The House of the Spider

The House of the Spider

by John Bannergram

On All Hallow's Eve come seek the spider, there to slay, or remain beside her.

Heed the words and know the signs, that you may escape her den alive.

"Evocative, isn't it? Unfortunately, I only have the first few lines."

Kristen Simms nodded. She was a grad student specializing in Arachnology, the study of spiders, and aside from the occasional digression into the study of insects, her interests didn't extend beyond her own field. But she had a very specific reason for investigating the colonial folklore that Professor Bothal specialized in. A reason that she would rather the professor not know.

"When and where do these stories originate?"

When is difficult to say. But the where, I'd say, is what is now the little town of Fernsmith. Now, in 1749..."

Kristen smiled politely as the professor droned on about cultural origins. She was dressed...not sluttily, exactly, but she was showing enough leg and cleavage to ingratiate herself with old Professor Bothal. She had a good figure, and brilliant red hair that contrasted nicely with her pale skin. All of which was holding her in good stead. Kristen's efforts had not been in vain. She had managed to find out what she needed to know, and she'd done it without the professor even suspecting that Kristen Simms was a nut.

At least, that's what he would think if he knew about Kristen's secret passion. Many people had an interest in supernatural creatures. Some were into bigfoot. Others the Loch Ness monster, or the chupacabra. Kristen, perhaps not surprisingly given her field of study, was devoted to Araneida Regina - the queen spider.

Kristen was obsessed with the idea that the legends of giant spiders were true, and that some man-sized prehistoric holdover still existed in the present day. That they lurked unseen, spinning their webs within dark New England forests. Her belief was that folktales always had a kernel of truth, and that if she searched in the areas from which the old stories originated, one day she might find one of these Araneidae.

Naturally, as Kristen prepared for her trip to Fernsmith, she took great care not to let anyone know where she was going or why she was going there. She'd be a laughing stock if people found out that Kristen Simms was out searching the countryside for giant spiders. But it was hard to contain her excitement.

Fernsmith was it, she could feel it. It was an isolated town, surrounded by wilderness where a giant spider could hide and never be seen by human eyes. She'd found the right place, and it was almost Halloween, the time of year when the poem said the spider was most likely to be found. This time she would succeed where others had failed. She'd find an Araneida Regina and bring it back for study, winning herself fame and glory.

The night before the trip, after all her packing and planning was done, Kristen decided to celebrate in her own way. She smiled as she opened the drawer by her bed and pulled out her other little secret. A pair of handcuffs, and a leather collar. A key frozen within an ice cube ensured that she would remain a prisoner for the next two hours. Kristen stripped naked and put herself in bondage, then padlocked the collar around her neck. As she lay in bed and began to pleasure herself, she thought of the adventure to come. This was going to be a Halloween to remember.

Kristen began her drive early the next morning. After a long trip down windy roads through endless forests, she reached the town of Fernsmith. It wasn't the most cheerful place in the world. The buildings were rundown, the people taciturn and untrusting of outsiders. But Kristen didn't mind. She wasn't going to be staying there, she had already arranged room and board at a house outside of town. She had done her research, and decided that the most likely place to find her spider would be in the forest just north of Fernsmith. Kristen had chosen the house that she would be staying at because it was in the middle of her search area, which would allow her to use it as a kind of basecamp.

After she had left the town proper, she stopped to ask directions at a hog farm by the side of the road. The farmer was even more unpleasant than the townsfolk.

He scowled at Kristen. "What do you want?"

"I...I'm going to be renting a room from Lycosa Collingsworth, could you tell me where she lives?"

The man gave a toothy smile. "Ah, you'll be wanting the House of the Spider!"

"The what?"

"That's what we all call it 'round here. Always have, since time began. You're almost there, turn left at the next fork in the road."

As Kristen drove away, she saw the farmer staring after her with a strange look on his face. The man made a sign with his hand, so that his fingers looked like the legs of a spider. The experience left Kristen uneasy. She tried to tell herself that she was being silly. She was bound to run into some local superstitions. But all the same, when Kristen arrived at the clearing where Lycosa Collingsworth's house was located, she still hadn't recovered her good humor.

