Mindscape // DreamNotFound

Chapter 8

     Nick's eyes were bloodshot and wide with fear. " Oh god," he choked out. " It's mine."

     The group jerked their heads to the left, where a huge, inhuman figure was emerging from the shadows. One giant, hairy leg stepped into the light, and another, then six more. Nick covered his eyes, and a sob escaped his lips.

     The giant spider hissed.

     Clay glanced between his best friend and the beast. " Spiders," he whispered. Nick nodded.

     " I can handle the little ones," he said. " But if they're big and hairy and poisonous, that's too much."

     " Wait," Darryl stopped him. " Did you say poisonous? You dislike poisonous spiders?"

     Nick's eyes widened and he turned back to the abomination. Venom dripped from it's mouth and sizzled onto the ground. " No, please, I don't want to die like this," he cried.

     " You're not going to die," Clay promised, pulling him into a hug. " I won't let you."

     George's heart tightened as it occurred to him. Clay might lose his best friend in this room. Nick sobbed into Clay's chest, shaking intensely. The spider scuttled around, but ultimately didn't move. George frowned. Something that big would've attacked by then, right?

     It wasn't until Nick looked up at it that it swung a mighty leg and took a pillar down with it. The room shook and dust filled the air. Toby screamed and Tommy scrambled away from the pillar nearest him, not wanting to be crushed if that thing lashed out again. George looked all around them, but there was no door. They were trapped.

     Nick dropped to the floor, curling into a ball. The spider stopped moving again when the man averted his eyes. George glanced between Nick and the beast. No one else seemed to have noticed yet. He tapped Clay's shoulder, and the blonde looked over.

     " The spider," he started. Nick glanced up at the sound of his voice, and the beast hissed, taking another step forward. " Don't look at it! It stops moving when Nick isn't looking at it!"

     Nick frowned, turning his eyes downward. It was the truth, the beast froze, only making the occasional noise. " No way," Darryl gasped. " It reacts only to Nick!"

     " That makes sense," Toby said. " It is his nightmare."

     Clay stood up, and Nick whimpered a little bit. Slowly, the blonde stepped closer to the creature. It didn't react when he put a hand on it, stroking it like wasn't a giant spider. He turned to look back at his friend, who was shaking but looking at the ground like there was nothing more interesting in the world.

     " Nick," Clay whispered, his had still resting on the beast. " I need you to look up."

     " What," George exclaimed. Clay glanced at him, determination filling his eyes. " You can't be serious."

     " I'm serious," he said. " Look up, Nick. I need to see something."

     Nick slowly lifted his head. As soon as he saw the spider, it began to move again, but it wasn't as violent this time. The scared male got to his feet, Callahan rushing to his side as support. Clay smiled a little, beginning to pet the beast. It leaned into his touch, like a dog almost. A little laugh bubbled out of Nick's chest. 

     " It's not that scary," he said. The others watched in shock as he took a step forward, his hand reaching out. " Kinda ugly, but not scary."

     The spider let out a loud hiss, and Nick flinched, but he didn't back down. The beast didn't make any other sudden movements. More confidently now, Nick closed the gap and put his hand on the spider's leg.