——— –– –– -- - -

Day… 18? 20? aa…I lost count. Does keeping track even matter?

My need to monologue myself out of boredom came back rather quickly. I am currently climbing down the way I came. I would argue that traveling at night is not a good idea, but… I just won’t be able to sleep after that happened.

It’s still bright outside anyway, with all these stars and a full moon.

I could use the ropes I'm holding to travel one stretch of distance faster… but then I wouldn’t be able to get them back. So I am doing the long, hard way around things by going down by hand.

It’s… monotonous. One foot down, One hand down. Repeat. Almost slip. Repeat… I make my way down at a moderate pace.

…

I start to wonder about what will happen when I get there… What I saw certainly wasn’t a forest fire, otherwise, there would be a huge pillar of smoke in the sky. So it definitely has to be light, and the only other type of light I know that shines like that... is the man-made one.

But what I will find is a mystery to me. Is it a village? A city? A camp? How modern are they? Are they Humans? Elves? Goblins? I do not know, I can only speculate.

Will I be welcomed? Or chased away? Out of the common races that are associated with fantasy worlds, I don’t even know what I am… I am different, that’s for sure, and because of this, I fear that I could be ostracized.

That–… I… don’t know what to do if that happens… The very thought of it terrifies me–

I pause my descent, take a deep breath, *huff* Don’t.

Do not let your determination waver.

OK, alright… how do I not let that happen? What does a person do to make someone like them?... Gifts? Hmm, maybe this could work, but what do they like?

While pondering about the art of winning over hearts, I continue descending.

——— –– –– -- - -

“Fuckshitfuckhellnomotheroffuckersandshiddedsfucksfuckohgodfuckfuck–”

NOW I KNOW WHY THERE AREN’T ANY BIRDS OR CRITTERS IN THIS GOD-FORSAKEN TREE.

I decided to finally dispose of one of my ropes. I quickly tie it down anywhere close to me and jump.

SPIDERS. GIANT. SPIDERS!!!

Because all the rope I was holding on to was coiled around me, which I forgot to hold on to descend safely, I ended up spinning wildly as I was falling. I couldn't tell what was up or down but fortunately, I didn’t hit anything on my way down.

“aaaAAAAAAAH!!!– *blgr* –HMMMMM!” I’m hit with a strong wave of nausea, and I hold my mouth shut to not let the burning liquid in my throat escape.

I don’t feel so good, it feels like my stomach wants to come out of my mouth and punch me in the face. Uugh… the consequences of my actions.

As I freefall like a very loud spinning yoyo. The wall of vines just above me bursts in an explosion of wood shrapnel, dozens of (dear god) HUGE SPIDERS coming out of the hollow tree. Their many red eyes grimly reflected the moonlight as they zoned in on me.

*shudder* Freaky monsters… even when they are so big they barely even make a sound as they leap and chase me on their 8 legs.

I remember when I suddenly met one face-to-face as I was climbing down, both frozen in place out of shock. After looking at the head of a spider bigger than my own arm I bolted off as fast as I could to get the fucking hell out of HERE.

Soon after, I could feel the tremors in my hands as the tree shook, the hive of unholy creatures waking up to investigate the disturbance. Namely, me.

In my small bout of reminiscence, the rope runs out. I begin to flail wildly as I spin–

*CRASH* *CRACK* *RUSTLE*...

“A–Ahgh…”

Nausea and spinning still assault my senses. I feel around me and feel a bunch of leaves and pointy things poking me… another tree?

Ah… it seems that I was already relatively close to the ground when I fell, the thick foliage and broken branches broke my fall, *sigh* thank god–

I see a black blur and red streaks of light on the edge of my vision.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

OH YEAH THE SPIDERS.

I ignore the pain and start running.

——— –– –– -- - -

*huff huff* *pant*

Leaping above, sliding under, slipping by, swinging, and skipping across the landscape. I flee, the blur of the forest quickly passing by as I maneuver through the many obstacles.

And yet, even with my speed I still feel their presence closing in. some have broken off my trail, hopefully, they became tired and left.

I look behind me–

*KTRHUNCH* My foot sinks on something as I jump over a protrusion on the ground.

I’m sent flying from my momentum, rolling and stumbling as I skid and stop sprawled in the dirt.

“Ouch, ouch… haaaa… merde.” I’m starting to run out of cuss words to use.

I see what I tripped on. An enormous spider, black sheen reflecting from its angular carapace, standing… Wait, it’s upside down? I’m looking at its butt. I spot a dark blue liquid on the ground, seeping from the side I can’t see from here.

I don’t know what happened but I’m not eager to find out, I get up in a hurry to continue–

“–Ah, oh, hehe, hello there…”

I start taking slow, careful steps back. I am surrounded. Since when did spiders use coordinated ambush tactics?! I think these were the ones that “broke off the chase and were tired”, oh how mistaken I was…

There are 5 of them in front of me, and more will soon arrive behind me…

“I… dammit, so it has come to this, huh?” My hands tremble and my legs shake in fear.

I’m nervous, but…

My heart thumps the drums of battle, my senses sharpen, adrenaline surging. I miss the grin creeping up my face.