The house was grim and foreboding. The old stone mansion seemed to be in the process of being swallowed up by the forest that surrounded it. Part of the house was already in ruins, claimed by undergrowth. The sound of the door knocker echoed through the eerie silence that prevailed.

"Yes?"

Kristen tried not to jump at the sight of the woman who loomed over her. Her face had a kind of cold, angular beauty about it, but she wore a stern, forbidding expression. She certainly wasn't dressed for company. She wore baggy clothes, and had an oddly slouched posture. Her sole concession to vanity was the dark purple dye that had been applied to her long, flowing hair.

"I...um...you must be Lycosa Collingsworth. I'm Kristen Simms, I reserved a room?"

Lycosa gave her a polite smile. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have known. I hope I didn't put you off, I've been getting a lot of traveling salespeople lately, and if you're at all nice to them they just won't leave you alone."

"Uh, that's ok," Kristen stammered.

"Come this way, I've prepared your room."

The inside of the house was no more cheerful than the outside. Of course, Kristen wouldn't be spending much time there, she only needed a place to eat and sleep. However, when Lycosa led her up a narrow staircase to the second floor and showed her to her room, Kristen was pleasantly surprised. There was no television or Internet, but the old-fashioned four-post bed looked comfortable, the thick carpet was luxurious, and the room was clean and tidy, with its own bathroom and a small window that overlooked the forest. There was even an entire wall of books, both scholarly and light-reading, for Kristen to entertain herself with.

"Thanks, this is really nice."

"I hope you'll be comfortable here. Come down once you've freshened up. Dinner is ready and will be served in ten minutes."

Kristen hesitated. "I had intended to do a little...hiking today."

"You wouldn't get very far. It'll be dark soon. Besides, you must be exhausted after your drive."

Kristen gave in. Lycosa...wasn't the sort of person you could argue with. Besides, she was right, it was getting late. Going out would be pointless, and Kristen was tired and hungry. Her best move was to have a good meal, get a good night's sleep, and start fresh in the morning.

The dinner was excellent, albeit with an unusual flavor born from a local seasoning that Lycosa liked to use in her cooking. Kristen's host was a strange one. Perhaps it was because of her manner of living. With her home in the middle of nowhere, she was probably used to being alone. Kristen frowned at Lycosa's gloved hands. Her face turned red as she realized that her host had caught her watching.

"Um, sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

"You have nothing to apologize for. In answer to the question that you're too polite to ask, the gloves are to protect my hands. I have a rare health condition that, among other things, makes my skin very sensitive."

That explained Lycosa's clothes, too, and probably her bad posture. Kristen felt like a piece of shit. She had thought that her host was creepy and slovenly, when in fact she was dealing with a chronic illness.

"I'm so sorry. It must be hard on you."

"Oh, I'm used to it. At least it's only from the neck down, so I don't have to keep my face covered. It's only the visitors that stare. Everyone in town knows about my condition, and they're used to my peculiarities. You've probably already discovered that the townsfolk are touchy with newcomers, but they're loyal to their friends. I imagine you're here for the Spider."

"I-What?!?" Kristen was startled, both by the sudden change in topic, and the fact that her host knew her secret. "Who told you?"

Lycosa let out a laugh that was unsettling instead of jolly. "No one had to tell me. I knew you for what you were as soon as we met. You're not the first person to come here looking for our local legend."

"Do...you believe in it?"

"The Mistress of the Web? I believe she exists, and that she lives nearby, but I cannot help you beyond that."

It occurred to Kristen that this was a rare opportunity. Unsettling as her host might be, Lycosa knew the countryside, and she probably knew all the local legends. She was an invaluable source of knowledge.

"If...you were trying to find it, where would you look?"

Unlike Kristen, Lycosa had made herself some pork that was so undercooked that it was almost raw. Kristen had wondered about it, but after learning about her host's condition, she assumed that it was some sort of dietary thing. Lycosa frowned thoughtfully as she cut into her meat, producing a pool of blood.

"The Spider needs food, and a lot of it. Start looking in the thickest parts of the forest, where there's more big game to hunt. There are some old trails that you should try, I'll show you where they are in the morning. Start with them, then look for any signs of a large animal moving through the undergrowth. Something that big would leave tracks."

