Jack felt his strength fade away. Shit! I can’t move.

  The door opened. His mother was already dressed. She was always the first to wake. Her face shifted from confusion to horror in an instant. “Jack!” she yelled.

  He tried to speak, but failed, the paralysis was spreading faster now.

  She didn’t waste time asking questions. She dropped to her knees, turned him on his back, and hissed through her teeth as she saw the spiders swarming beneath his night clothes.

  “What’s wrong?” came the alarmed voice of Jack’s father from inside the room.

  “Oh, hell,” she muttered. Then shouted, “We need a healer! Jack’s covered in spiders…”

  “Spiders!?” His dad was up and out of bed in just pyjama bottoms.

  Anna ripped open Jack’s nightshirt, revealing twitching skin, pale and crawling. Spiders… dozens of them, clinging and feeding. “Fuck!” she shouted.

  Jack’s vision swam in and out; for a moment, he saw Baron Greaves wielding the drow dagger, its runes glinting in the light. He felt his mom’s hands squashing the spider; she was rough and swift. She was muttering under her breath, something about ‘paralytic’ and ‘forest spiders’ and ‘Polly’s going to lose it when she hears about this’.

  His father appeared behind her, still bleary-eyed and shirtless, holding the baby. He paused when he saw Jack. “What can I do?”

  “Get the baby and the kids out and fetch the healer!” Anna shouted while squashing more spiders. “Make sure none of them get near Richard. A few bites won’t do us any harm, but don’t let them near the baby. Protect the baby.”

  “Is he?” his dad asked.

  “No, he got to us in time. But if we don’t move fast, his heart might stop,” his mom explained. “He’s received a large dose of a paralytic agent.”

  The door to Polly’s room creaked open. “What’s happening?” Polly asked in a sleepy voice. Before anyone could answer, there was a loud, blood-curdling scream, and the slam of a bedroom door.

  Their father just blinked, nodded once, and stepped past Jack, crushing spiders as he went. “I’ll get the children out and fetch Sian.”

  As he left, Anna called. “Tell Sian I think he’s been bitten by dozens of wandering spider hatchlings. She’ll know what to do.”

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  “Polly!” their father called. “Polly! Open the damn door, we’re leaving.” He was stamping on nearby spiders.

  “No! Spiders!” came her muffled shriek. “I can’t!”

  Anna shouted, “Open the Gods-damn door now, or I’ll kick it in and drag you out.” She continued to squash spiders on Jack.

  Their father banged on the door. “Open the door, now! We have to get the baby and Zia out. Pollyanna, open the door, now!” He stamped on more spiders.

  The door clicked open. Zia peeked out, wide-eyed.

  “Good girl,” their dad said. “Jump into my arms. I’ll keep you safe.” He ducked and scooped up Zia and held her tight to his chest. “You’re a brave girl. Hold on tight. You’re safe with me, I promise.”

  Zia clung tight with wide eyes as she watched Anna squish more spiders.

  “Polly!” their father roared. “I’m leaving with or without you in three seconds.”

  Polly emerged from the room, her eyes wide with panic. She was wielding two hairbrushes like twin daggers, and she wore oversized wellington boots. She took one look at the spiders covering Jack and ran past her father, screaming.

  Jack’s vision dimmed, but recovered as he felt his mother’s hands swatting and squashing spiders. Anna’s hands slapped his cheeks with more force than comfort. His face was so numb, he felt none of it. Her eyes were wide and filled with fury, not at him, but at what had dared touch her son.

  “Owgh,” Jack groaned, even though it didn’t hurt, as his mother slapped spiders off his face.

  She ignored his moans and pried a spider off his eyelid with her fingernail.

  Stop hitting me in the face… He tried to lift his arms. Nothing happened, just fuzz, numbness, and burning.

  His mom looked furious. “Jack… you’re going to be alri…”

  ***

  “…paralytic. I’m surprised he got to you in time,” said Sian. “Another hour and his heart would’ve stopped.” Then a pause. “I think he’s waking.”

  “Jack? Jack, can you hear me?” Anna’s voice.

  “Yeahh… Hi’m jusht shleeping… fhive more minutesh, Mohm…” Jack’s mouth moved, but his eyes remained shut.

  Sian laughed. “That’s normal. He’s still numb and confused. It’ll wear off in a few hours.”

  “Jack, it’s time to wake up.” Anna gave his arm a gentle shake.

  “In ah mhinute,” he mumbled. “Why’sh my mouthh feel shrange?”

  “You were bitten by spiders,” she said. “Do you remember?”

  Jack shot up. Then flopped back. “Ughh, I fheel shick.”

  “That’ll pass soon,” said Sian. “Rest until morning.”

  Anna comforted him. “Go back to sleep, Jack. I’ll check on you later.”

  He nodded. “Hokhay, Mohm.” And slipped back into sleep as they talked.

  “He does like to get himself into trouble, that one,” said Sian.

  “Mmm,” Anna agreed. “He’s been out of sorts since choosing his class. But not all bad… he brought little Zia to us, and he’s exercising more. Though I don’t like that he’s taken up a weapon.”

  “He seems a good lad,” Sian replied. “I saw him at the Guild helping young Toma with his archery. Toma’s from a poor farming family, so he doesn’t have much. Jack gave him a few of his arrows.”

  “He’s always been a thoughtful one,” Anna said, her voice softening.

  “Made me smile seeing a young man, Jack’s age, helping out someone less fortunate,” the healer said. “He’s one of the good ones. You raised him well, Anna.”

  Anna smiled.

  “Are we still on for Saturday?” Sian asked.

  “Absolutely,” Anna replied. “I’ve been looking forward to it all week.”

  “Me too,” the healer said.

  And with that, the two women left Jack to rest. His breathing was shallow, and his dreams full of crawling legs, aether-blasts… and strangely shaped biscuits which tasted delicious.

  Jack was bitten by spiders, he managed with some minor help from PenDragon to get to his parents room where his mother killed the spiders. His father grabbed the baby and Zia and ran for help (healer). Polly prioritised her own safety and got the hell out of the house.

  From the *** point onwards Jack wakes feeling groggy. For those with arachnophobia it's safe from the *** point.