While holding line of sight, I loosen the ropes strapped around my back and take out my last set of sharpened bone ribs. I awkwardly shuffle them around, deciding on holding them downwards with a backwards grip, like daggers.

We begin circling each other, their silent steps matching the sounds of mine in the dirt. Summoning the blazing fury I had felt not long ago, I tighten my grip. And they sharpen theirs–

“HIEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” *PTHUNK* “DIEE!”

I ignore the girly cry and leap into the spider that was preparing itself.

Gaining as much altitude and momentum as possible… I slam down on the monster. The bone spikes puncture in and through its eyes, sinking deeply inside its skull. I feel them hit something soft inside, and quickly finish it off with a jerk and twist. It falls limply as I stand upon it.

A burst of blood showers me as its carapace collapses with a crunch when I stomp on it to pull the spikes off.

I see a black blur in the corner of my vision. Instinctively, I whip around and punch it.

A satisfying crack graces my ears as the spider is parried away, staining my hand with a mix of red and blue blood. The adrenaline drowned the sense of pain in my hands.

Another one is rushing at me as I turn around, I lower myself in preparation to stab it like the other–

“Ack!” I feel the hard, pointy legs around me as one of them jumps on my back and attempts to bite my head– *chink*

My horns finally prove their worth. The spider’s mandibles got stuck in them, effectively saving my head… the pressure of its bite on my head is very painful though.

I reach out my back and grab its face and talons, my fingers find their way and press down on its eyes, using the gaps the carapace has around them for a secure grip. I tear the thing away from me…

And promptly slam it down on the other approaching spider, their bodies gaining some brief air time from the impact.

I let them entangle themselves in a mess of limbs from their disorientedness and search for the last missing opponent just in time to see a blob of white stuff heading my way.

*splat!* “HMMMFFFTH!” My face gets covered in a sticky substance and I stumble backward from the impact. *hhkh* *gasp* Can't breathe. I start clawing away at my face to get rid of it, the stuff spreading itself to my hands and everywhere as I try to pull it off, the stretchy thing not letting go.

“GHFKHMMMTHFKMM!!!” I feel a burst of pain as my tail gets bitten.

I can’t see, but I sure can feel the bastard eating my ass.

Pulling it closer to me with my tail, I aim in the general direction of the pain and stab– *TSHUNK*

nailed it.

With the annoyance gone, I scramble to get myself cleaned out of the sticky substance, tearing doesn’t work, and pulling worsens it. I try slicing it off, success.

*GASP* *pant* *pant*...

Where are they?!

Turning around I see…

2 kills, 1 accidental from the one I punched, those 2 have I body slammed have gotten up but aren’t unscathed. And…

Their friends arrived…

Dozens upon dozens of scarlet eyes surround me, I cannot tell how many of them there are, the red dots mixing and dancing in the darkness around me.

“...*gulp*”

I left my other spike embedded in the nether-nibbler, so I reach over and equip my old stick, it has enough weight and heft to be used as a club.

*sigh* Fuck.

Alright. Take a deep breath in, a deep breath out.

“VERY WELL, YOU GOD-FORSAKEN, UGLY, ABHORRENT MAGGOTS!” I shout, pointing and goading them.

They are getting agitated… they don’t understand what I say, right?

“I’M NOT SURROUNDED HERE WITH YOU, YOU ARE SURROUNDED HERE WITH ME!” I steady my stance and prepare the best I can.

The black tide charges.

And so do I.

“RRRWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!” I cry out, with everything I have.

We meet in an explosive clash of unbridled violence against wild aggression. Flesh meets chitin and chitin meets flesh.

I jump, leap, slide, and duck over and under them as I cave their shells in and put holes in their heads.

Punching until my fists became grated red.

Kicking so much that my feet turned black.

Smashing everywhere with uncaged fury.

Stabbing their eyes and weak spots with cold precision.

knocking… slashing… headbutting… stomping… throwing…

I used their fallen as shields when they tried to web me.

Their fangs became mine when my weapons were broken.

Their savageness. Used against them.

This went on, and on until I lost track of how long I have been fighting... Very few things resided inside my mind whilst my zoned-in state.

Survive, at any cost.

Rip and Tear, until it is done.

——— –– –– -- - -

…

*pant… huff… huff... huff… COUGH COUGH* I spit a mouthful of blood.

“Are… *gasp* are they gone? *huff huff*” My strength falters.

“Is it… over?...” I grip my cracked stick tightly, it has served me well.

…I can’t feel my arms. Or my legs…

Everything is numb.

My body is littered with scratches, scrapes, bruises, cuts… all sorts of wounds... Enormous fatigue has taken over and has made my limbs unresponsive. Complete exhaustion and deep soreness, piercing deep into my bones… My horns are cracked and broken… I think my ear was bitten off… My tail is crooked…

Everything starts to slow down, drowsiness invading my senses. It is hard to think.

So… tired…

Struggling to keep my eyes open, and stumbling to stay awake… I arch my back and take unsteady steps as I start to fall backwards, trying to stay standing up. But my tired body fails me.

No!... can not… re s t… h e r e…

“O≈i≈***s≈!”

The last thing I hear before falling unconscious into the pool of blue blood…

Footsteps?

——— –– –– -- - -