"Thanks, Lycosa. That's really helpful."

"My pleasure. Who knows? You might be the one to find her. After all, it's the right year."

Kristen was intrigued. "Year? I never heard that part of the legend. How does it go?"

"Oh, there isn't much to tell. Just that every so many years the Spider is supposed to be more active, engaged in some special purpose. Doing what, no man can say. But at any rate, this is the Year of the Spider. In fact, the townsfolk are holding a festival on Halloween to celebrate."

Kristen was overjoyed. Everything was going her way. She wasn't sure when or how she would do it, but this time, she'd finally find an Araneida Regina.

After dinner, Lycosa retired to bed. It was still a little early, but Kristen decided to follow her host's example. There wasn't much to do, and she was sleepy after her meal. Besides, she wanted to get an early start in the morning. Kristen wrote up a few notes on her search in the little book that she had brought with her, then went to bed. Her bed was every bit as comfortable as it looked, and in no time at all, she was fast asleep.

Kristen woke with the daylight streaming through her window. It looked like it was going to be a fine, crisp autumn day. She yawned and stretched, still groggy from her sound sleep. Kristen had had strange dreams that were only half-remembered. There'd been spiders...and Lycosa. Her host had towered over her in triumph. The tone of the dream hadn't been one of terror, but...Kristen smiled as her hand crept beneath her pajama trousers. Her face went red. She really had enjoyed that dream. Her fingers, and her panties, were wet.

Kristen started to get out of bed, only to find that her ankles were stuck together. She pulled aside her blanket, and saw...spiderwebs. Sometime during the night, a spider had spun a web between her ankles that was about 6 inches long. Kristen tried to pull her legs apart, but she was only able to get her ankles about an inch farther before they snapped back together. She struggled against her webbing, harder and harder, but it was like wearing leg-irons. Plucking at it with her hands didn't work either.

Kristen wasn't frightened. She had packed a utility knife in her bag, so freeing herself would be no problem. In fact, she was overjoyed. Kristen was sure now that she had come to the right place.

Obviously, her web had not been made by Araneida Regina. Aside from the fact that her door had been closed and locked, it was unusually narrow. A giant spider wouldn't have been able to get through it. There was only one possible answer: there had to be a smaller, related species of spider, call it 'Araneida Regina Minor'. A group of them must have slipped under her bedroom door or through a crack in the wall while she was asleep. Even though they weren't the spiders Kristen was looking for, her little friends were proof that she was on the right track.

But mixed with her sense of triumph was...arousal. Kristen was already horny as hell from her dreams, and her unexpected bondage was the icing on the cake. Her imagination was filled with little fantasies of being trapped. Of having her feet chained together and being unable to get free. Of being a helpless prisoner. Once more her hand slipped beneath her panties. She began to rub...

Afterwards, Kristen cut herself loose and took a quick shower. In spite of her jilling off session, it was still early, but she wanted to take full advantage of the daylight to start her search. When Kristen came downstairs, she found that Lycosa had heard her getting up, and had been thoughtful enough to prepare a hearty breakfast. The bacon and eggs were terrific. The eggs had a good sharp cheese mixed in, along with the same seasoning blend that Lycosa had used for dinner. Kristen didn't mind, though, she liked the stuff. After breakfast, Lycosa showed her some of the trails that led into the forest. Kristen gave her backpack one final check and set out.

Kristen made her way deeper and deeper into the forest. The air grew colder, and the shadows seemed to move by themselves. But despite the foreboding atmosphere, it was an uneventful day. Kristen searched for hours and hours, stopping only to eat the lunch that Lycosa had packed for her. In the end, she returned with nothing to show for it.

She tried not to feel discouraged. After all, she could hardly expect to find an Araneida Regina on her first day. Lycosa could tell that her guest was disappointed, and tried to cheer her up. As before, she prepared a fine meal, this time a pork roast with bread and root vegetables. And, as with every meal, it had that wonderful seasoning in it.

"This is a great dinner, Lycosa."

"Thank you, Kristen, I'm so glad you like it. As you can see," Lycosa nodded down at her own pork, which was rare and without seasoning, "my diet is somewhat limited, so it's nice to have someone to cook for."

