Chapter 11 - Torture

"Are we ready to leave, second lieutenant?" Asked a stern middle aged man

"Yes, Captain Briggs. First lieutenant Maria Blanks and First lieutenant Jake Hammer are on stand by.

"Good, then notify Major Marshall of our immediate departure."

"Yes, sir."

***

Running back to the empty store Jason brought us inside before, I rested my weight on a pillar inside.

Panting with heavier breaths than before, I wanted nothing more than to just sleep. It's been 2 hours since we got here and I already wanted to leave. I'm definitely putting this town in my blacklist.

"Hagh, Where are you guys?"

***

*VROOOM*

"I got it!" My older brother Jason yelled

We were inside a small parking garage, Jason messed up the last car. Said it was 'faulty'.

"Now let's go before your boyfriend Mark blows his top" Jason laughed

"Finally we're getting out of this stupid town!" I ignored Jason's fantasies

I grabbed our luggage that we brought with us from Jason's truck. I very carefully placed the metal container that had the crystal flower behind the backseat.

Mark said that it was possibly very valuable and to not touch it since I could get burned.

The container had the alien worms scales for the floor and roof, we used the pieces of an empty tin can to use as walls for a makeshift container, we used some fabric from some old blankets to make sure it won't fall apart.

We got inside the car and made our way to the store where Mark should be waiting for us.

***

I woke up somewhat groggily, I had fallen asleep. 'That was risky.' I thought

I tried getting up but my leg was unbearably sore. I laid there for a good minute before pushing myself up.

"It's felt like a long time since I got here and they still aren't here, maybe something happened..." I worriedly pondered

I started walking out, after making sure that the spider wasn't outside I left the store.

After walking east from the store, south from the square. I heard a very distinct noise that could only belong to a car. Sighing of relief that nothing had happened to them. I started picking up the pace.

When all of a sudden I felt the hair on my body rise, warning me. My body instinctly moved backwards, right as a blurry black figure landed where I was.

It was the spider.

"So damn persistent!!" I yelled at her, no longer so fearful as before.

But that only lasted until I saw her face. Yes, her actual face. Thanks to my 'flamethrower' her mask had melted, revealing her true appearance.

And how I wished that I hadn't aimed for her mask. Her face while having the obvious appearance of a spider also had weird combination of a mosquito and fly. The world's most hated insects.

"Human!!" She growled

It seems that her previous anger had transformed into pure hatred. Great. Well it wouldn't make much of a difference, I thought.

Putting pressure on her feet, she leaped toward me. Forcing my aching and hurt body out of the way, I barely dodged her. Or so I thought.

*SWISSH!!*

After seeing that I had dodged her attack, she quickly spun a web attaching it to my clothes. She flung me on top of a car. Destroying the top and some of my ribs.

"ARRGGHH!!!"

I have never felt so much pain in my life! Comparing my leg injury to this, would be like comparing getting bit by a mosquito and getting hit by a metal bat.

"HAHAHA"

I tried getting off to run away, but seeing that I was still able to move she flung me to nearby restaurant. Crashing through the windows I landed on my side inside the restaurant.

Gasping for air, I wondered just how well they had to pay stunt doubles to do this shit everyday!

*Patter*

*Patter*

As she got closer, I felt a lump growing inside my throat. Was I scared? Yes! But not of dying but of the torture she'll definitely put me through to quench her thirst for revenge.

"You know despite my threats back inside the shopping center, I would've at most taken off a limb and eaten it in front of you before instantly killing you."

She paused as she watched me crawl on my hands and knees trying to get away.

"After all, despite my webs being a limited resource for me. It wouldn't have been impossible for me to make more. But the webs for my mask was... special."

She paused once more, before she grabbed my leg pulling me into the air. She had me face her hideous face, my eyes reflecting into her 6 eyes.

"And for that...I'll have to put you through a punishment that will make even the most strong willed men, want to die" She finished chirpily

***

"... something's wrong." Jason suddenly said

"What do you mean?" George asked

The two brothers had reached the agreed meeting point. But despite having waited for an hour, there was no sight of Mark.

"We've waited here for an hour or so. Yet he hasn't even shown a glimpse of himself." Jason said

"WHAT?! It's been an hour?!"

"Why are you so surprised? And also what have even been doing?"

"I was seeing what this flower is harmful toward and what isn't." George said while grabbing a loose web and nearing it to the flower.

It started to burn, and at a very fast pace too. Then he grabbed a loose piece of cloth from his shirt and did the same. It didn't burn, not even a sizzle.

"It burns moisture!" Jason exclaimed

"Yeah, things that are wet." George said before turning serious

"Now you know why I wasn't paying attention to the time. But why didn't you say anything after Mark didn't appear after an hour?!" George asked, his voice rising.

"I thought he was just taking longer because of his injury, you know we had to make multiple stops for him on our way to this town." Jason said with a shrug

"Let's hurry and go! We have to save Mark if he's in danger!"

***

If you were walking 3 blocks away, you'd pass by hearing a frantic and painful shriek. You'd think it's just someone watching a horror movie with the volume up too high...You'd be wrong.

Mark was hanging in the air, wearing nothing but his underwear and was being roasted alive under a bond fire. He was covered in a purple-ish oil from top to bottom, it was potent spider poison.

He was screaming while frantically trying to unstick his body from the silk. His upper and lower body had rashes growing all over, bursting all at the same time while the poison did its job to ensure that he enjoyed the pain twice as much.

'FUUCCKK!! IT BURNS!! I JUST WANT TO DIE!!!'

I felt like yelling at the spider, telling her to go to hell. But at the same time I wanted to beg her to just kill me. I felt my tears flow down my face before it evaporated from the overwhelming heat.

I could barely keep myself sane from the burning of my wounds, my body roasting had a smell that I would've liked if it weren't mixed with the horrible smell of the poison. My ears were bloodshot from my own screaming...I didn't know how long I could go on.

"Mmm...hearing your screams...Ahh~ sounds so good~!"

"Nothing is more satisfying than this! Don't you think, human?"

My screams responded to her question

"Hihi, you know, these fire resistant webs are very hard to make. So you better show me more pain and despair to make this worthwhile." She said, her fangs twitching

*Click!*

I thought I heard the sound of a car braking, and it wasn't until I heard a familiar voice that I realized. Those two idiots are finally here.

"Holy Shit!! Mark!"