He didn't stop breathing whispered words next to her and Vega leaned against him. "Arlo..." She turned to look at him, her eyes dark and focused on him. As, she recognised he was focused on her. Where they were suddenly seemed like a stupid place to be when the bedroll was warm and the tent just theirs. She'd said that they could stay in that tent till next Vhalar and why hadn't he listened? Why, come to that, hadn't she insisted Vega wondered as she moved to kiss him.
"Wot?" Vega frowned as she realised that there was no way he was making that noise and yet, she could hear it. "If yer doin' some stupid voice-throwin' thing to wig me out, it's workin. Stop it." She looked around and then back to him. "Can you 'ear that?" Moments ago, she'd had quite a different expression but now her frown was deep and thoughts of being distracted were gone from her. Thumping him on the shoulder, she gestured around. "Stop messin' about, whisperin' an' stuff when there's quite enough of it goin' on in a not good way."
Once they got to the conversation about sacrifice as well, Vega was about half a hair's breadth away from suggesting that there was a lot to be said for that tent, that bedroll and being Not Here Right Now. But she didn't get the words out because of the sound and then the... thing. Yes, it was a giant bloody spider, she thought, and it was dead. Arlo didn't like spiders? She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him that she didn't either, especially when they were that bloody big, but no sound came out, per se, just a sort of squeaking noise.
It was dead. That was what she couldn't get past, it was dead and it was moving. All eight legs, all of the millions of little squidgy eyes, they were all dead, and covered in moss. Arlo took a step backwards and that seemed like a very good idea, except she couldn't move. Her legs, which had never let her down before, refused to do as they were told. It was odd, she thought, distractedly, they'd always been compliant before. Obedient, even. She didn't really have to think and they moved, but then there wasn't usually the clack-clack noise and it was dead but moving.
"Arlo?" Her voice was high pitched, squeaky and not at all like any sound she ever made. Shrill, she thought wildly, that was what she sounded like. Shrill and terrified and about to die; the irony that she should be about to die on this trial of all of them was momentarily lost on her, although she did think with absolute clarity that she hoped Arlo didn't watch her die. It wouldn't be pretty, she thought, her mind flying at speed as her body remained frozen. Because it was dead but it was moving. All snapping mandibles and charging towards them, some vile pus-stuff oozing out of it's eyes, it was bloody well moving. More than that, it was moving towards them, fast
Which really made her wonder why she still wasn't
"Wot?" Vega frowned as she realised that there was no way he was making that noise and yet, she could hear it. "If yer doin' some stupid voice-throwin' thing to wig me out, it's workin. Stop it." She looked around and then back to him. "Can you 'ear that?" Moments ago, she'd had quite a different expression but now her frown was deep and thoughts of being distracted were gone from her. Thumping him on the shoulder, she gestured around. "Stop messin' about, whisperin' an' stuff when there's quite enough of it goin' on in a not good way."
Once they got to the conversation about sacrifice as well, Vega was about half a hair's breadth away from suggesting that there was a lot to be said for that tent, that bedroll and being Not Here Right Now. But she didn't get the words out because of the sound and then the... thing. Yes, it was a giant bloody spider, she thought, and it was dead. Arlo didn't like spiders? She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him that she didn't either, especially when they were that bloody big, but no sound came out, per se, just a sort of squeaking noise.
It was dead. That was what she couldn't get past, it was dead and it was moving. All eight legs, all of the millions of little squidgy eyes, they were all dead, and covered in moss. Arlo took a step backwards and that seemed like a very good idea, except she couldn't move. Her legs, which had never let her down before, refused to do as they were told. It was odd, she thought, distractedly, they'd always been compliant before. Obedient, even. She didn't really have to think and they moved, but then there wasn't usually the clack-clack noise and it was dead but moving.
"Arlo?" Her voice was high pitched, squeaky and not at all like any sound she ever made. Shrill, she thought wildly, that was what she sounded like. Shrill and terrified and about to die; the irony that she should be about to die on this trial of all of them was momentarily lost on her, although she did think with absolute clarity that she hoped Arlo didn't watch her die. It wouldn't be pretty, she thought, her mind flying at speed as her body remained frozen. Because it was dead but it was moving. All snapping mandibles and charging towards them, some vile pus-stuff oozing out of it's eyes, it was bloody well moving. More than that, it was moving towards them, fast
Which really made her wonder why she still wasn't