** This story focuses on Mark and his precarious situation. It will focus mainly from a third person/narrator rather than the first person.
** This is my first edit of this story.
** Warning! The following program may contain material unsuitable for people under 18. It contains Sexual References, Latex and Tentacles... and spiders.
*****
The sun was shining and it was a beautiful Saturday morning. Mark worked inside all day from Monday to Friday in IT. Computers were a pretty droll affair but the job paid the bills. Another upside was that he had good co-workers who made the job a decent one. Mark had not been with the company for too long, but long enough for a colleague to introduce him to bush walking and hiking around the small town where he lived and worked.
Not having been living in town for long, and from another small country town himself he jumped at the opportunity to literally stretch his legs and get to see more of where he lived. Sarah, someone from reception, was quite a tomboy and had been the one to invite him to do some sight-seeing. Mark had taken a bit of a crush and more of a liking to Sarah. She was a local who knew the town back to front.
Mark heard the microwave ding and got his food. Sitting down at the table Sarah started talking: "Have you heard of the Walkerston track?"
"No, where's that?"
"About 20 minutes south. Go down the highway then onto the first forest track after the rail crossing. Keep going for 10 minutes then there is a carpark and some signs by the dam."
"Oh yeah? Sounds interesting. Where does the track go to?" He asked as he ate his lunch.
"To the top of the local hill. But the track leads on to another hill in the distance. Its view is awesome" She said through a mouth full of chicken bird sandwich.
"How long is the walk?"
"It's about a day, pack water and food but shouldn't need shelter"
"Awesome! That's my Saturday sorted"
Sarah just smiled. Smiling back he took in her short blonde hair and freckly face.
"Take photo's, ok?"
"For sure"
The rest of their lunch passed quickly, talking about their job, what the rest of the week had in store, how their families were and whatever else they thought of.
Friday evening soon rolled around and Mark had prepared his pack for the big day of hiking.
***
Saturday morning, Mark parked his car at the spot Sarah had said. Packing his belongings into his pack; bottle of water, wallet, key and camera. Deciding to leave his cell phone in the car, Mark locked up and set off.
***
With the midday sun beating down, Mark controlled his breathing as he took the last few steps up onto the summit of the hill he was climbing. Scrambling over the last rocks he managed to find a seat and regain his breath as he looked about.
The view was magnificent, just as Sarah promised! No clouds in the very bright sky allowed Mark to appreciate where he was. In the distance there were rolling hills, bushland, farms as well as the dam he parked at. Rows of trees, cattle and a winding river.
Looking around him for a closer view, he took his time admiring the wildlife as well as the plateau he was on; scrubland, an eagle circling about, a few ants...
Mark felt the blood drain from his face and his body freeze up as he notices several pitch black legs under the shelter of a rock.
They were shaped like a spider.
The biggest spider Mark had ever seen.
Mark took a step back when suddenly the legs
moved.
Ohfuckohfuckohfuck
Marks fears were indeed confirmed when the spider stepped out into the sun; it was certainly the biggest spider he had ever seen... He had ever
known
about.
Mark could not tear his eyes away from the thing let alone think any rational thought. His brain had locked up worse than a BSOD.
The spider had been pointing it's
front
to Mark, and was making subtle movements to get closer.
Marks mind eventually allowed a little thought again and looked at the creature in greater detail...
I've never seen a spider like that... It's HUGE! And... it's black... Not just mottled or hairy or dark...
It's shiny black
As the midday sun beat down on Mark, the plateau and the spider, the sun was indeed bouncing off the spider, revealing it to be a perfect obsidian black that was very reflective.
Like an old grand piano that has been polished up
But unlike an old grand piano, this creature was able to move on its own accord.
As it got closer again to Mark it suddenly raced towards him!
"OHHH SSShhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh iiiiittttttttt!!"
With a mind instantly switching from fright to flight and a body tanked with adrenalin, Mark turned and ran back down the slope as fast as he could, dodging pot holes, loose gravel, branches and rocks strewn about on the path.
Jumping down onto a rock he looked back quickly and noticed the spider was running just as fast to catch him, it's splayed legs as it went flying adding more fuel to Marks fire as he turned to run again.
Running hard, Marks pack was not helping swinging back and forth on his back. He glanced back to see if he was still being pursued.
The spider was in mid air.
Its legs were spread wide, but were quickly gathering together in mid flight on either side of its body.
It was flying directly at him.
Mark barely turned his head back to see where he was going before he felt a
Thwack!
on his lower back under his pack, the collision was enough to throw him off balance and down hard onto the ground.
The spider in the meantime had clamped its two groups of legs around his waist, and as Mark winced in pain from the fall he felt the spider