Hidden Fangs

Chapter 5 - The Cure

Just before you pass out from blood loss, the vampire suddenly falls over onto you. Sebastian grabs him by the neck of his shirt and pushes the dead vampire out of the way. You look over and see your weapon sticking out of the vampire's back. Sebastian's weapon training came in handy...

Jake just sighs, "We are so talking about this after we find the cure."

"The hell we are. The only reason I'm not hiding it is because I don't feel like explaining your death to the others," you roll your eyes thinking about what everyone would say to you returning without him.

"Are you really this ruthless or is it all an act to scare people?" Jake's asks you almost sarcastically.

You are caught off guard by the question but decide to answer it partially, "In my experience, everyone is acting. No one is truly what they seem." Jake doesn't respond knowing it's the closest thing to an answer you'll give. You smell more of the weird scent and you realize what it is when you look at Jake's arm where the spider but him. "Spider venom. There's our poison, now we have to find a cure."

The wound on Jake's arm is barely bleeding, but it is starting to look purple. Jake's eyes widen as he looks at the wound, "This looks a lot more deadly than what the others were infected with."

You nod, "I'd say we have a few hours at most and maybe 30 minutes at least. We need to find the shopkeeper." Jake nods and you both keep looking around but you find nothing in the shop. The wound on Jake's arm is getting worse and he starts pacing around worriedly.

"Why don't you go outside and take a walk Jake? You need to calm down or the poison will spread faster."

Jake's eyes widen and he nods and goes outside so you can focus. His constant pacing was getting on your nerves. You resort checking for any secret passages. While you are searching you hear Jake call out, "Sylver! I-uh. I found what you're looking for." You rush out hoping that he actually found it.

Jake was kind of growing on you and it would be a shame to lose him. You wouldn't feel anything if he died, but you'd miss him slightly.

Keep telling yourself that.

You get out there and see the cellar door that has a lock on it.

I really don't feel like pick locking right now.

Jake is about to ask, "Can you-" but you just kick the lock with your steel toed boots and it goes flying off. "I guess that's one way to do it."

"Cmon. And try not to get bitten again, it might speed up your death." You state dryly as you walk down the stone stairs of the cellar. Jake nods nervously, somehow not picking up your sarcasm.

You walk down cautiously, waiting for there to be a trap. There isn't any traps, and you wonder if you have the wrong place.

Until you get to the bottom. The top of the staircase doesn't smell like the venom very much but once you get down there, it's all you can smell.

The cellar is covered in glass containers of thousands of spiders. There's only around 25 that are the size of a small human, but there's around 100 that are around 2 feet tall. There is a man in the back that you recognize as the shopkeeper, but he's dead. You can't smell the blood due to all the other scents, but you can't hear the man's heartbeat.

You also quickly realize that none of the glass containers have lids. In the back you see one spider that is likely taller than you are.

Then, out of nowhere you hear, "What is a vampire doing here?"

Your heart lurches. This is not the way Jake needs to find out about your secret.

He doesn't need to ever find out.