Chapter One
I looked at the digital clock on the computer. 9:57 held steady. I could have sworn it had been 9:57 for much longer than made sense for time. But, then again time did always pass unbearably slow on closing shift, especially on a holiday. What a great way to spend the Fourth of July. Working the closing shift at a dollar store with only the occasional drunk and/or kid for company before being informed them that no, we didn't sell any fireworks here. Eventually word must have gotten out because there wasn't a customer in the store for the past two hours. Of course, there was supposed to be another associate working but they had called in and thanks to corporate cut-backs, we weren't allowed to call people in to cover shifts. I wasn't too worried though, as tonight would probably be my last night working here as it was also against company policy to be alone in the store.
I took out her phone, deciding to Facebook until I could lock the doors. I scrolled down my timeline, watching videos of America's Got Talent and cats running on cat sized hamster wheels. I glanced again at the register clock. 9:57. The damn thing must have frozen, at least 10 minutes had passed while I was playing on my phone. I glanced at her phone's time. 9:57. My eyes rolled seemingly of their own volition. Who cared what time it was? I was most likely getting fired tomorrow anyways and there were no customers. I was going home.
What I assumed was 15 minutes later (the clock was still frozen in time); I left after counting down the tills and locking up. A year ago when Macklemore had come out with the song "Downtown" I had been inspired to buy a moped. I attribute this as one of the best decisions I've made. Spatial awareness wasn't my thing and had prevented me from getting a driver's license. After a 9 hour shift on my feet I was exhausted and not in the mood to pay a taxi to take me home. I hated talking to strangers and I lived out in the country so it would cost a fortune.
As I was driving home I started thinking. Being fired wasn't going to that bad. Thanks to student loans my rent was paid a year in advance back in October so I didn't really need to worry about being homeless and the cleaning I was doing under the table combined with my savings would take care of food and incidentals. Once school started up again I could get work study. There really was nothing to worry about. The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that if I wasn't fired I would quit. I could begin life anew as an irresponsible college student.
I rounded the corner to my street and ran into something, my mind going blank as my moped flipped and I went flying off it into the street. My body jolted with pain as I landed hard on my side and rolled. My vision was blurred but where I had landed I could see where I had impacted with the thing that had knocked me off my bike. I had to have a concussion. There were no way spiders got that big. Seemingly unaware that it was a hallucination, the giant spider approached me. I tried to get up, but my shoulder fired in agony as I pushed myself up with my arm and I fell back down again, my vision blurring worse than ever. Just as I was going to pass out a man stepped out in front of the spider with a sword.
"What the fuck…." I trailed off weakly, shocked into semi consciousness. It was too dark to make out many detailed, but the man appeared tall and well built.
"Do not interfere," he commanded. His voice was deep and silky with deafening tones of arrogance.
"That's a giant spider," I said dumbly. I could feel his eyes roll.
The spider lunged at him and he smoothly stepped to the side while bringing his sword upwards, decapitating the monster. The head rolled to my side and I stared at it.
"That's a giant spider," I said, again dumbly.
"I believe you've already stated that." He wiped his sword with a piece of cloth and sheathed it at his side.
"Maybe we should call for help." I could feel myself slipping away again.
"Where do you live?" his voice was fading as he leaned over me.
"Half a mile up this road, the only house really here actually." Darkness overtook me as I considered how stupid it was to tell an armed strange man in the middle of nowhere where I lived.