He ran.

That was all he could do for now.

He didn’t know where to go, nor was he sure of how to escape this dire situation. But right now, in this moment, the boy was sure of one thing:

If he stopped running, he would either die or wish for death.

His breath was ragged and labored. The blood flowing to his head with each heartbeat made his temples throb with an unbearable intensity,  as if they were about to burst from the sheer effort. His weary breath formed steam in the cold, frigid night air.

The last remnants of rationality urged him to keep going, but he couldn’t resist throwing a glance behind him, seeing how close they were. Just one quick glance… As he did, a wave of dread washed over him, and immediately cursed himself.

That may be the last mistake he got the chance to make.

In the darkness of the night, He saw the giant spiders move forward with a frenzied desperation, their long legs, equipped with sharp ends, moving in an impossible synchronization. Their numerous purple eyes burned with hunger, as if catching the white-haired boy was their sole mission. Each step they took sent tremors through the ground, the frozen grass, announcing winter’s arrival, was mercilessly trampled by the horde. One would be surprised by their presence in the Last Forest, for they never left the Jebels. That of course, the lost boy was unaware of.

But ending up in their stomach wasn’t part of his plans nonetheless.

So, he ran.

Of course, he couldn’t do that forever, and he would’ve been among the many casualties of these terrifying creatures if not for the soothing sound of a nearby river, reaching his ears like a much-needed melody, the most beautiful one, in this terrible night.

Spiders hated water; he could remember that much, at least.

He slightly altered his course and headed for the source of the sound, hope welling up his body with newfound energy.

But of course, while the forest wasn’t very dense, the darkness and the haphazard terrain were bound to be his downfall. It seems the forest had switched sides.

And that’s exactly what happened. 

He tripped on a root. Face first, he stumbled and fell, the downward slope making him roll a few times, scorching and scraping his hands and knees.

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As if waiting, one of the spiders at the front of the pack spat out its web with frightening precision, effectively landing on the now unmoving target and ensnaring his leg.

The river was barely twenty meters ahead. With surprising swiftness despite his erratic state, the youth ripped the fabric of his pants from the knee and pulled out his leg, leaving the boot inside the sticky substance.

He got up, and with one last sprint, he dashed towards the now visible river, still unfrozen despite the cold temperature.

He didn’t even bother to remove the second boot as his mind was focused on one thing:

reaching that god-sent river.

Unfortunately, that small blunder a moment ago allowed the horrifying horde to catch up, the distance between them, now only several meters, decreasing ever so rapidly.

A few more attempts were made as several more jets of web were thrown, but by sheer luck, the closest one only managed to graze his hair.

Only 15 meters left.

The river, now clear in view, unobstructed by the vegetation, appeared to be deep enough and quite large, the current moderately strong.

10 meters.

Perhaps he wasn’t favored by the gods today. His leg, which was numb from the fall, started to swell up, pain slowly building up and crashing through his body. He gritted his teeth but kept moving, limping. His crimson eyes shone faintly as the pain subsided, now more bearable.

5 meters..

The giant spiders were now within reach as their legs fluidly pushed forward in an attempt to grab him.

4…

3.. 

Another shot caught on his coat, making him trip, but he managed to keep his balance

2… 

And as their claws were an inch away..

…He leaped forward before the giant spiders could.

He closed the remaining distance and held his breath as he dived in the water, its coolness enveloping him in a chilling embrace. 

After resurfacing, he struggled to breathe, his exhausted body protesting against the harsh treatment. Every muscle ached from the effort, probably not used to such physical strain, and the sudden shift in temperature didn’t help his case. As he faced the direction he had come from, a shudder ran down his spine once more as he locked eyes with the motionless spider horde staring back at him, their unblinking eyes fixed on him as the river's current carried him away from them. Some of them tried to dip their legs in the water but screeched in pain and stepped back, their bodies corroding where the water made contact. Soon, most of them went back the way they came, the more persistent ones glaring a bit longer before reluctantly following the pack.

The young man sighed in relief as he let the river widen the distance between him and the danger. After a few minutes of shivering in the water, he decided to swim to the opposite bank, his clothes thoroughly soaked and heavy from the river's grasp.

He walked a few steps before sitting down and leaning against a tree, the pebbles not offering the best place to rest, but he dared not go back inside the forest. He removed his coat and set it aside, hoping it might dry up a bit and lighten the burden on his shoulders.

As the adrenaline rush started to fade, his mind cleared up a bit, gears spinning as he recalled the recent events…

But then his mind went blank. Where was he?

(Tis I, the muffin man!

Jokes aside, thank you for giving  this short chapter a read, it's my first time seriously writing, and any review, good or bad, is appreciated as long as it's honest. I have 4 more chapters ready but I'm waiting to see how this one will fare in the cruel world that is Internet. IF it is well received (which would be surprising), I might continue this story as I have a lot planned for it. :D )