Part One: Chapter Fourteen

Part One: The Spider

Charlotte crept into the house. It was deadly quiet. Maybe everyone was asleep still. In a thin mirror in the hallway, covered in cobwebs, Charlotte saw her reflection. Her curls had frizzed in all directs. Her eyes looked wild and she could see their gleam in the darkness. Most importantly as she stared at herself in the dark, she saw dark bags under her eyes. Tired, she yawned. Then she carried herself up the stairs. When she opened the door to her room, she leapt back. Chuck tripped over her feet. With a thud, she fell on her back.

In the doorway was a giant cobweb.

A scuttle reverberated off the web. There was a quick shuffling of a lot of legs. A lot of people? No. Only one person, if you could call it that, scurried to Chuck.

Six hairy legs, long and spindly plus two arms made eight total legs. A stout black body crawled up into a man’s form, Mr. DiRagno. His eyes were black. He smiled at Chuck with thick fangs. “Is something wrong, Charlotte? Finally seeing past the veil? Do you see why I must do this to you? If I do not, I turn into a small arachnid. An insect. You wouldn’t want that to happen to your father?”

Chuck sprang up and clenched her fists. “You aren’t my father!”

The thin fingers clutched her collar, throwing her into the doorway.

The web sprang backward and forward like a trampoline. Charlotte wiggled desperately to free herself from the sticky web.

“I’ll get back to you when you won’t put up such a fuss!” With a swift motion, Mr. DiRagno’s fang grew large and it pierced a hole in Chuck’s abdomen.

She gasped. Suddenly, she felt blurry, much more tired. And burnt like someone took a torch to her stomach. She was barely aware of the blood dripping from the wound. In and out of consciousness, she slipped. Sweat dribbled down her forehead. She focused on breathing. Her glasses clattered to the floor.

“Charlotte? Oh, s**t! Charlotte, come on!” Ellen slapped the girl. She took a bucket of ice cold liquid and splashed it over the girl.

Chuck dropped onto the floor falling from the web. Slowly, she rolled over and quietly moaned. “Just let me stay here.”

“Get up! Come on! I need a way to get you up!” Ellen whispered.

Chuck muttered, “Blue bottle.” She repeated it twice then clarified, “Backpack.” Then cool citrus met her lips.

Ellen fed the girl like a baby. She pushed her into the upright position.

Violently, Chuck jolted up. “Where are my glasses?” She paced the floor looking for them. “Well, Ellen?”

“What kind of energy drink is that?” Ellen questioned. “You have a gaping poisoned wound in your stomach and you’re acting fine.”

“Focus brew. Did you say poisoned? That’s odd. Where did you say my glasses were?” Chuck paced; Ellen placed Chuck’s glasses in the girl’s hand. “Thanks. I should probably get healed. You know where everything is in the kitchen. Would you help me please?” Chuck stumbled down the stairs. The dull throb in her leg had returned. In defeat, she sighed and made her way into the kitchen.

“I need thyme, spinach, salt, flour, a spoon and boiling water. Where’s the blender… and where’s a cheese grater?”

Ellen furrowed her brow. “I’ve never seen you so efficient.”

“It’s the brew. You can have a sip if you’d like.” Chuck boiled the water in a small pot. “Hope it doesn’t wear off. This is the first time I’ve ever been poisoned. I really underestimated how much it would hurt.” She duplicated the antidote. While she waited, a fever brought cool sweat to her face. Her joints ached. After an awful retching pain in her stomach, she vomited down the sink. “I’m sorry. I think the brew is wearing off. And my nerves are getting to me.” Chuck pondered her illness.

Ellen shook her head no. “You’re overexerting your powers. You’re coming down with the witch’s flu. It’s how my mother died. Don’t overdo it, okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I need to figure out what my hand says. Can you read that?” Chuck held out her palm.

“That first one says ‘Vexus dellotri.’ That was what you used on me accidentally. It knocks the object of the spell backward. I’m sure you’ve found it useful thus far. ‘Incita Colixa’. This one burns the object of the spell. Then I’m sure you can think up a few rhymes that might work.”

Chuck checked on the brew as she began to feel faint again. She sipped down the vile tasting slop. The wound closed up and the weak feeling dissipated. “Thank god for that one.”

