It's October! (Or it was when this posted :P)

Just a reminder to never forget to rate your stories when you are done! It only encourages your favorite writers to keep writing (I mean, that's how I operate, anyway) and I am so excited for my readers to see what happens next.

Basic Instincts

Darren's feet slapped the cool pavement, his breath tight and controlled. The sun was just rising above the treeline behind him when he arrived at the edge of town, staring at the long road that vanished over the hills. Farmland for several miles, and then plenty of forest behind them.

His mind slipped back to the events of the night before. Upon rising, he had wondered if the whole thing had been a dream, but his cock had spilled the truth. His crotch was a sticky mess that had necessitated a pre-run shower to rinse off. Marveling at the odd elasticity of the fluid, it had also occurred to him that perhaps it had been a wet dream, a fantasy intense enough that he had blown his load.

However, Ana had been up early too, and the look on her face as she rolled back to her bedroom and slammed the door erased any doubt in his mind. For whatever reason, she had attempted to suck him dry. Part of him wanted to be upset, but another part was flattered. The two emotions had been at war with one another for most of his run, but had finally been stamped out by a feeling that had smothered away the flames of both.

With every beat of his feet on the road, his eyes had taken in the life that surrounded him. He had captured an image of every bird, squirrel, and stray cat he had passed, his eyes lingering appreciatively on flowers, bushes, and even the trees. Every morning, he took his daily run, his legs powered by the fear of the phantoms behind him, pressing ever forward with the intent to escape his past.

However, today had been different. With the crest of every hill and each turn in the road, he had been hungry to see what was ahead. He no longer felt like he was running away from something, but rather toward something else, a thing that had far more promise.

He was no stranger to blowjobs, and had gotten laid more than once since coming home, but this had felt different, more primal somehow. His brain tried to break down this odd flood of endorphins running through his body, but he decided to ride it out. Tomorrow could be different, and misery would likely find him once more, but he chose to enjoy this morning's sunrise and embrace the beauty of the world around him.

Ana. Why had she done it?

He had been under the impression that she didn't care for him much. Was she secretly a sex freak? Was it a kink for her? Did she actually like him? He hadn't allowed himself the luxury of considering her a sexual being, but it occurred to him now that the wheelchair wasn't some magical damper that prevented her from pursuing such things. Clearly she didn't allow it to hold her back from living her life.

Maybe there was a lesson there. It was stupid, but somehow she now occupied his mind in a much different way than before. He had given her plenty of distance, but now wondered what it would be like to get to know her better. There was something there worth exploring, especially if it meant taking his mind off of the darkness of the jungle.

His stomach growled. Turning around, he began the long jog back to town, his thoughts stuck on Ana. He caught brief glimpses of his squadmates peering out at him from the trees, their faces marked with paint, blood and dirt. Instead of chasing him, they simply let him be.

Ana contemplated the clothes she had put out on her bed. Her immediate impulse had been to flee in the night, but she had nowhere to run. If she were to disappear, it would immediately arouse suspicion, and Darren would likely become the number one suspect. They would search the church and discover her web, which would bring down the wrath of the Order down on her heels. There wasn't enough time to cover her tracks and flee, it would have to be one or the other.

Which led her to her current dilemma. She had accumulated belongings in her time here, objects she felt she was unable to leave behind. Her human side had become soft and sentimental, her many years on the run now too far behind her. On the one hand, she wanted to abandon that humanity and rely solely on her instincts to flee. Unfortunately, her instincts now demanded that she mate and feed. Upon seeing Darren this morning, she barely fought off the urge to rip free of her chair and assault him, carrying him to her lair to fuck him until he was drained, and then eat him.

Never had her two halves been so far apart in their desires. For the first time in a long time, she had gazed upon her lower body in disdain for what it was. She wished that she had been born one or the other, but not both. Or maybe even been born with a mentality similar to her sisters, one that wasn't bothered by the need to see humans as more than food.

Slipping into a pretty red top, she picked a matching tartan skirt and fastened it around her waist before squeezing back into her chair. Her front legs were already in stockings, and she shoved a pair of shoes over her feet. A feeling of anger bubbled up inside her, an irrational desire to smash her wheelchair and flee into the forest.

"Stop it," she growled, adjusting her glasses. She hated how the world dimmed around her when she put them on, hated being confined to this chair, hated—

The back door opened and closed, the draft squeezing in under her bedroom door. Heavy footsteps came down the hallway, and the sweet scent of Darren's perspiration filled her head, making her both horny and hungry at the same time.

"Ana?" He knocked on the door. "Can we talk?"

Scowling, she backed away from the door. "About what?"

"Um... last night." His voice was muffled by the wood of the door, but she could almost taste him now, her senses alive as if she was mid-hunt. "I'm not mad, if that's what you're wondering."

"Hah. Why would you be mad?" Her chair rattled beneath her, but she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Look, maybe it would be less awkward if we... would you like to go to breakfast with me?"

"I..." She didn't want to go to breakfast. Her breakfast was already talking to her and was just feet away. If she opened that door, she could have everything her heart desired right now, no web required. Pull him in for an embrace and bite him, watch his eyes roll back in his head as his nervous system shutdown.

"Meet me at Matty's in fifteen minutes," she nearly shouted, her mind fighting her body. "And take a shower first, you stink!"

"You can smell that?" She heard him sniff loudly. "Yeah, I'll meet you there in fifteen." His footsteps receded, and he went into his own room.

Holding her breath, she wheeled through the house and outside where his scent wasn't so overpowering. Matty's was a perfect place to be right now. Even her instincts would agree not to make a scene, preventing her from attacking him in such a public place. Right now, she needed her mind and body to work in tandem, to be a functional unit again.

The songbirds made her hungry, and she gazed longingly at a lazy rabbit that regarded her from afar. Maybe she would try to find it later tonight and suck the brains out of its head.

"Mmm." She shook her head, focusing on the diner coming up. Hannah was already holding the door for her when she arrived.

"Where you sittin', hun?"

"Table for two please." For just a second, it felt like the whole diner had heard her, the volume dipping just a little. "My roommate is joining me," she said, as if attempting to clear up any suspicion. Other than Louise or Emily, she never ate with company around.

