Seeing Buttons

Chapter 19 (T)

Chapter 19: Return the Favor

Tommy had never paid much attention in school. But the lesson on spiders was too freaky to tune out. They talked about how spiders felt the vibrations of their prey struggling to escape their web, and that's how they caught them.

The memory hit Tommy at a very inconvenient time, as Wilbur was scrambling to get away from her as she fell. Tommy couldn't tear his eyes away as Wil climbed up the side, her quickly following.

Tommy's blood ran cold when he saw Wilbur stop climbing. He stared at her with a terrified expression.

He'd frozen up.

Tommy's mind was going a mile a minute as he looked around for anything. But only saw the sides of the web.

That'll work.

Maybe it was nice to remember at a time like this.

Tommy jumped from his side to another side of the web. It made a loud sound and vibrated all the way down to the bottom of the web. She turned around suddenly. Staring at him with those creepy button eyes.

Tommy started swinging back and forth on the web. Causing more vibrations. Then he looked to Wilbur. They made eye contact and Tommy could tell that Wilbur was aware of what was happening, but needed some help.

Tommy snapped his fingers to snap him out of his stuper, which seemed to do the trick, then pointed to the little door. And continued to rock back and forth on the webbing.

Wilbur nodded and started to climb over. Slowly, so he won't cause too many vibrations.

She cackled and crawled towards Tommy.

Tommy didn't feel any fear, it had almost completely shut down. All there was, was rational thinking. And his mind was going faster than ever to compensate for her reaction speed. She'll likely do this, if you don't respond fast enough, you will die. Don't do that or else you'll die. Move away or else you'll die.

Tommy jumped to the next side, even farther from the door, and rocked back and forth.

She froze, then changed direction. Going towards him.

Tommy looked to Wil, who had gotten to the door and was waiting for Tommy. So Tommy crawled towards the door slowly.

She continued crawling towards the previous area.

Tommy got closer to the door.

She stopped. She realized that she couldn't see Tommy anymore.

Tommy froze. She can't know where he is if he's not moving. He looked to Wilbur who had put the Cat in the tunnel. The Cat ran down it, and Wilbur proceeded to empty the rest of the bags contents into the tunnel.

Tommy looked to the Beldam, she was crawling around just below them waiting for vibrations. Looking for movement.

"YOU SELFISH LITTLE BRATS, WHERE ARE YOU!"

Tommy looked at Wilbur just in time to see him Chuck the bag at the opposite end of the web. It got caught on the wire and swung back and forth.

"There you are!!" She screeched, and went crawling for it.

To be fair, it was vibrating, and it was moving.

Tommy got to the little door as Wil crawled into it. Grabbing the stuff and shoveling it in his pockets. Tommy climbed in right after him and slammed the door closed.

Wilbur handed him something.

The key.

Tommy didn't stop to ask how he'd gotten it from her and instead locked the door. He'd barely done so when a huge bang from the door knocked him backwards.