the danger. James, Sarah, and the rest of the group were scattered around the church, their bodies resting in the shadows. Even Luke, who had seemed so vigilant before, was slumped against a wall, lost to whatever restless dreams haunted him.
Eli's eyes darted between the creature and the rest of the group. He should wake them up—warn them—but something stopped him. The creature wasn't attacking, not yet. It was watching. Waiting.
"Why isn't it moving?" Eli whispered, his voice barely audible.
Cass's eyes narrowed. "It's not alone," she said, her voice low and steady.
Eli's blood turned to ice. He followed Cass's gaze, his heart skipping a beat as he saw more movement in the shadows. There were others. More of the spiders, their many eyes blinking in the darkness, their long legs clicking as they moved along the walls and ceiling. They were everywhere, and Eli hadn't even noticed until now.
We walked right into this.
Cass took a slow step back, her grip on the knife tightening. "This isn't a safehouse," she said, her voice grim. "It's a nest."
The realization hit Eli like a punch to the gut. That's why the Wraithkin didn't come here. They weren't afraid of holy ground or some mystical protection. They were avoiding something much worse.
The church wasn't a refuge. It was a trap.
"Wake the others," Cass hissed, her voice sharper now, more urgent.
Eli's body jolted into motion. He darted toward Luke, his heart racing, his hands shaking as he grabbed his friend by the shoulder and shook him awake.
"Luke," Eli whispered urgently. "Luke, wake up! We need to get out of here."
Luke groaned, blinking groggily as he sat up, his eyes hazy with sleep. "What…? What's going on?"
"There's no time," Eli said, his voice tight with panic. "This place—it's a nest. The spiders. They're everywhere."
Luke's eyes widened, the last vestiges of sleep vanishing from his face as he looked around, his gaze landing on the creatures crawling along the walls. "Oh, shit."
The rest of the group was already stirring now, James and Sarah rousing at the sudden shift in the air. Cass had moved closer to the entrance, her eyes darting between the creatures, trying to gauge their movements. But there were too many of them, more than Eli could count, their bodies blending into the darkness, their eyes blinking in the dim light of the fire.
"What are they?" Sarah asked, her voice shaking as she stared at the creatures.
"They're waiting for something," Cass muttered, her voice low. "But they won't wait forever. We need to move, now."
James stood, his rifle in hand, his face set in a grim expression. "We fight our way out," he said, his voice steady. "We've dealt with worse."
Cass shot him a look that could've cut through steel. "You've never dealt with these," she said coldly. "They're fast, and they hunt in packs. If you're not careful, they'll tear you apart before you can even fire a shot."
James didn't seem fazed by her warning. "Then we stay quiet, make for the exit, and take them out if they get too close."
Eli's gut twisted. Something about James's confidence felt wrong—like he knew more than he was letting on. But there was no time to question it. The spiders were shifting now, their legs moving faster, their bodies scuttling across the walls toward the group.
"We need to go!" Eli shouted, his voice cracking with fear.
Luke was already on his feet, machete in hand, his eyes darting between the creatures as he backed toward the exit. The others followed, their weapons drawn, their movements quick and careful as they tried to avoid making too much noise.
But the spiders weren't waiting any longer.
The first one lunged from the ceiling, its long legs reaching for Sarah, its many eyes blinking wildly. She screamed, ducking just in time as the creature's legs scraped against the stone floor, missing her by inches.
James fired a shot, the bullet slamming into the creature's body. It screeched, its legs flailing as it collapsed to the ground, its body twitching before dissolving into a pool of black, sticky liquid. But the sound of the gunshot echoed through the church, and in an instant, the nest came alive.
The spiders swarmed, their bodies moving in a blur of legs and eyes, their screeches filling the air. Eli's heart raced as he stumbled back, his mind screaming at him to run, to escape, but the creatures were everywhere. They crawled along the walls, the floor, the ceiling, their legs clicking in unison as they closed in.
Cass was already moving, her knife flashing as she sliced through one of the creatures that lunged at her. "Eli, move!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Eli bolted toward the entrance, his legs pumping as fast as they could carry him. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of the others fighting, the screeches of the spiders, the gunfire, but all he could focus on was getting out. The exit was just ahead, but it felt miles away.