"Sure thing." Hannah took her to a table at the back and removed one of the chairs.

She wheeled into place and stared at the menu that had been left there. "Can I get some water?"

Hannah nodded. "I'll come back for your order once Darren gets here." She vanished into the kitchen and reappeared with a glass of water and a large cup of coffee, which she set down across from Ana.

Ana didn't like coffee. The caffeine gave her the jitters and then made her sick to her stomach. Even so, the aroma was immediately familiar, and she realized that she had smelled it on Darren, that thick, bitter scent that emanated from his pores.

When he walked in, he was wearing a pair of jeans that looked brand new. It was the first time she had seen him in anything other than those fatigue pants that he wore every day. Their eyes met, and he casually crossed the restaurant, his thick arms bare in a white tank top. When he sat down, she realized she could see every muscle in his belly through the thin fabric.

Her legs twitched, and she felt her groin tighten up before becoming damp.

"Thank you for meeting me." He gave her a nervous grin and then noticed the coffee in front of him. Wrapping his fingers around it, he sat for a bit and absorbed the heat into his hands.

"New pants?" she asked.

"I bought them at the end of my first week here, but hadn't worn them. Decided my other pants were overdue for a good soak." Lifting the coffee to his lips, he inhaled the aroma deeply and sighed. "I have a confession to make."

"Oh?" Ana leaned forward to hear it, but then away when Hannah appeared. She quickly jotted down their orders and vanished.

"She could have been Special Ops," Darren mused. "I've never seen anybody move like she does."

"You were saying?"

"Oh. Right. Look, I'm not super good with people. I can be polite, and I can be quiet company, but I think we both know that I'm a square peg in a round world. I've got too many edges now, if you catch my drift. So, about that thing that happened... I don't want to spoil anything."

Ana blinked, trying to figure out what he meant.

"This place is the first place where I've felt welcome in a long time. And I don't know if last night was a one-time thing, or if you want something more. I know we aren't close, and I don't know that I'll ever be able to be properly close with another person, but here it is. I'm not going to make a big deal about it if you don't."

"I don't understand." She shook her head, then pushed her glasses back up her nose.

"What I mean is that if it was a one-time thing, maybe you got drunk or whatever, I'm not gonna pester you about it, or become a problem. And I'm definitely not going to tell anyone."

"It was a one-time thing." She crossed her arms, happy that he was willing to let it go so easily. "And yes, I was quite drunk."

"I see." He looked disappointed at first, but it faded. "When I was out running, I thought about what it might mean if you did. We don't know each other very well, but that doesn't bother me much. You've got your story and I've got mine. I'm still struggling to come to terms with the man I became while I was... anyway, that made me wonder if you were struggling with some issues of your own. Maybe last night was the result of some pent-up emotions, or curiosity, or whatever. I was just going to say that, if you wanted more than just that one time, then that would be okay, too."

She almost laughed. "Oh, so it's okay if I want to do it again? Yeah, you're really taking a bullet for me, aren't you?"

She regretted it the moment she said it. A dark look crossed his face and then faded away.

"What I mean is that maybe there's more you want out of life. Not just physical stuff, but even someone to talk to, or to just be with."

"Are you asking me out?"

"Kinda." He sipped his coffee, his left eye twitching. "I... look, since last night, I've felt... I was having a bad dream."

"Yeah, you were."

"I always have them. It's just a matter of how much of it bleeds through. But after you, uh, came in my room, I slept really well. And I still feel good. I never feel this good."

"Like you're high or something?"

"No. More like I'm relaxed. Like the war is finally off my mind. I know it'll come back, but even just having the fog lifted for the day allows me to remember how good the sunshine feels." He set his coffee down and smiled. "It feels damn good to feel the sun."

She frowned. That was likely a mild result of her venom. She hadn't bitten him, but it had still gotten into his system. Despite living with it her whole life, she really had no idea what her venom was supposed to do. That, and she did know that there was a variant for mating. Couldn't have your future dinner too terrified to get a boner, after all. She vaguely recalled her mother teaching her that it made men willing to fuck as well. Poor Darren was ready to pour his heart out to her, unaware that a chemical cocktail swam through his brain right now.

"I guess, for me, it's worth exploring a relationship with anyone who can help me move forward, even if it's for just a day or two. Even someone with unique limitations as yourself, if that's the case."

Oh, you have no idea. She wanted to shut him down and simply go, to pack up her belongings and head west to Emily's sanctuary, to leave Darren and the human world behind, and maybe snag a hiker or two for a snack.

If only it was that simple. The longer she was near him, the more she longed for him. It wasn't simply a matter of him being breeding stock, her body had decided that he was the number one candidate. If she left, could she even stay away? Her hormones were swinging wildly back and forth now, and she felt a small amount of pity for herself.

"But, if that sounds awkward or whatever, then it's fine if we just ignore it. That's what I'm trying to say. I don't even know what I would have to contribute, but if you tell me, I'll do my best." He leaned back and his omelette was set down in front of him. He thanked Hannah, who then set down Ana's meal.

Interrupted by Hannah's arrival, Ana's mind shifted another direction. What if she could use Darren? He was clearly not turned off by the fact that she was in a wheelchair. He didn't seem averse to being in a protective role either. Last night, she had swallowed his semen, but what if she had kept some, had gone up to her web and inseminated herself with it?

Though she didn't necessarily like the idea of becoming a mother, her drive to reproduce was spiraling out of control. If she became pregnant, it would buy her the time she needed for the Order to move on. By then, she could flee to Emily's sanctuary, and give birth to her daughters. She could teach them to hunt and fish and avoid mankind at all costs.

And best of all, she wouldn't be alone.

"Let... let me think about it." She gave him a weak smile. The plan she had sounded crazy, even to her, but it was the only one her mind and body seemed to agree on for now. Boundaries would have to be set, and some guidelines would need to be followed. If she played her cards right, she could be pregnant by the end of the week and gone in a few months. There was now no doubt in her mind that she was going to have to leave, whether or not she became pregnant. The Order had forced her hand, making choices for her they didn't know existed.