“Damn it! How many times do I have to hunt you down, Charlotte?” Mr. DiRagno slapped her. His eyes had multiplied. Slowly he was becoming a spider. A small stout ivory insect lay on his shoulder. “Poor Annette needs to eat. She wants to be human again.” He snarled, shooting a web from his hand like some sort of ancient Peter Parker. “She had too soft a spot for you!” He shot another.

Chuck ducked under the table.

“Unfortunately, Ellen did too. A hundred years, Ellen, we’ve kept you alive. If we don’t take the girl, it will be you. We weren’t intending for you to be a slave here, just a snack. But time after time you proved loyal. Why this time?”

“She was different! She lost her family, her whole life. She wasn’t just some sick kidnap victim. All the people I’ve seen you kill, it’s too much. It was finally too much.”

Charlotte chimed in. “Why did you do this? Why did you adopt me if you were just going to take my magic?”

“I needed to know where you were at all times. With Annette and Ellen at home and Helena Aldren at school you were under my surveillance all the time. Of course, that damn Johnston girl interfered. I thought it would’ve been impossible for her to teach you how to brew so quickly. And it would’ve been painless if you had stayed asleep after Ian had administered the sleeping potion. I can’t wait to taste your power.” He sprang toward her.

On an instinct, Chuck recited from her hand, “Incita Colixa!” When nothing happened, she ran, but stumbled the whole way.

Mr. DiRagno tackled her. “Are you ready to die, Charlotte? Annette and I are rather hungry. Take a bite, darling.” The hair on his eight legs tickled Chuck.

The small white spider crawled up Charlotte’s arm. It tingled and prepared to chomp down.

Chuck trembled in fear. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “This is it.”

A pale thin hand flicked the arachnid off of Charlotte’s arm. Then Ellen crushed in beneath her foot. “Goodbye, Mrs. DiRagno. It’s been a pleasure.”

“You little seer!” Mr. DiRagno turned his rage on Ellen; Chuck grabbed him from behind. He buckled like a bull, but Charlotte held on.

“How do I kill him?” Chuck tried desperately to keep her arms wrapped around him. “Ellen, what do I do?”

“His necklace! Take off his necklace. Then he’ll be vulnerable to spells.” Chuck gripped the chain and pulled.

Mr. DiRagno grunted in dissatisfaction. He seemed to have lost his ability to form words as he became more spiderlike.

Chuck ripped the thin silver chain off his neck. Then she fell off, sliding across the floor. Her back slapped against the wall of the dining room. Chuck repeated, “Incita Colixa!”

Mr. DiRagno squealed. His body curled, burning into ashes, a small a white pile. The stench of it filled the room.

“Is…is that it?” Chuck asked. Her voice trembled.

Ellen nodded. “Could I hold that necklace? It’s been so long since I touched it.” Slowly, Ellen extended her hand to receive the thin metal chain. “My father made it for my mother. She enchanted it and gave it to me to protect me. One hundred years…and I’m finally free.”

“Thank you for saving me.” Chuck sighed. “I really thought she was going to kill me.” Chuck scratched her head. The pain in her fingers worsened in illness, so did the perspiration.

“You just get to bed. Rest up. I have a feeling we’re going to have a lot of explaining to do to the police.”

“Goodnight, Ellen.”

“Night, Chuck.”

Author's Note

CLIMAX!

Reviews

[Ardeth Lane]

It seemed to go a little fast. It was good-don't get me wrong-but when someone dies I have started to try to get at least 2000 words down to describe it. So, when the climax hits AND someone dies, maybe a little more time to let the suspense draw itself out would be good.

But, to review the chapter: I like how Mr. DiRagno pointed out his wifes soft spot for Chuck. I think it's nice that Chuck has a friend in Ellen but to be honest I'm a little sketchy about her having the necklace after Chuck saw what it could do. She handed it over with no hesitation which I must say-shocked me. I know if it was me, I'd be a little leery to let anyone touch the one thing that could stop my attacks. Was Mrs. DiRagno under the necklace as well? Or did she have her own? As far as I saw she didnt have one taken from her which I think, could mean she's still able to attack Chuck. Hmm, I like it though. I am anticipating more :)