She was in the midst of unfamiliar faces; three men, Mike who she already met, Roland and Tommy and two women, Catalina and Esther. She sat watching and listening to what they talked about as they slapped cards on a burnish table. They called it poker night. Daniel had molded himself perfectly within when they entered receive back taps and hugs as he completely ignored her presence. Well not technically, he still collected the crystalline drink Mike handed over to her, downing it with a gulp which caused series of whooping from his friends.

"Raise," the freckled faced Roland with kind eyes threw a green circular surface which spun on its release landing with a clank when it met its kind at the center.

Voice followed after, raise, call fold and whatever they chanted. Zyca was the only one who didn't participate in their games or she knew not how to play, unlike Daniel who joined in. She was starting to get bored. Glancing around her, fed her eyes with the black designs on the plain walls in the shape of triangles of different sizes.

"So, Danny whose she," said Tommy chewing on a toothpick. He took it out and pointed it at her. "Your girl?" a tint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah, me curious about her too. Where did you get her from," Roland said and took a sip from his drink.

Catalina stretched across and whipped her husband's head from behind. "Quit talking like she's not here."

"Ouch." Roland rubbed where he had gotten slapped. "I was just asking," he shrugged.

"You were rude," she snarled, placing a card on the table.

"No, I was not. She could be a pub girl for all we know," he turned to Daniel. "Are you into that stuff?"

Catalina slapped his head harder this time making a sound when her hands met his bald head, thwack. "Ouch stop that," he cried.

"Not until you put a filter in your mouth."

Zyca just stared at them, unable to decide if she should speak or not.

"I really can't believe you both got married," said Daniel revealing all the cards in his hands. "I mean, you both hated each other."

"Opposite's really do attract." Esther spoke up for the first time, emulating what Daniel did. "Who would have thought their species would mix."

"Hello, we're still in the room." Catalina grumbled.

Somehow Zyca's eyes found Daniel's, who was already staring at her from across, a glint glazing his eyes.

Her lips parted and immediately she looked away.

"Yes!" Mike exclaimed, pulling all the green disks from the center to himself as the other's groaned.

"You always win." Daniel fell back on his seat. "How do you do it man?"

"It's my luck," he winked.

"So tell us. We're dying to know. Who is she?" Tommy asked.

Daniel shrugged. "Just a friend – we're like business partners."

Two times today, as a matter of fact. Two times it hurt like a torn.

"Business? I thought you were..." Mike started.

Daniel cleared his throat. "We're just doing something private that's all."

"Oh private." Roland twerked his eyebrows, jerking him with his shoulders. "I see what you're doing? Private before public."

"Shut up Roland," his wife told him sternly.

"Where is the bathroom?" Zyca asked Esther who sat just beside her. Zyca was feeling somewhat uncomfortable by the conversations they had. She wanted to leave.

"Excuse me? Where is the bathroom?" she asked again when she hadn't replied to a word she said.

"Down the hall when you curve at the corner," she finally replied not giving her a glance.

Ok?

****

The bathroom wasn't difficult to spot as it was just the first door she saw when she curved the corner.

Inside was small yet cozy for someone to do their business comfortably. She turned on the tap which let out various currents of water as she turned the head to the right until it got to the last.

Cupping a good amount of water in her hands, she splashed it on her face relishing the cold liquid as it ran down her face dripping on her dress and leaving a wet patch in the process.

'Come'

She spun around.

'Under'

She spun again. It was confirmed she was hearing things; the maids couldn't have followed her just for a prank. A chill wind like the one she felt, trickled her cheek, causing her to seek protection at the edge of the sink. She had two options, scream for help or run.

'Zyca'

The voice sounded a little clearer – it sounded somewhat familiar like a voice she had heard before but the problem was, she couldn't tell whose voice it was. Despite the similarity, her heart still tugged at the fact that a voice without a form spoke to her.

"Who are you? What do you what from me?" she called out.

She hadn't expected to get a reply.

The light up above twitched and dimmed until it was tiny like a candle flame about to go out, leaving her in the dim lit room unable to make out clearly anything she once saw. The scraping of an object on a surface drew her attention sharply, continuing in a hasty pace, lines? Horizontal and vertical perhaps or Crisscrossed? Zyca tried to make out the scrapping sound, she heard even though she trembled from the unexpected events which seemed to always come her way.

The light brightened and what she saw shocked her off her heels. She drew closer carefully to the stained wall trying to make sure what she saw was real. It looked like it was written in blood, but the lack of drips made her think otherwise.

It's I Allet

"Allet," she whispered.

She couldn't believe it! Placing her hands on the marked sides, she felt the sloppy writing under her hands running them all over from the beginning, starting with the first letter, all the way till she covered her sister's name.

Indeed, the wall had be scrapped with an object she could not tell, the letters were sharp under her palms and indents where made like holes on the wall; it seemed her sister had been trying to get through to her but how, why? She was asleep, a state where consciousness was far away from her, unable to tell the things in her surroundings. But she was here, in her head, calling her name. She hoped dearly, Colt's parents hadn't woken her up.

No! She shook her head not wanting to believe her time was up, it had just been three days she had arrived.

"BEHIND YOU!"