"Oh, good morning! I didn't know we were having a staff meeting!" Louise stepped up to the table, dragging a chair along with her. "So what are you two talking about?"

Darren's face went red, and he stuffed his mouth with omelette so fast that he was now unable to respond. Ana rolled her eyes at him.

"Good morning, Ms. Louise. We're just talking about some upgrades to the church, to make our house a little more comfortable."

"Oh, nothing drastic I hope."

"We were thinking a new couch. I never used it, but Darren here does." Ana smiled when Darren nodded along silently. His jaw was thick, and she could see the muscles of his neck flex when he moved. Her legs twitched, and she fought the urge to squeeze her front legs together and rock in her chair.

"Well, do you really need a couch then? I'm sure we could dig up a recliner or something."

"No, we were definitely talking about couch. That way we could both use it at the same time."

Louise looked incredulous. "You two actually just sit and visit?"

Ana rolled her eyes. "We're roommates, of course we visit. It's been nice to have someone to talk to, and Darren here has agreed to help me out with some of my... needs." She indicated her wheelchair, but locked eyes with Darren instead. "So, yes, Louise, it has been nice having an extra set of hands over to help me out. You were right, you told me so, am I forgetting anything else?"

Louise had clutched her purse near her chin and looked ready to explode. "I just knew this would work! Please excuse me, I need to call my brother." She bolted off, nearly running into Hannah on the way out.

"She's... invested," Darren said, watching Louise go through the front door.

"She's like a mother to me." Ana cleared her throat. "My official answer is yes, by the way. I think... I've been alone long enough." Her hearts were pounding, the decision somehow final now that she had spoken it aloud. "This is very new to me, and as long as you're willing to take your time, I would like to give it a try."

Darren's whole face lit up into a grin. Ana sincerely hoped this wouldn't be the beginning of the end for him.

Cyrus slammed the door of the cabin when he walked out, then kicked a rock. They had been hiding out ever since Jeffrey's drunken outburst and had been forced to stay in an old cabin they had found during their initial search.

Not only were they no closer to finding the Arachne, but now Jeffrey was acting erratically. He knew that his mentor's death was hitting him hard, but there had to be more to the story. He was acting more like a man who lost a brother or a wife. Jeffrey's skills as a Knight had been greatly compromised, and now he didn't know if he could be trusted to continue the hunt.

Cyrus needed to speak to the Order, and took the risk of driving into town. Even if he ran into the sheriff, Jeffrey wasn't currently with him anyway. Pulling the door shut on the truck, he drove for over an hour, mulling over the lack of anywhere decent to stay. Even a shitty bar would have a payphone, but they had holed up so far away from civilization that they were now running out of food.

He hadn't been sleeping, either. Between fighting with Jeffrey and the hunt going poorly, his stomach was tried up in knots. This creature had gone to ground hard enough that he felt like it had slipped between their fingers. Driving all across the countryside, Cyrus had hoped for a new lead, but had found none. He quit taking Jeffrey with him because he kept finding his way to the nearest source of alcohol.

Right now, Jeffrey had probably discovered that Cyrus had dumped his stash of whiskey. Cyrus would no longer tolerate his partner's drunken ramblings, not until this issue was done.

Years of loss and sacrifice weighed heavy on him, and on the way into town, he slammed on his breaks just in time to avoid a young boy whose bike veered suddenly into the road. When he got out, he saw that other than a bad scare, the boy was fine. Satisfied that he wasn't about to get arrested again, he drove the rest of the way down the road to the market.

He filled up his cart with plenty of fruit and veggies and then grabbed a few steaks for Jeffrey from the butcher. Just because Jeffrey was being a giant asshole right now didn't mean that Cyrus no longer cared about him. Once the cart was full, he let the bag boy help him out to the truck, loading it up with groceries. He tipped the boy a couple of quarters and then walked over to the payphone. He didn't bother putting any money in.

After all, they were always listening. He dialed the seventeen digit number followed by his own personal code. The phone never rang, and someone immediately picked up the other end.

"Brother Amory," the voice greeted him with the beginning a code.

"Died in his sleep of a job well done." After a second of silence, Cyrus continued. "This is Brother Cyrus. I would like to speak to the Oracle."

"Oh, good," the voice said. "The damn thing hasn't shut up about you."

"Beg pardon?"

"Hold on." The phone clicked, and he waited while he was transferred. A woman's voice spoke to him now.

"Brother Cyrus?"

"Yes. I am calling to speak to the Oracle."

"I'm afraid there's nothing to ask, Cyrus. He's been stuck in a loop for days now."

"A loop?"

"Yeah. Keeps repeating the same thing over and over again. Do you have a pen and paper?"

"Yeah, hold on." He pulled the notebook from his pocket. "Go ahead."

"Alright, hold on. I'm reading this to you verbatim." She cleared her throat. "She waits beneath the light of the moon, two paths clearly before her. Though Order seeks to claim its prize, she watches them through human eyes, and the traveler adores her. In plain sight, she shall be found, her legs cradled beneath her. And she shall run, her future set, the traveler to be her guide. To walk in shadows, or the light, that is her true test. A warrior will find his end, and the future suckles at her breast."

"Not his best work, to be honest. Tell him it doesn't even rhyme correctly." Cyrus put the pen away. "By the way, how do you know that this prophecy is for me?"

"He keeps spelling your name with his food. DO you have a status report?"

He sighed. "None. But I'll keep looking."

"Please do. We are dealing with a sensitive situation right now, but we have full confidence in your abilities."

"Thanks." He hung up the phone and groaned. A sensitive situation could only mean an internal issue at the Order. He remembered the time a skinwalker had infiltrated them and all sorts of in-fighting had broken out until they caught him. Shaking his head, he climbed into his truck and pulled out of the lot. Unsurprisingly, a police car pulled up alongside him on his way out.

"Afternoon," Walters said, his eyes boring into Cyrus.

"Just grabbing some supplies, Sheriff." Cyrus jerked his thumb toward the back. "I'll be out of your hair, no worries."

Walters nodded, then pulled into the lot. Cyrus let out a sigh of relief, then frowned when he saw the sheriff pull in behind him. Walters followed him all the way to the edge of town before turning around and going back.

