The space was even larger than the place where she had spent the previous night—a long, wide strip of land exposed to the sky. More moss covered the ground, but this moss was a deep gold and small patches of white flowers were scattered across the surface. It was stunningly beautiful in an exotic kind of way, the deep colors of the surrounding jungle a perfect background.
“This looks like a good place to spend the night, don’t you think?” she asked Mr. Tiddles.
To her surprise, he chittered anxiously, his paws tightening on her shoulders. Why did he seem worried, she wondered. Perhaps it was because he was more used to the closer confines of the jungle. Still, his nervousness gave her second thoughts and instead of moving directly into the sunlight in the center of the clearing, she walked slowly along the edge looking for any indications of danger.
The golden moss grew thickly here, especially soft beneath her feet, and she cast a longing look at one particularly inviting patch highlighted by the rays of the setting sun. It would be a welcome change to be out from under the heavy shadows of the trees, away from the scratchy branches and clinging vines.
Everything looked quiet and peaceful and she took a few cautious steps out into the sunlight. Mr. Tiddles squeaked and grabbed her hair.
“Ouch! What’s wrong with you? It looks perfectly safe.”
As if in response to her words, a heavy thud sounded behind her. She whirled around, and froze, too frightened to scream. A huge, spider-like creature had dropped to the ground. Golden fur that glittered in the sunlight covered a bulbous body supported by a disconcerting number of long thin legs. The small head was composed mainly of an enormous mouth filled with long shining teeth dripping a sickly yellow substance.
“Oh shit.”
Chapter Four
Jane’s heart pounded against her ribs so hard that she felt sick. The spider thing was between her and the trees on that side of the clearing, but it remained beneath the branches. Perhaps it wouldn’t come all the way out into the opening. Forcing her shaking legs to obey, she tried to take a cautious step backwards. The golden moss clung to her feet as she lifted them, but she managed to retreat a short distance.
To her dismay, the spider skittered forward and she froze again. The moss was past her ankles now and she could feel it sticking to her.
I’m on a giant fly trap, she thought hysterically as she looked around frantically for a weapon on any kind. The branches and rocks that had littered her trail were completely absent now that she needed them. As she scanned the ground, a gleam of white amidst a thick patch of flowers caught her eye. If she could get that rock into her bag…
She dragged a foot free of the moss and took a half-step in that direction. The spider clicked its mandibles together threateningly, but it didn’t come any closer. She looked back down to judge her distance to the rock. She could see more of it now, oddly round and white against the golden moss…
Her stomach churned as she finally realized that it wasn’t a rock—it was a skull.
Mr. Tiddles trembled on her shoulder, but he gave a defiant little growl at the spider, still watching them from the edge of the trees. She had to be brave for his sake, as well as her own. Keeping a wary eye on the spider, she bent down to grab the skull. The moss clung to her fingers as she reached it, but she managed to pull them free along with the skull.
The weight of the bone gave her a small degree of comfort, but she wasn’t quite sure how to use it. She doubted she could throw it hard enough, or straight enough, to damage the spider. Instead, she decided to use it to weigh down her bag. It dropped down inside with a satisfying thud, and she took a firm grip on the strap.
Now what? She could try to reach the other side of the clearing but the moss was even thicker in the center, the patches of flowers larger. The moss already clung to her feet and ankles and she was afraid that if it got much deeper, she would have a hard time freeing herself. The spider thing was still watching her, unmoving. She tried taking a few more steps away from it, staying parallel to the edge of the woods but as soon as she moved, it hissed and followed her.
Her knees shook, but she couldn’t just stand here until night fell. The longer she stayed in one spot, the more it felt as if she were sticking to the ground.
“I think we’re going to have to run for it,” she muttered to Mr. Tiddles, giving her bag an experimental swing.
The creature’s thin, spindly legs didn’t look that strong. With any luck, she could swing the bag hard enough to knock out a few and give them the chance to get away. She took one step, then another towards the trees, but the spider mirrored her movements. Each step brought it a little closer to her, and her heart sank as she realized that it would reach her before she reached the jungle.
“Just go away, dammit!” she yelled, fear and frustration bubbling to the surface.
To her shock, the spider reared back. Did the noise intimidate it?
“Go away!” she yelled again, and Mr. Tiddles added his minuscule growl to her words.
Her heart pounded even faster as the spider poised on its rear set of legs, but just as she started to hope that it would retreat, it dropped down on its front legs and charged towards her.
A deafening roar echoed through the jungle as a large, green male leapt down from the trees to land between her and the charging spider. Frozen in shock, she stared
