Jared had stopped moving, all but his chest, moving up and down silently. Breathing quietly. Breathing shallowly. I softly pet his now bare chest. You are going to be okay, I promise. I cradle him under my bosom to potect him while I slide out from underneath the cave entrance. The sun was setting, casting brilliant colors across the sky. I suddenly wish Jared was watching this sunset with me. What was this feeling in my chest?

It banged against my skull and rattled my rib cage. What was this? It screamed in my ears, but I couldn't hear. What is it saying? What does my heart sing so loud but my mind is deaf to? I was brought back to the matter at hand when Jared screamed in his sleep, having rolled onto his arm. I carefully move him back, causing him to whimper in pain. I began slithering towards the setting sun.

"Where are you going?" Bria called, trying to get out of the cave.

"I'm taking Jared to a Healer." I replied, still a little upset at her for almost killing him.

"The nearest Healer is almost five hundred miles away. I don't think he'll make it." She gestures to Jared, who was shaking slightly. Blood continued to pool into my hand with no sign of stopping.

"What do we do?" I ask.

"Well... we could always talk with Nurse Pedianna." Bria said.

"No way!" I cry. Nurse Pedianna was the worse creature in the entire forest. She took pleasure in killing humans. She was the last one I wanted to bring Jared to.

"I know you and Nurse Pedianna aren't on the best of terms, but she is the closest person who could help him." I sigh. She was right.

"Alright." I say quietly. "We'll bring him to Pedianna." I slowly slither towards the great cave that was the school. It wasn't far away from my own cave. It was not even a five minute slither away. I began slithing as quick as I could towards the school.

I quietly scuttered across my web, checking for any tears or breaks in the web. Hmmmm? A small bit of web had come undone near the top. I crawled to the top to put it back around the branch it was on. Something big broke through the web, leaving a huge hole in the middle. It got a little bit tangled in it, but kept going. It was followed by another dark shape that I could not make out in the darkness.

"Hey! My web!" I yell after them.

"Sorry! Life or death!" The first one yelled back. I grumble in annoyance. I work hard to keep this web in perfect condition! And all the other giants just run through it! I begin to fix it for the fifty-second time that day. That day! Huh? There's a bit of movement in the remains of the web. I could feel my eight eyes shine brightly.

I stop in front of the school, just as Nurse Pedianna was locking the front door.

"Serpentine? Bria?" Pedianna asked, though I could tell she was smirking behind her mandibles. "Do you need my help?" I hold my hands out for her to see.

"Can you help him?" I ask.

"Serpentine. There's nothing but cloth in your hands." Pedianna smirked. She walked away, her legs tearing across the ground. I glance in my hands and gasp. Where was Jared? I notice something white. I touch it. Half of it stuck to my finger, and stretched out between palm and finger. Webbing. Oh no.