Yet one more problem to deal with. Gripping the wheel tightly, he fumed the whole way back to the cabin. Ready to pick a fight, he stormed in through the front door, dropping his bag of groceries on the nearest table.

"Jeffrey!" He stomped through the cabin, annoyed that his partner was nowhere to be seen. He walked out through the back door and saw Jeffrey sitting on a log, his shirt off and his sword cradled in his lap. "Jeffrey, we need to talk."

"Not before I apologize." The man didn't move a muscle, but his voice was strong. "I'm sorry about the alcohol. And the bar fight. I'm sorry about the last week."

Cyrus deflated, struggling to find his next words. "Well, it's about damn time," he finally sputtered.

"Indeed." Jeffrey stood up and let his blade fold itself up before sheathing it on his belt. "Sir Marcus was like a father to me. He taught me things about being a man, practically raised me as his son. The idea that such a brilliant soul could simply be sucked up into a void and denied the Afterlife..." His hands balled up. "I won't lose myself again, not while we're on this job. I'm sorry, Brother Cyrus."

"I appreciate that." Cyrus let out a breath. "Come inside. Let's have a good meal and talk about strategies."

"Yes, let's." Jeffrey walked inside and helped Cyrus prepare the food. They used an old grill to cook steaks and a veggie-kabob for Cyrus. Cyrus shared with him what he had learned on his trip, including the visit from the sheriff and the prophecy.

"Wow, not his best work," Jeffrey said, reading over the pad.

"Tell me about it."

"This line here, though. The traveler." Jeffrey looked up. "Is that one of us?"

"Shouldn't be, unless you've fallen in love with our prey."

Jeffrey chuckled. "Remind me to tell you a story about a siren later."

"Who would be the traveler?" Cyrus took a bite out of a grilled zucchini. "Someone she hasn't met yet?"

"Or maybe one who travels. A world traveler, a hiker, a guy who likes to walk a lot, takes the bus..." Lines sprouted across Jeffrey's head. He held up a hand for silence, clearly concentrating. Turning his head toward Cyrus, his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"I think I have a lead."

Darren checked the fuses in the fusebox and then returned power to the panel.

"No sparks is the first sign you did it right," Little Mike told him. "No smoke is the second."

"No fire is the third," he added, the corners of his mouth lifting. Little Mike had shown him how to do basic electrical on the jeeps and in the camps, and he could almost smell the stinky cigars Mike would smoke while wrapping wires.

Darren backed away from the panel and turned the light on. The basement of the church was now flooded with light, shedding light on the stacked boxes and tools that had been left behind by his predecessor. Satisfied that there was a current, he turned the light off and went back upstairs. Once he was back in his apartment, he tested a few switches to make sure the lights worked. Grateful that it had been a quick fix, he plugged the toaster back in to the outlet.

"Is it fixed?" Ana asked, squinting suspiciously.

"We'll see." He put in a piece of bread and pushed it down. Within seconds, he could feel the heat of the coils. "Looks like we're in shape." They had woken up to discover that the power had gone out, but a quick trip to the basement had revealed that some fuses had been blown. Luckily, Gary had set aside a box of fuses for both the church and the library, which had saved him a trip to the hardware store.

"Mmm." Ana twisted the knob and rotated away. "Um, good job."

"Yes. Thank you." She was halfway back to her room when he spoke up again. "Say, I was wondering if you would like to do something tonight?"

Her chair stopped, and she rotated again to look at him. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. Dinner?"

"Um, I'm not super keen on that idea."

"How about a walk or something after work? Talk a little?"

Indecision crossed her face, and then she nodded. "Yes, I would like that."

"Okay." He smiled, and watched her go back to her room, the smile sliding off of his face. He let out a breath and put the toaster back.

It had been almost a week since their conversation in the diner. Ana had been as reclusive as ever, and he had wondered if maybe she had changed her mind. With every day that had passed, he could feel the jungle creeping up on him, his squadmates eager to drag him back into the mud.

Whatever effect she had on him had been temporary, and in the last couple of days, the nightmares had returned with a vengeance. He was running on fumes, Cutter's burnt face hovering over him when he woke.

Oddly enough, even though the nightmares had returned, his attraction to Ana did not fade. He found himself noticing the subtle curve of her breasts through her shirt, or even the cool blue veins that stood up through her pale skin. She had become this oddly ethereal being in his mind, and had begun to feature in his dreams.

Last night, she had called to him from the back of a cave, and he had gone to find her, walking away from Charlie and their gunfire long enough to see her pale form vanish from view. When he tried to follow her into the cave, he got caught up in thick vines that clung to his skin like glue. The more she called to him, the more vines that caught at him until he finally screamed in panic.

That was when Cutter had grabbed him by the boot and dragged him out on his back, smoke coming from his mouth as he screamed in Darren's face. Darren had woken up to find that the blankets had twisted all around him, tangling up his arms and legs, and he had fallen out of bed. By the time he got back from his run, it was still dark, so he had sat in silence, waiting until he heard Ana stirring in her room.

He made some toast and put peanut butter on it. After a few bites, he tossed it on the plate. His stomach wasn't ready for food, so he gave up and went across the street to the library instead. The library had a pseudo staff lounge that Louise had put a coffee maker in. It wasn't as good as Matty's, but it would at least help keep him awake.

He checked the traps for mice, but they were all empty. Louise had told him to keep the traps out until he had caught something, and he knew the scrabbling sounds she heard were figments of her imagination. Leaving the storage area behind, he saw Ana roll in through the front door, the breeze catching her hair and making it float around her like an eerie halo.

"Good morning, Ms. Rae." A little girl walked up behind her, and Ana smiled, greeting the child in return. The little girl held a novel in her arms, and the two of them were discussing it in animated detail, moving down the hall and to the front desk. It was strange to see her so animated, as if she felt safe dropping her guard in front of this child.

It was hard to keep his eyes off of her as the day went by. He was replacing broken shelves on the second floor during story time and watched as Ana used hand puppets while reading to the children. They laughed and giggled when she dropped her voice to imitate a bear, and begged her to read another when story time was over. Later, he was repainting a wall in the bathroom when he caught a glimpse of her quietly moving through the library, her chair squeaking as she returned books to their shelves.

