Run.

Run as if there's no tomorrow.

Run as if your mother just found out you failed all your classes.

Run as if a yandere is in her basement, waiting to cook you for dinner... Well, come to think of it, that wouldn't be so bad, right? But wait, what the hell am I thinking?

The ground shook beneath my feet with each stomp of the damn giant spider's legs. Every time one of those monstrous limbs hit the ground, it was like the earth itself was ready to swallow everything in its path. And here I was, running like an idiot, not even knowing how the hell I ended up in this damn forest. How the hell did I end up being chased by a spider the size of a bus? A damn bus with legs! WHAT IS THIS?!

My heart was beating so fast that I could hear each pump in my head, like it was going to explode at any moment. "This isn't real, this isn't real..." I repeated in my mind while my legs moved at a speed I didn't even know I had. The problem was, I wasn't running toward a happy ending. I was running toward... well, toward nothing. Literally, toward what's supposed to be my death.

"Dodge! Dodge, damn it!" I kept telling myself, as if my brain and my legs had some kind of telepathic connection. Spoiler: they didn't. The giant spider, which seemed to have some kind of built-in radar, predicted every one of my movements, as if it had access to my thoughts. Was it reading my mind? What kind of monster does that?

BAM!

One of its legs hit me square in the back, throwing me to the ground like a ragdoll. The pain was so intense it made me think my back would sound like a drum every time I moved for the rest of my life.

"AHHH!" I screamed, not just from the pain but from the humiliation of being so easy to catch. Seriously?! Did it hit me that fast? Where's my ability to dodge? Do I have nothing?!

My face slammed into a tree, which, like an old traitorous friend, didn't give me a moment's respite. Apparently, my well-being wasn't its main concern, and the only thing that mattered was that now I had my face planted in its bark, with all the dignity I had left turned to dust.

The giant spider slowly approached, as if savoring the moment, enjoying the drama, like it was the last episode of a suspense series. I, of course, just wanted to disappear off the map.

"It can't be real..." I murmured. "Am I really going to die here, at 18, being devoured by a damn giant spider? Why me?!"

I thought about the girl I'd started talking to. I was beginning to like her, and now... now I was going to be the lunch of a giant tarantula? Seriously? What kind of cruel fate is this?

I closed my eyes, accepting what seemed inevitable. Yes, I'm a coward. But what else can I do? I can't move. I don't even know how I ended up here. And worst of all, I have a giant monster in front of me, ready to devour me like I'm its breakfast.

"Checkmate, Zephyr. Are you going to die here, being the hero of your own story? Or... are you going to become the guy who tried to dodge a giant spider and ended up being its dinner?"

Just when I thought my life was a complete disaster... that's when I remembered.

Oh, right. This all has a somewhat strange explanation... but who needs answers when you're about to be devoured by a giant monster?

Flashback to my previous life:

My life, a few hours ago... was perfectly normal. Or so I thought. I was walking peacefully through the park at three in the morning because, why not? Nothing says "I'm a sensible person" like taking a solitary walk at that time, right? And here's another tidbit: walking through the park at that hour, you feel like a background character in a cheap horror movie. But of course, in my mind, everything was perfectly normal. Just me, my thoughts, and the immense loneliness of an empty park.

I was walking down the path, the dry leaves crunching under my feet as if the whole world was watching my stupidity, when I saw something weird: a truck parked at a corner, its lights on. Hmm... that's odd. What's a truck doing out here, at this hour? Did it run out of battery or...?

At first, I didn't think much of it, until suddenly, the truck's lights turned on. What... the hell?

I stood there staring like an idiot. It was a truck with... lights. But not just any lights, no. It looked like some kind of mobile advertisement in the middle of the darkness. I mean, is it normal for a truck in the middle of a park to be so... illuminated? Did I accidentally step into a horror movie or something?

Then, the truck started. Of course, why not? What else could a driverless truck in the middle of nowhere do but start on its own? Because, obviously, all trucks in empty parks have a mind of their own. It makes sense.

My breath quickened, but I didn't want to panic. The truck started following me. Great! Now I'm being chased by a ghost truck with lights, and I have no idea what to do! Every time I looked back, the truck's lights shone brighter. WHAT KIND OF TRUCK IS THIS?!

My first instinct was to walk faster. Yes, because when a driverless truck starts chasing you, the first thing you should do is stay calm and speed up. That's the logical thing to do. And you know what happened next, right?

The only race I had was with a truck that had a mind of its own, clearly not understanding the rules of traffic. Before I could process what was happening or think about whether I should call someone, BAM! The next second, I found myself in a forest, running as if there was no tomorrow, now being chased by a giant spider, one that looked ready to turn me into its lunch. Honestly, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Well, maybe I should just scream.

Back to the present:

"Well, who would've thought?" I said quietly, looking at the spider, which was staring at me with what seemed like a wicked smile. Is this what happens when a ghost truck and a giant spider team up to ruin your day?

At least this is a good ending for an action story... even if it's a bit ridiculous!