A spider dropped from the ceiling, landing in front of him with a sickening thud. Its eyes blinked in unison, each one focused on him, and for a second, Eli froze, terror rooting him to the spot. The creature lunged, its legs reaching for him.
Before he could react, Cass was there, her knife slashing through the air, severing one of the creature's legs. It screeched, its body twisting as it fell back, black liquid oozing from the wound.
"Move!" Cass barked, her eyes wild with urgency.
Eli didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled past the creature, his heart racing as he bolted for the exit. He could hear the others behind him, their footsteps pounding against the stone floor, but the spiders were everywhere.
James fired another shot, but this time the bullet missed its mark. A spider lunged at him from the side, its legs wrapping around his arm. James grunted, trying to shake it off, but the creature held fast, its legs digging into his flesh.
"Get it off me!" James shouted, panic finally breaking through his calm exterior.
Luke swung his machete, the blade slicing through the spider's body. It screeched, releasing James as it crumpled to the ground, dissolving into that same black liquid.
"Keep moving!" Luke shouted, his voice hoarse.
Eli could barely think as they pushed toward the exit, his mind a whirlwind of terror and adrenaline. The church had become a living nightmare, the walls closing in as the spiders swarmed. There were too many of them, and no matter how fast they ran, the creatures were faster.
Cass was the only one holding them off, her movements precise, almost mechanical. Every slash of her knife, every dodge, was perfectly timed, as if she had fought these things countless times before. But even she couldn't take them all on.
They burst through the church doors, the cold night air hitting them like a slap in the face. But the spiders followed, their screeches echoing through the streets as they crawled out of the church, their many eyes blinking in the darkness.
"Run!" Cass shouted, her voice hoarse. "Don't stop!"
Eli's legs burned, his lungs screaming for air as they sprinted through the ruins, the sounds of the creatures growing fainter behind them. He didn't know how long they ran, didn't know if the spiders were still following, but he didn't stop until Cass finally called out for them to halt.
They collapsed behind the remnants of a broken wall, panting and gasping for breath, their bodies trembling with exhaustion. The city was quiet again, but the memory of the nest still clung to Eli's mind, making his skin crawl.
"That… wasn't just a safehouse," Eli muttered, his voice shaky. "James, you knew. You knew about that place."
James didn't respond right away. His face was pale, his arm bleeding from where the spider had grabbed him. But his eyes—those confident, calm eyes—were unreadable.
"We didn't have a choice," James said finally, his voice tight. "We had to take a risk."
Cass's glare was ice cold. "You led us into a trap," she hissed. "You knew about the spiders, didn't you?"
James's jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it. "We needed supplies. That place was the only option."
Eli's stomach churned. "You knew we wouldn't make it out alive."
For the first time, James's calm facade cracked, his eyes narrowing. "Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made."
Luke, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his face a mask of betrayal. "Sacrifices? You were going to let us die?"
James met Luke's gaze, his voice cold. "I was going to do what was necessary to survive."
Eli felt a wave of disgust wash over him. He had trusted James, trusted that he had their best interests in mind, but now it was clear—James would sacrifice anyone if it meant staying alive.
Cass stood, her knife still in hand, her eyes locked on James. "We're done here," she said quietly, her voice hard. "You go your way, and we go ours."
James didn't argue. He simply turned and walked away, Sarah and the others following him without a word. The air was thick with unspoken tension, the truth of what had almost happened hanging between them like a weight.
As James disappeared into the shadows, Luke turned to Eli, his face still pale from the shock of it all. "I'm coming with you," he said firmly. "I'm done with him."
Eli nodded, still trying to process everything. The world was more dangerous than he'd ever imagined, and the people in it—even the ones you thought you could trust—were just as deadly as the monsters that hunted them.
But as he looked at Cass, at the exhaustion and pain etched into her face, he realized something else.
She wasn't just protecting him from the creatures. She was protecting him from the truth—about this world, and about herself.
And whatever secrets she was hiding, they were going to tear her apart if she didn't let someone in.