In these moments, Ana was someone else entirely. She moved with confidence and purpose, quickly moving through her tasks. When she thought nobody was looking, she would talk to the books as if they were old friends, occasionally laughing or frowning at some unheard response. He couldn't tell if she was simply crazy or reminiscing with her memories, but either answer didn't bother him.

He wished he could see the books as she did, and speak to them like old friends. All his friends were gone, and no longer worth talking to. The loud bang of the front doors made him watch the top of Hayden's skull disappear once more, and a motorcycle that backfired outside had him running through the jungle, carrying Dwayne over his shoulder while Charlie fired at them. He had a scar on his bicep from that time, the result of a bullet that had skimmed him only to bury itself in his brother's corpse.

The roof was his favorite place to go during these times. The HVAC system was loud enough to drown out both worlds, allowing him a noisy moment of peace, and there was something soothing about standing above the town and watching it from above like an eagle. The whole world was visible from here, and the shadows were few.

Standing on the roof, he cast his gaze across the street, looking into the steeple of the church. Squinting, he could just make out a glimpse of a thick, white curtain that billowed in the breeze.

There was a screeching of tires down below. He walked to the edge of the roof, looking down at the top of a white pickup. There was a pair of marks on the road behind it, and the little boy who had fallen off his bike sat in front of it on the road. The driver got out, and Darren recognized the stranger from the bar in his long, white jacket. He knelt down to check on the boy, then helped him away from the road.

"Hmm." He had figured those guys had left a bit ago. For a pair of men who were traveling, they sure weren't in a hurry to go anywhere new. Scratching his ear, he watched the truck go down the road and eventually park near the market. Cyrus got out and went inside, alone.

When he went back downstairs, he had Louise dial the station for him and he let Sheriff Walters know what he saw. The sheriff thanked him and hung up. It probably meant nothing, but if either of those guys decided to cause problems again, Walters would want more than just a spare deputy. His hand had been sore until just a couple days ago, and he squeezed it again, just to verify that the ache had subsided.

Some storm clouds rolled through in the afternoon again, but passed by without rain. By the time Ana locked the doors of the library, the sun had come back out and the air smelled like distant rain. Darren stopped at home to grab an umbrella, tucking it under one arm.

When Ana came out of the library, she let a small smile slip before locking the door behind her.

"Here. I can carry that." She took the umbrella and tucked it into her wheelchair. She rolled down the ramp and stopped at the crosswalk. "I know a good place we can go."

"Lead the way." He walked just to the side and behind her. Her chair rocked from side to side over the bumps in the road, and they walked past the large park next to the library. There was a small dirt trail hidden just past the park in between a pair of yews. The branches swayed when she passed through, and he stopped at the opening for just a moment.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

He closed his eyes and stepped through, the damp air and the scratching branches taking him away for just a second. The trail widened on the other side, and he let out his breath. The trail wasn't paved, but it was well worn, and Ana had no trouble navigating it.

"Aren't you worried that the battery in your chair will die?" he asked when he realized they were heading down a hill.

"Not really. My arms work just fine, it would just be a challenge to get back home." The trail curved up ahead, and he walked beside her. "This is actually one of my favorite places here in town. It reminds me of where I grew up."

"And where was that?"

She was silent for a few moments. "East of here. A small town that doesn't exist anymore. How about you? Where did you grow up?"

"In the South." He shrugged. "Where doesn't really matter, because I don't like talking about it much."

"I'm sorry. Bad childhood?"

"Not quite. My childhood was actually pretty good. I think that's the reason it's hard to think about."

Her chair stopped, and she rotated. "I don't understand. How could a good childhood be painful?"

"Um..." He let out a huge sigh. "It's... this is hard stuff for me, so..."

"You don't have to."

"I... I would like to. To tell you, that is." Where to begin? "I had a twin brother. We looked identical, but were different in a lot of ways. I guess the saying goes that we were two sides of the same coin. We were both popular growing up, but Dwayne more so. He just had a way about him. He was my best friend."

"What happened to him?"

"Vietnam. There was a colossal fuck up and we got stuck in the same squad, the army thought we were the same person. But here's the thing. I was drafted, so he joined. That's just how Dwayne was. He didn't want his little brother to be alone in a foreign country."

"Little brother?"

"By seventeen minutes." Darren smiled. "Imagine growing up in a magnificent home that was full of love, laughter and memories. Now imagine coming home to find out it's burned to the ground, taking all of those things with it. That's what happened in the war. My brother, he..." his voice hitched in his chest. It was a truth that he couldn't voice out loud.

"He died." Ana shook her head. "That must have been hard."

"Yeah. When I came back from the war, I didn't know what to expect. I was greeted at the airport by people who spat on me, and threw garbage. All I wanted to do was get home to my dad and mourn. That's how I found out my dad blamed me for what happened. Dwayne would have never been there if not for me, and I only lasted a few days in that house before I packed up what little I owned and left."

"I'm sorry. That's awful." She grabbed his fingers and then wrapped her hands around his. "So... you don't have any family that would even know that you were gone?"

He smirked. "That's a weird way to phrase it, but yeah. If I were to die today, I think the sheriff is the only person who would notice."

"Maybe not the only person." She let go of his hand. "When I was little, I lost my family in a fire. My mother and my sisters."

"That must have been hard. I'm sorry." He hesitated. "Is that how you ended up in the chair?"

Ana laughed. It had an immediate effect on him and he wanted to hear it again.

"No, it wasn't the fire. After the fire, I lived on the streets. I was hit by a car and the owner had money. As part of the settlement, he got me a nicer chair. I bounced from place to place, much like you, until Louise found me lurking around Matty's one morning." The path narrowed again, but the air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers. The park was now above them on the hill, and he could hear running water up ahead.

The trail vanished, revealing a small sitting area next to a creek. All around him were yellow and purple flowers, and they swarmed with bees and butterflies. A dilapidated bench overlooked the river, and he picked up a Coke bottle that had been left by the creek.

"This really is nice. I'm surprised nobody else is here."

"It's a well-known spot if you're a horny teen." She smirked. "As long as you don't come here at night, you'll get the place to yourself."

