[31.3] The Spider's Prey

After a few hours, the strange thing I was in stopped moving. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw a strange, white substance covering me.

I struggled to move but found I was completely bound in the strange material.

Ugh! It looks like I will just have to use my magic-

"..."

I pinched my eyes together as I concentrated.

"..."

"...."

WHAT THE HECK!

I can't use magic?!

Why?!

Is it another metal collar?

I moved my hands to check my neck, but I realized that my hands were stuck on something.

No… Rather than that…

I'm stuck IN something!

What am I stuck in?!

I thrashed my body to get free. As I moved, I felt small legs crawl over my skin.

I cried out in a whimper.

It feels like spiders! Aughhh! I hate it!

Wait…

Am I…

Am I in a cocoon!?

Suddenly a strange cracking sound was heard outside of the cocoon I was in, causing me to hold my breath. I felt the body bag I was in start to get dragged on the ground before coming to a stop.

The material above my face was ripped open, finally allowing me to see out.

My eyes shrank back in surprise.

In front of me was a beautiful woman with translucent hair that was so long it had no end. Each strand was draped around her body, trailing peacefully across the ground. She was a flawless beauty, except for the fact that a large and nasty scar covered her eyes and the bridge of her nose as if someone was trying to slash out her eyes.

She stared at me with eyes that were clearly blind as an opaque substance covered her pupils, giving them an eerie white coloring.

Two small black horns protruded from her forehead.

She smiled softly at me, "Mother has woken up!"

"Mmfm mff mmm?!"

"Oh! Let me take off that web for you."

She pulled at the web, allowing my mouth to finally be free. My face grew taut, "Mother who?"

"Duh!" She grinned, "Mother dearest! Now come on! Come on! Let's play!"

Play?

Oh f*ck.

Not this again.

She clawed the rest of the cocoon apart, allowing me to be free. I gasped in shock when I realized I was dangling in the air.

I let out a scream, "AAH!"

She giggled, holding onto me. Not a single limb of hers was touching the ground. Instead, it was her long and beautiful hair which was hanging off of tree limbs that held us up.

Her hair retracted and lengthened as if enchanted by magic to slowly lower us to the ground.

Once we were on the ground, my legs wobbled.

She started skipping, "Come on! Come play, Mother!"

I watched her in confusion as her black night dress swayed in the night breeze.

What should I do?

Run?

She called after me, "Hurry up! My sisters are waiting!"

"Sisters?"

Crap!

The children!

Where are they!?

I ran after her, "Oi. Demon girl. Did you see-"

She looked at me with a hurt expression, "My name is Lene. Did Mother forget me too?"

"Lene?"

I don't know a Lene.

I guess I should play along. I don't think she's a bad demon.

If she was…

I probably would have already been killed.

I forced a smile, "Of course, I didn't. But did you uh… Did you see any children? One who eats a lot of candy, one with blondish silver hair, one who is probably going to jail in a few years, and one who likes to start arguments?"

She thought for a moment, then grinned, "Ah! You mean my sisters."

"Um… Yes?"

She grabbed my hand and started tugging me, "They are already here!"

I allowed her to pull on me until we came to a clearing in the woods. There lay ruins from another era that were now overgrown with leaves. The children all sat in front of a fire, shivering and choking back sobs.

I ran over to them, "Are you alright?!"

The little girl cried, "Y-You were right! We were kidnapped!"

I guess saying 'I told you so' wouldn't be appropriate in this scenario.

I spoke to them all, "Did any of you try to use magic?"

The little girl nodded, "I tried to, but every time I do, those threads pull my hands and I can't move! We can't do anything unless she wants us to do it! Please save us, Miss Reika!"

The pudgy child tugged on my shirt, "C-Can't you use magic to save us? You said you don't need a wand! You can use it with a single thought!"

I forced on a smile, "I-I can't."

They all froze.

The psychotic little boy whimpered, "W-Why can't you!?"

I pursed my lips, "I have no idea."

I don't have a collar on.

My mental state is entirely normal.

I'm not any more tired than usual either.

So what's wrong with me?

My face is a bit warmer than usual, but that's the only thing I can feel is different.

I shook my head, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we get out of this situation without incident."

The little girl looked at me with large eyes, "Is that demon going to hurt us? My brother told me that demons were evil and love to eat children."

I looked at the demon in question while she created webs on the trees. I studied her carefully, "I don't think she's going to hurt us. She doesn't seem dangerous."

Instead, she seems a bit…

Childish.

Kind of like someone I know.