Immediately she turned, responding to the very clear call, much to her surprise, and a two headed tarantula stood behind baring its razor-sharp teeth for her to see, clipping its clippers as it made snappy sound.

In response she retreated. The tarantula was big, a size she had never seen but read about in the Creatures that lived. What she didn't understand was why it stood before her, dripping green acidic goo from both of its mouth and advancing towards her in menacing steps.

"The crystal," the creature slurred. "Where is the crystal," it spat making her reel for the side to avoid burning from the spit. Her legs trembled in fear.

"I don't have it," she forced out.

"That's what they all say - There's no way, Naxeremis's Daughter would not have the crystal."

"You know me." she said inching toward the wall.

"Who wouldn't? You reek of him. NOW GIVE IT TO ME, WHILE WE'RE BEING NICE."

"I told you I don't have the crystal."

"Don't lie to me. I smelt it on you."

"Smelt? How..."

"When you came by this afternoon." It couldn't be. "I've been looking for the crystal for so long being disguised as a dead human, retaining all her filthy memories just for me get back to my world and now I've found the opportunity I won't not let you get away."

Zyca couldn't believe her ears, the tarantula could change bodies and the she had been right about what smelt at Mama T's house for the acidic liquid she had thrown at her which drilled a hole in the wall emanated the same smell.

The only option she had was to run away from it as far as possible but the problem was the two headed spider blocked the way with its large body. The other option was to scream for someone to hear but she didn't want to endanger someone else's life as they tried to save her; that is if they would want to save her after seeing the creature.

"Please I do not have what you seek," she tried to reason. "I'm looking for my father and possibly I'll find the crystal when I find him. He is the one you should look for not me."

"LIAR! I smelt it on you," she repeated nudging with her head to the other who hadn't spoken a word. "Didn't you smell it too?"

"Without a doubt." The voice made her jump. It was much deeper and raw like a sore.

Zyca skipped narrowing avoiding the sticky spider web they sprayed.

"GET HER!"

Zyca ran straight for a bathroom stall, forcing open the door, she banged it shut, pinning the locks. The tarantula banged with its claws making the door rattle from its force, weakling the hinges. What should she do now? She had nowhere to run nor hide. She could stay there and wait for her demise or she could pass the rectangular hole on her left which led to the other stall.

Zyca faced her back to the door, in an attempt to prevent it from falling aloof. But she knew in a matter of time, it was going to get loose.

She took a deep breath. She counted, 1, 2, 3, closed her eyes tightly for a moment. Then she gathered the ruffles of her dress into her hands and dived for the hole.

She constrained her head in through the space first, wigging her body on the floor from side to side like a snake until she passed through.

Zyca did the same until she got to the very last stall. She glued her back and waited if it followed. No more banging could be heard. Had it left her?

She hurried and pressed her ear to the hard surface, waiting for any sound at all. She visibly relaxed.

The feeling on her body part was rustic, harsh and very painful. A good amount of material had melted off her shoulder as a small red whitish patch replaced her skin. She inched her head upwards and saw the spider dripping its goo downwards.

"Gat ya." Zyca let out a scream which was short lived as the weight fell on her like a big sack of potatoes sending her body smashing painfully hard on the door.

"I don't have it!" She shouted.

"LIAR!" they both exclaimed. "Others will come for it. Why don't you give us why we are asking nicely?"

"Leave me alone!"

They let out a baleful scream jumping an inch high and hitting their spiky legs right on her chest, causing her to slide with the door breaking off its hinges back to the sink. Her body hurt all over, worse she'd ever felt like a thousand and one pins piercing her body all over.

"Give us the crystal," it took off advancing.

"I told you I don't have it," she gritted her teeth as the pain became unbearable. "Remember we came looking for answers..."

"Shut up," it raised its legs penetrating her injured shoulder breaking her bones all the way to the end where she laid unable to move. She let out an excruciating scream banging her head as tears ran down her eyes. Was this how her life would end? Without finding what she came for, she would die in another man's land for something she didn't have. She blamed her father dearly, if he hadn't done what he did, she wouldn't have come to the human world, she wouldn't have...

She let out another scream when they pierced her other arm.

"GIVE US THE CRYSTAL!!" It sank its leg deeper and deeper, twisting and turning making her feel worse.

Zyca didn't know why she did it, or why she had the urge to call his name when the Tarantula raised the other leg ready to pierce her leg. Daniel was just seconds away but she wanted to call who was worlds away. Maybe she wanted him to protect her like the times he always did, raising his fists and kicking his legs.

"Colt," she whispered. Her vision was starting to get hazy, the world around her was beginning to fade away.

"Zyca!" A male voice screamed. Who was that? Her senses could not tell whose voice it was. Was that the voice one hears before they fall totally into the abyss? "Stay calm, I'm coming." she shivered as a cold chill came over her, from her toes to her head, her hands became clammy as she tried so hard to squeeze them together to avoid passing out.

A disheveled looking object swung in her view, whipping the tarantula to which had it staggered to the back releasing its poisonous leg out of her skin away with her blood and crashed on the wall.

She wanted to speak, scream if possible, for whoever it was should run for the hills away from the danger before they died alongside her. Oh, how she wanted to but her vision was already getting dark as she felt the venom sinking in her veins, crawling up and spreading all over then finally it was pitch black.

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