"I see." The area was private, well away from roads or homes. He supposed any small town in America had a dozen such places, if you knew where to look. Ana rolled next to the bench, so he sat down next to her.

They sat in silence for several minutes, just listening to the songbirds and the buzzing bees. If he closed his eyes, he could picture the summer of his thirteenth year, chasing Katy McQueen around the swimming hole back home. He had hoped for a kiss, but Dwayne had beaten him to it. It had caused one of the few fights they had ever had.

"Do you think about over there very often?" Ana's voice was cautious.

"Every day. It sneaks up on me all the time. It can be a sight or a sound. Even a smell. The memories are so intense that I can't tell what's real or not. For the first year I was home, I often wondered if I was a POW who had finally snapped, dreaming about home."

"Were you ever captured?"

"Briefly. Me and Little Mike were held at gunpoint for about an hour. We were trying to fix a jeep that had broken down when Charlie caught us completely unarmed. There were only a few of them, all just as young and scared as we were. They had gotten separated from their squad, and I think they wanted us to fix the jeep so they could get back. But Hayden and Dwayne picked them off from the treeline with rifles, and that was the first time I saw a man die up close."

"Sounds scary."

"I used to think so." He thought of Cutter dragging him out of the cave. "But I saw far scarier things before the war was done with me."

"Like what?" Ana put a hand to her mouth. "I'm really sorry, maybe I shouldn't ask."

"No, it's okay. It's like I said before, something about you just feels different. Safe even."

She frowned. "You think I'm safe?"

"Well, based on our first week together, I figured you couldn't think less of me than you already did."

"Oh, that." She waved her hand dismissively. "I've lived alone for so long that I've forgotten how to be around other people. I'll admit, I didn't want you around, it wasn't anything personal. But the timing was... fortuitous."

"How so?"

Ana turned her face toward the creek, her eyes on the opposite shore. She seemed to be tracking the motion of a few birds on the other side. "This will sound weird, but in the spirit of being non-judgmental, I feel like maybe I can tell you."

"I would like that." He leaned back into the bench, putting his arms up. Just sitting here with her and talking was already doing him a world of good. Nothing seemed to exist outside of this space, the rest of the world having packed up and disappeared. The air was heavy with a floral scent, and a curious bee landed on his knee, crawling in a circle.

"Well, since my accident, I've been unable to... function properly." Ana put her hands on her knees and sighed. "Obviously, I'm not just referring to walking."

"I get that. How bad is it?"

"Well, I can't walk. I do know when I have to go to the bathroom, otherwise I would have to carry around a bag. But in terms of certain other functions, it... uh..." Her pale face turned bright pink. "The accident happened when I was young. Since then, I've had no desire to experiment with intimacy or sexuality. There simply wasn't any need. But recently, I've started having strange thoughts and feelings."

"Sex feelings?"

She nodded. "My doctor says that because the injury happened when I was young, it's possible that some of those nerves started regrowing. Now that I'm a bit older, my brain is being exposed to a flood of hormones it isn't used to, and that's caused my recent... uh... issue."

"You mean like what happened the other night?"

"Yeah. So when you brought it up at breakfast the day after, I thought about how it would be nice to share these feelings with someone willing to be patient with me." She smiled at him and took his hand in hers. "You've seemed pretty patient so far. And I know this isn't a normal thing, really. But you seem to think that I might be able to help you through some things as well."

Darren nodded. "Before I came back, I spoke with some doctors. They told me that I might struggle with becoming a civilian, but I had no idea it would be this bad. However, this place seems to have a hold on me, and now I suspect that you may be a part of that. There's a voice in the back of my mind that keeps whispering that I should move on, just keep going until I drop dead. But another part of me wants something more. It wasn't until recently that I realized just how lonely I am, and I don't know why I feel so safe and clear-headed when you're nearby, but that's the God honest truth."

Ana nodded. "Maybe it's because we're both survivors and we see that in each other."

"That could be." He shifted, and his bee friend left. "I haven't talked this much in ages, but I feel like I can tell you anything." A dark thought crossed his mind, and he frowned. "Maybe there are some things I should tell you. Especially before this goes too much farther."

"Oh, shit." The voice came from behind them. When Darren turned to look, he saw a teenage boy holding hands with a long-haired girl who looked embarrassed to be seen. The two of them turned tail and headed back up the trail.

He chuckled. The fact that they had managed to sneak up on them told him plenty about his own head-space. He felt relaxed with Ana nearby.

"What was I saying?" he asked.

However, Ana's eyes were locked on his face, her dark eyes intensely examining him. Surprised, his mouth opened and she leaned forward and kissed him, hard.

Goddamn horny teenagers, she thought to herself. She could smell their arousal coming down the trail, and she was plenty worked up by Darren already. More than once, the desire to simply bite him and drag him away and be done with the whole affair had crept over her, threatening to steal control of her mind and future. There was no part of his body right now that didn't either make her horny or hungry.

She would have to eat tonight before she lost her mind. The small birds were like floating snack cakes, and she had almost eaten the bee that had landed on Darren's leg. Now, though, it was all she could do to maintain the kiss, her tongue seeking his.

Darren turned toward her and placed a hand on her leg. It was like a signal flare for her groin, his touch eliciting a far greater response than he could ever know. Her chair rattled, her cramped legs demanding their freedom, and she inhaled his scent, letting it permeate her whole body.

When she placed her hand on top of his, she could feel the strength in it, her fingers sliding until she gripped the bottom of his forearm. The sheer amount of muscle beneath his skin made her salivate, and she grabbed the back of his head with her other hand, pinning him in place.

Her chair groaned, her legs fighting the urge to break free so that she could fuck. Her being was permeated by the need to feel his cock inside her, to ride him until he filled her to the brim. She pushed him away, breaking their kiss. A line of spit connected them briefly, but she wiped it away.

"Ana, I—" his eyes went wide when she squeezed his cock through his pants. He was back in his fatigues, and she started jerking him off through the thick fabric. Darren groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head. Licking her lips, she tasted the venom in her saliva, her fangs threatening to slide free.

