Spider.

Chapter 7 : Night Terror

Sleep was hard to come by later that day. I had been so stupid. No one dared to bring up  homecoming around here. It was like an unspoken rule. Why would anyone ever speak of the day that changed this town so drastically? I knew Simon felt uncomfortable about it because he made an excuse and left earlier than I expected. I apologised but I knew that I had dug up memories he tried so hard to bury. When I finally fell asleep, those memories, cold and dark, replayed in my nightmares.

The gym had been breathtakingly transformed into something out of a fairytale. Sparkling lights adorned the ceiling and walls. Girls in puffy dresses and heels giggled blissfully with their dates, celebrating their youth. I grinned when I spotted Simon. He was so cute in his tux. "Madame" he smiled. I rolled my eyes and let him lead me to the dancefloor.

"So how'd it go with Chelsea?"I asked. He had a crush on her, ever since tenth grade and his feelings for her had multiplied over the past year. I had concocted an elaborate plan which involved me being his date in order to make her jealous. She had asked to speak to him about ten minutes ago, but since he returned without her, I assumed things didn't turn out well. Simon shifted uncomfortably. I reached up to push a strand of his sandy blond hair back into place. I hoped Chelsea was watching.

"I kind of kissed her... well at least I thought it was her.." he fumbled. I narrowed my eyes. "I... I kissed Jane by accident". I gasped. He put his hands over his face. He looked so done, I couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to Simon to kiss the wrong girl. Just as I was about to point out how stupid he was, Caspar tapped him in the shoulder. Caspar. He was wearing a tie in green, his favourite color which really brought out his eyes. I couldn't stop looking at his eyes, which were the perfect shade of grey and I always had a hard time seeing them because his lashes were so long and his gaze was almost always lowered. This was why I got scared when his eyes opened wide, so wide I could vaguely see my reflection in them. "What's wrong?" I asked. He didn't look at me. "She's gone" he said.

I opened my eyes and started to choke. My body was covered in cold sweat and my head throbbed. I rubbed my eyes. They felt sore and swollen. I probably cried in my sleep again. My hands gripped my sheets as I attempted to steady my harsh breathing. Oh why did I mention that night? I should have just kept my mouth shut. I threw the sheets off me. Everything felt stifling, suffocating. It was as if the walls were moving closer, taunting me and intensifying the pain. The familiar burn in my chest began, as it always did when I remembered that night. And with it the same image that always flashed before my eyes. Spiders. Long, wiry legs and hairy bodies. It only lasted for a second but it was enough to make me turn all the lights back on.