"Is the pork from the farm outside of town?"

"Yes, I used the meat for both of our meals. He always brings me the choicest cuts, bless him."

"At least I'm eating well," sighed Kristen, "even if I wasn't very successful today."

"Try not to let it get you down. You'll find what you're looking for in the end. Let's talk about something else. When you do find the Spider, what do you plan to do with her?"

"Well, spiders tend to stay in one spot, so once I know where its nest is, I can hire a crew with nets and other equipment and come back. I specialize in the study of spiders, and if I'm able to capture an Araneida Regina alive, it will revolutionize the field. Not to mention its agricultural potential. Can you imagine how society would benefit from spiders that can produce their silk in large quantities? Spider's silk has properties that no other material can match. It's stronger than steel."

"The Spider might object, though."

"Oh, when I come back with a team we'll have plenty of protective equipment in case it gets violent."

There was an awkward silence. Kristen suddenly realized that that wasn't at all what Lycosa had meant. She had a feeling that she might have offended her host. "I...uh, I won't hurt it, of course. I just want to study a live specimen. I'll take good care of it."

"I'm sure you will. But if you'll excuse me, I'm a bit tired. I suspect you are too..."

Once again, Kristen went to bed early. But although she was tired after her hike, this time she didn't fall asleep right away. As she lay in bed, she heard...moaning. Somewhere, there were women moaning in despair, their voices echoing through the walls. Kristen got up to see what was the matter, but just as she was about to leave her room, the noises stopped.

Kristen debated with herself about what to do. Should she search the house? That wasn't a good idea, she'd get lost. Besides, without the sounds to guide her, she wouldn't know where to look. Should she wake her host? Definitely not. For one thing, if there was something going on, Lycosa might be part of it. Besides, Kristen wasn't at all sure whether it really had been moaning. There was probably a perfectly logical explanation for the whole thing.

She sighed as she stared at her bed. Kristen was wide awake now, and she had wanted to get an early start. She felt hot, too, almost feverish. Kristen took off her pajamas and lay down. She tried to steady her nerves.

Deep breaths. In, out. Hear that outside? The branches are scraping against the house. That's all it was.

But it was a very long time before Kristen fell asleep.

More dreams. Bound and trapped, ecstasy and enslavement. Lycosa...

Kristen woke up wearing nothing but her panties. Where were her pajamas? Oh, that's right, she'd taken them off. Kristen's face flushed. It had been another night of erotic dreams. Her panties were soaked. She began to get out of bed, only to find that the impossible had happened. The spiders had been back, and they'd done it again.

Instead of just sticking her ankles together, they had woven a cocoon around her lower body that stopped just below her crotch. Kristen struggled against the webbing. This time there was no give. She couldn't even bend one of her knees without bending the other. It was like her legs had been replaced with a mermaid's tail.

Kristen glanced across the room at the bag with her knife in it. She couldn't walk, she would have to hop there. But as soon as she got up, Kristen's feet, which were covered in spider's silk, slid out from under her. She lost her balance and toppled onto the soft carpeting.

Kristen tried to get up, only to fall over again. She was going to have to inch her way across the floor. Then she could fish out the knife from her bag and cut herself loose. At least, the plan was that she was going to cut herself loose.

But as Kristen made her way across the room, she soon became distracted. She felt a submissive thrill as she realized just how helpless she had become. She couldn't walk. She couldn't get up. All she could do was crawl. Kristen looked up at the door to her room. From her position on the floor, the bolt was impossibly high up, far beyond her reach. She couldn't open the door to her room. Nor could she stand and look out of the barred window with its view of the forest. As she stared up at the bars, Kristen felt like an animal at the zoo, confined to a cage by her keeper.

Yes, that's all she was. An exhibit at the zoo. She'd been caught in a trap, and now she would spend the rest of her life in a cage, being stared at by her betters. Kristen began to crawl about the room, savoring the feel of her bondage. Perhaps it was a half-remembered fragment of her dream, or perhaps it was something new from her imagination, but Kristen could envision Lycosa standing above her. Lycosa, her master. Lycosa, her keeper. Lycosa, her jailor. Kristen could practically hear her voice, mocking her.