Her senses came alive, and she realized that she had taken off her glasses. Darren was too busy moaning to notice, so she leaned over, trembling fingers undoing the buttons on his pants. His thick cock had strained the fabric, and when it sprung free, a thick drop of pre-cum hit her in the face.

"Ana," he moaned. She stroked him a few times, marveling at just how much fluid leaked from him already. His arousal was like a musky perfume, filling her head with dangerous thoughts. The insects and birds nearby gave them a wide berth, and she moved her chair so that she sat right in front of him.

"It's so beautiful, Darren." In the waning light of day, she could properly appreciate the monstrosity in her hands. The skin was pulled tight, the head of his cock large enough to properly fill the palm of her hand. The thick ridge at the edge of his glans was smooth underneath, and she slid her fingers beneath it.

"Um, thank you?"

She pumped him with both hands. He lifted his ass so that she could tug his pants down a little, exposing his testicles. She stroked him harder, then leaned forward to inhale the scent of his balls. The odor was heavenly, and her vagina ached. Ana took a few deep breaths to center her thoughts and then licked the base of his shaft.

Upon smelling them up close, she was overtaken by the desire to lick his scrotum. Her jaw popped as it unhinged just enough to inhale both of his testicles at once. They tasted of sweat, and her mind filled with bits of information that made no sense to her.

Their children would be strong and fast. They would be clever too, with minds of their own. Ana had no idea how she could know these things, but the thoughts ran through her mind too quickly to follow. Using her tongue, she rolled his testicles back and forth in her mouth, all while pumping his shaft.

"Ow, shit!" Darren flinched, and Ana lifted her head, alarmed at the sensation of her fangs retracting into her mouth. "Not so rough," he hissed.

A tiny pair of puncture wounds could be seen through the hair of his balls, and she realized that she had bitten him. Unsure what to do, she lifted her head and sucked his cock into her mouth, working her hands up and down at a feverish pace.

The tension melted from him, and he placed his hands on the back of her head. The fluid leaking from his cock helped lubricate his shaft, and she hungrily gobbled him up, licking his frenulum and then teasing his urethra with her tongue.

What had she bitten him with? Every few seconds, she licked the spot where the fangs had vanished between her teeth and the roof of her mouth. Her jaw was full of human teeth and retractable fangs for injecting venom and the enzyme used to prepare food, but this was a set she had never used before.

Darren groaned loudly, and she felt a thick glob of cum hit the back of her throat. She swallowed it in surprise, and her insides churned with excitement. Squeezing the base of his shaft, she tried to milk him for more and was surprised when he cried out and came again, filling her cheeks with a fresh load. It leaked out of her mouth, and she realized she had no way to harvest it properly.

When he came a third time, she swallowed as much of it as she could, her hands now coated in jizz. Darren pushed down on her head until his cock tickled the back of her throat and came a fourth time. She coughed and swallowed what she could, her whole body tingling. Their children would not only be fast, but also good climbers.

"Oh, Ana!" He came one more time, and she swallowed it all. His testicles were giving off tremendous heat, and she now understood what had happened when she bit him. Arachne rarely mated with the same human more than once, and whatever she had injected him with had put his balls into overdrive. Now that she had plenty of cum on her hands, she needed to spin some web and collect it.

But it was impossible. Her spinnerets were trapped inside her wheelchair. She hadn't planned on blowing Darren at the park, but her instincts had taken over. Instead of scooping his jizz into a previously made net, she hungrily licked up what was on her hands, cleaning herself and Darren off with long licks of her tongue. When she was finished, she slid her glasses back on and sat up, then grabbed him by the head and kissed him. His eyes went wide when he tasted just how much of his cum was still in her mouth, but he melted into her with no complaints.

No, the plan had been to get to know him, to see him as human. Every connection she could make with him would prevent her from doing the worst, and the fact that she had resisted her deadlier instincts today gave her hope.

But now that she had tasted him, she wanted more. Both her halves desired him now. It was yet another thing they could agree on.

Leaning back, she could see that his eyes weren't properly focused. "Darren, I... I don't know what came over me."

A sleepy grin broke across his face. "Don't worry about it. You're still learning. But wow, that was easily the best... I mean, I came so hard that my balls hurt a little."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." She bit her lower lip, her hormones settling. Apparently drinking his cum had done something to quell her desires for now.

"Ana, is there... can I do anything for you?" His eyes found hers, and she could see genuine concern there. "I don't know that I will be as good as you but—"

"Shhh." She placed a finger over his lips. "I'm not quite ready for that yet. I'm just happy to explore you for now. Is that okay?"

A stupid smile crossed his face. "Of course. I'm a red-blooded American male after all."

She smiled and rolled away from him. The clearing had been quiet, but now she could hear the faint sounds of a pair of teens starting down the path. Both of her stomachs growled. "Maybe I would like that meal after all."

"I think I can do that." He buttoned up his pants and stood. "Matty's?"

She nodded. "Matty's." She would feed her human half for now. Once Darren was asleep, she would go out hunting. A shiver of excitement traveled through her abdomen.

This was going to work.

They were largely quiet at dinner, though Ana shared some of her favorite library stories. Darren listened intently and said little, his mind whirling in circles. They both had burgers, though Ana's was quite a bit rarer than his. She shared her fries with him, and he kept Hannah busy by going through five glasses of water.

The experience in the park had once again chased away the past. He felt relaxed, almost like the Darren who hadn't gone to 'Nam yet, the Darren who still had a brother. He didn't know how to put it into words, but it was like he was high, or even drunk. Nothing seemed to bother him right now, and he enjoyed every second of it.

The comparison, however, worried him. That little voice in the back of his head screamed at him that something was wrong, that his feelings weren't natural, but he ignored it. It was the same voice that warned him about pit traps and Charlie, but he knew for a fact that the war was behind him. Nobody was hunting him, there was no threat of immediate harm. And last time he checked, amazing blowjobs weren't considered a controlled substance.

Grateful for another evening of peace, he frowned when Ana informed him that she was exhausted from their walk earlier and was going to bed early. Disappointed, he ended up going for a light evening jog to burn off some excess energy. Walters met him on the side of the road to say hello and thank him for the tip about the truck, and they exchanged pleasantries for nearly half an hour.

