I looked out the window of the Professor’s frosted compact car and the insanity of everything hit me. I knew we were running from something, but I wasn’t exactly what it was. It was big, dark, had a lot of red eyes and could bust glass, which didn’t bode well for the building in front of us. The glass edifice was massive, and brought to mind philosophers that created glass castles they could never live in. It soared defiantly into the dark sky daring the elements to cause it to come crashing down. If there was one thing I was certain of it was not to bet against the elements, they could beat you every time. International students were an example in point. One fellow from Kenya insisted on wearing sandals all year. He was quite surprised at the excruciating pain caused by frost bite and of thawing toes.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea...” I began.

Kam was scanning the surrounding area for impending doom; when he was sure there weren’t any black specters lurking behind the hedges, he called out, “All clear professor.”

“It’s a different type of glass,” said Professor Zultner striding towards the building’s large entrance. “Keep up.”

She seemed to be able to read my thoughts: glass buildings always shattered. Ingrid had gone almost catatonic, unable to say anything, her large eyes screaming out a pain big enough for the world. Frankly, I didn’t know what to do, but I did want to help, to reach out and take her hand, and comfort her, but just as I was about to do so, the whispering tendrils of a cold breeze touched us.

“It’s coming,” shouted Kam. “Get to the building, now!”

We ran for the entrance. Panting, we watched the large doors as an old guard, with his forge cap tilted rakishly on his head, struggled to open them. Then I realized not everybody had made it.

“Ingrid!” I shouted turning back.

She was standing beneath the massive, long legged sculpture of a spider. How had she gotten there? With her pale hair whipping about, and her standing passively, she looked small and frightened. Did one of the spider’s legs move? The wind fell down on us and I ran, twisting cape pulling hard on my throat, making it hard for me to breathe. 

“Ingrid, are you all right?” I shouted trying to be heard through the wind that was now howling about us. She was still staring upwards, immobilized. Slowly, I tilted my head up and saw what she was frozen by. The spider had eyes, glowing red eyes. A hiss sounded, and then there was something shooting down towards us, cutting through the air, and Kam knocked us out of the way. Grabbing the web he wrapped it around his forearm and pulled back on the spider which was trying to reel him in.

“Take her,” he shouted, “get her to the building!”

Then one of the spider’s legs lashed out and stabbed through my cape. I fell like a rag doll, and was dragged wherever the leg went. Thankfully after a few jerks the cape tore free. Kam had successfully used the web to tangle up the spider’s other legs. The spider was having difficulty standing up right. It hovered above us and began to fall. Ripping himself free from the web, Kam grabbed me by what remained of my cape and dragged me free. The spider, in a great groaning sound, crashed to the ground.

And suddenly the wind was gone.

Off in the distance, I heard the wail of police sirens.

“Where’s Ingrid?” I croaked rubbing my neck.

“I told you capes were a stupid idea,” said Kam testily. “I thought you got her free?”

“No, the spider got in the way.”

Professor Zultner and the security guard were standing over us. The latter was speechless and staring in horror at what remained of the giant spider. Some sculpter was going to be seriously upset. The sirens were closer now sounding all around us.

The professor went to grab at what remained of my cape.

“Not the cape!” I cried out. “Don’t touch the cape!”

“Silly boys,” she spat out. “Now the police are involved. Get in the car.”

“What about Ingrid?” I asked.

“It’s too late for that now, it has her. I need to think. I need to think about how we can get her back.” She tossed Kam the keys. “You, drive.”

Kam stared at the keys like he had just won a great prize. If things hadn’t been so dire, I think he would have smiled, as it was, he just gave a terse nod. There was a reason they only let Kam drive the security golf cart around campus; he had wrecked every vehicle they had given him. It wasn't because he was a bad driver. It was because he only knew one speed, extreemly fast.

“Stupid boys,” muttered Professor Zultner. “It was simple, rescue the girl, get into the building, get to the safe house, simple!” Then she turned to the security guard who was still staring at the remains of the spider. He looked as though he was about to cry. “You know what to say?”

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The old guard rubbed his head with a gnarled hand. “I’ll think of something. You better go before they see this.”

We piled into the car. The massive Kam in the driver’s seat caused the vehicle's suspension to groan in protest. He almost crushed my legs when he slid the seat back.

“Sorry,” he appologized as he inserted the keys into the ignition. The car roared to life as he revved the engine and slammed the gear shift into second and popped the clutch. The wheels on the little car squealed and spun before they caught traction against the pavement.  In a plume of smoke and with the scent of burnt rubber we fish tailed away from the gallery.

“You know, you might want to not drive so fast. The police might think you’re running away from them.” My caution fell on deaf ears.

Kam turned down a one way street and ran a stop sign. Fortunately there was nobody in our way as he turned onto the Park Way and surprisingly slowed down. Zultner had the tips of her fingers pressed to her temple and her eyes were closed.