"You seem happy," Walters had told him out of the blue.

"I feel happy," Darren replied.

"Good to hear, son. You deserve it." He then tilted his hat and drove off to check out a potential DUI on the other side of town. Darren watched Walters leave until he couldn't see his tail lights anymore.

A spell had been cast. This dreary little town was no longer a place for him to survive, but a place to thrive. In his mind, he had a list of things he wanted to do, like join a baseball team for the summer, or go out for beers with the sheriff. Normal people things that he thought would never cross his path again.

Then again, what was normal? Over a week ago, Ana was just a grumpy girl in a wheelchair. Now she was a sensual being trying to understand her own feelings. He was a man of two worlds, his soul divided by time and an entire ocean. Yet today, he felt complete.

"You piece of shit," Cutter growled in his ear, but Darren ignored his former Commanding Officer. No matter how angry Cutter got, there was no way he could dampen Darren's mood.

"You think so, do you, Private?" Cutter casually jogged beside him now, his corpse dropping clumps of mud. "Do you think you're crippled little nympho would still look at you the same way if she knew what you did over there?"

That one stung him, and he slowed his pace a little. It was true that his squad had done some of the things that got soldiers spat on. It had been hot on that tarmac, and when the first glob of spit had hit his cheek, he felt like he had deserved at least that much.

"You talking about the stuff you ordered us to do?" He had slowed just enough to get the words out. Cutter ran ahead of Darren, then turned around to run backward. His face was scorched, his eyes like overcooked egg whites.

"Are you gonna cry and say you were just following orders? How many civilians did you kill personally?"

"Too many." On that count, Cutter was right. They had been cutting through a small village when they ran across an armed Vietnamese soldier. In the panic that followed, he and the others had opened fire on the village, the people at the other end of the barrel temporarily melding into the fog of war that surrounded them. That night, he had cried in his brother's arms, brokenhearted over the pile of bodies that Cutter had them gather up and burn.

"Yeah, that's right, you piece of shit. I bet Ana would love to hear about the women and children you shot."

Darren kept his mouth shut. He had had this argument with Cutter before, and he knew it was a losing battle.

When Cutter saw that Darren didn't seem to care, he got in front of him. Darren swerved and nearly stepped out into the street. Focusing his eyes past the apparition, he kept running.

"What about me? You ever going to tell her what you did to me?"

"I want to, actually. Was going to earlier, but something came up."

Cutter's bony jaw hung beneath his skull. "Do you have no guilt, you sick fuck?"

"The only guilt I have about your death is how much I liked doing it." Darren's eyes met Cutter's, boring into the shadow with newfound confidence. Cutter started to speak, but exploded into a dark mist.

Darren ran through it. Even Cutter couldn't fuck up his mood, not today.

It was past dark when he got home, and he was careful to be quiet. A quick shower later, he found himself lying in bed, pondering the ceiling. His run had tired him out, but now his mind was busy. Without the shadows to keep him company, he was finally able to see a future that he didn't mind.

If he worked for the library long enough, maybe he could afford a motorcycle. Thinking briefly about Ana, he wondered if he should consider a car instead. The situation with her was still too intense and new, and he already hated the idea of excluding her. Realistically, their relationship would likely be brief, but he didn't like that.

That small voice cried out in the back of his mind once more. He shoved it away, waiting for sleep to claim him. Hours passed in solitude, and he realized that he still had too much energy. Sitting up in bed, he crept out of his room and walked into the apartment.

Surveying the living room, he decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to start moving about too much. He might wake Ana and cause her to worry.

Or maybe she'll want to do something else. He chuckled at the thought. It was juvenile, but definitely possible. Still, there was no need to pester her. He figured he would allow her to dictate the way things proceeded. He wasn't in a hurry.

With nothing better to do, he found himself unlocking the door to the church. The door hadn't been opened in a long time, and a few cobwebs came with it. He left the door open, afraid that Ana might wake and lock him out. He didn't feel like sleeping on splintery old church pews. The light of the moon was just bright enough to see by as long as he avoided the shadows.

The chancel was empty, and there was an old stain on the floor where a pulpit had once been set up. The pews were either stacked or busted up, and the floor creaked ominously beneath his feet. Kneeling down, he saw that the wood didn't seem nearly as rotted as Ana had made it out to be. While in no hurry to lose their room and board, he wondered if he could make some money fixing the place up and selling it. He and Ana could get a place of their own nearby, or maybe even expand their living space into the church.

"Man, you have it hard for this girl, don't you?" Dwayne grinned at him from the corner of the Sanctuary. "Already thinking about a home with a picket fence, aren't you?"

"Isn't that the American Dream?" Darren asked.

"Maybe. This girl might not want that, though." Dwayne was chewing on the other half of his Snickers bar. "I only bring it up cause I don't want your heart to get broken."

"I appreciate that." He wandered into the nave, careful where he put his feet.

"Besides, there's gotta be something wrong with her." Dwayne tossed the wrapped on the floor. "After all, other than your looks, she seems to like you."

Darren grunted, touching a nearby pew. The wood was dry, and a large splinter immediately came off in his hands. Using his teeth to pull it out, he looked up at the second floor. He couldn't see much, so craned his neck to look up into the bell tower.

At first, he saw nothing. The shadows were deep, the belfry a pit of blackness. Remembering the white curtain he had seen, he squinted, wondering which window it had been attached to.

A breeze kicked through the church, and he caught it as it billowed into the light. It fluttered for a few moments and then fell back into its original shape. Now that he knew where to look, his eyes traced the ceiling of the belfry in horror.

It was a giant spider web. His heart pounded in his chest when he realized that it covered the entirety of the belfry above.

Did Ana know about it? No, she couldn't have. Nobody would leave a car-sized spider web hanging about without mentioning it. She would have mentioned a spider problem if she had known about it. He would come back tomorrow to check it out in the light of day.

After all, he didn't want her worrying about it.

I really hope you are enjoying this story! I usually don't have such a frantic release schedule, but I really wanted to give the readers of Lit (who have been very kind to me) something awesome this October. It is my favorite month after all (love me some spooky monsters!).

Have a great day, thanks for reading, and be kind to yourself!