“Where do you think It took Ingrid?” I asked.

Kam gave me an admonishing glance in the rear view mirror. She’s trying to figure that out.

Zultner, in frustration, waved her hands about the air as though trying to swat at some invisible bugs. “It is impossible. I can’t track it. It’s as though it has changed somehow.”

It was a scratching sensation, as though someone was etching away at the black walls of my mind, each stroke revealing more and more of a picture. My hand started to burn. There was a peculiar rash starting to form on it, especially around my wrist.

“My hand.” It was a reflex comment. I had not really meant to say anything.

Zultner twisted about, eyes boring into me. “What?”

“My hand is burning. I’m also getting an image.”

She snapped out of her seat belt, twisted about in her seat and grabbed my hand, pulling it up to her face for examination. “The binding,” she said excitedly as though it was something good. “It has all ready taken place. What else do you see?”

“I see a gym. There are balls...” The image was taking shape.

“Can you see the floor? Is there anything in the centre of the floor?” Asked Kam. I knew where he was going with the question. The home College would have their logo emblazoned there.  Find the logo or mascot and you find the place. Then I saw it. It was a black bird, a raven. The vision was of our own campus.

Kam turned the cars wheel hard and we turned 180 degrees, the tires spun as he accelerated. “That’s back at campus. What type of balls do you see?”

“White balls,” I said. “There’s a lot of white balls.”

“Do you see Ingrid?” demanded Zultner. “Focus, focus on the green bond.”

The green bond? Then I remembered the fabric that Ingrid had tied our hands together with and it blazed to light in my mind. The image of the gym vanished, replaced by Ingrid’s unconscious face. Her head was hanging forward, resting on her chest. She was pasted to the wall, spread eagle, her arms and legs pulled taunt. It was as though there were invisible cords tied to her wrists and ankles. She was being pulled apart.

“Yes, she’s in a weight room. Something is torturing her.”

Kam cursed in Hawaiian, and I noticed that Zultner’s face had gone pale.

“It is the creature’s way of acquiring power, substance. Through inflicted pain it becomes more corporeal. It's going to kill her. I fear we may be too late.”

“Not if I can help it,” growled Kam slamming his foot down onto the accelerator. I was surprised it didn’t go through the floor. “I hope you’re not in love with your car, professor, because there isn’t going to be much left of it.”

“Do whatever you need to do, just get us there,” snapped Zultner.

As we sped through a red light, we nearly broadsided another vehicle. Leaving blaring horns behind us Kam continued to pass a number of cars, weaving in and out of slower traffic. “Don’t worry,” said Kam. “When I lived in Europe I used to be a test driver for BMW.”

We swerved around the corner into the campus, jumped up over the curb and tore across the grass. Barreling down into the parking lot, Kam spun the wheel causing the car to do two complete revolutions before parking it exactly between two other vehicles. It was amazing. Kam swung the door open and slammed it into the car beside us, setting off the alarm.

With the car beebing insecently we ran into the field house. I didn’t know what to expect. Kam waved the concerned guard at the desk away and we ran up the stairs that would take us to the weight room. As soon as we stepped inside, the doors slammed shut behind us and the lights flickered and went out, but before they did I saw a figure, silhouetted against the wall.

“Ingrid!”

Someone moaned in the darkness. Something else moved, or rather slithered across the floor. It caused the hackles on the back of my neck to shiver.

“Whatever happens,” hissed Professor Zultner, “make your way to her and get her off the wall. Kam?”

“There’s an electrical panel. I’ll try to reset the switch.”

Then the hissing was on us and the red eyes flared to life. In red flamed flashes I could see that Professor Zultner was being attacked. They were weaving a web of red trace lines all over her body, as though they were trying to slice her apart, or bind her down. I caught her horrified eyes as they fixed upon me. “Go,” she yelled. “Get to her.”

I stumbled across the gym while the conflict raged behind me. Tripping over something, I fell painfully to the floor. Then the lights came on. They flashed brightly and I couldn’t help but look back. Professor Zultner was nearly covered in a sheath of black tar that seemed to be forming from the buzzing red lights that surrounded her. Kam let out a yell, grabbed a forty pound dumbbell and threw it at the professor. Upon contact the tar like substance shattered it into a thousand shards.

“Jay,” moaned Ingird.

She was alive. Ingrid had torn one of her hands away from whatever had fastened her to the wall. She was reaching for me. The red eyes must have sensed the danger in this, because they gave a terrific buzzing sound and surged towards us. In a moment, I knew they would be on me. Clambering onto a weight bench, I gauged the distance I had to go, and leapt for Ingrid. I sailed through the air reaching for her hand. All around me the red lights flashed, the bees covering us. It was just a matter of time before I was covered in tar, and then our fingers touched. A great green illumination surrounded us and something gave a great echoing scream.