Monsters and Maidens

It took only a handful of hours before things had slowed down into a restless silence. The bodies had been laid out away from the bus, and those who’d survived but were worse for wear had been placed inside the relative security of the totaled vehicle.

That left the bulk of everyone’s effort going towards dismantling the seats and cushions from the upside-down bus. The pieces of furniture would be moved to obstruct the shattered windows and block easy access from the outside. It was a semblance of safety that, as far as Rick was concerned, would collapse the moment they were tested by anything of proportionate size to the spider monster.

But at least the sense of security would cut down on the panic. They had a deeper need for that. The looks on everyone’s faces spoke of a bare thread keeping them hanging. So keeping everyone away from that dangerous ledge was the most important thing right now.

Of those that remained among the living, there’d been a dozen or so that’d been left partially incapacitated in some shape or form. Be it broken bones or deep gashes. Of the rest, most were only bruised and scratched. But their main concern were the handful critically injured and whose conditions looked to be stable but unlikely to be that way for long. Alice had found a first-aid kit to sterilize the wounds and put gauze on them as best she could, but it was a far cry from the treatment they needed to survive.

Seeing no better way around it, Rick stepped into the bus, raising his voice so everyone would hear. “We have to leave.” The words came with a bang of determination. And as soon as the teacher spoke them, he noticed several looks of anger being shot his way from within the bus, especially from Alice. The female teacher had been kneeling next to one of the critically injured and was clearly not expecting him bring this up now.

Rick pressed on. “We have enough supplies to last us barely a few days. We cannot stay here.”

“I agree.” The statement came from the oldest member in the survivor’s group, the one who’d helped with organizing some of the people to dismantle the bus interior for parts. The fellow’s face was an example of chiseled sternness, old and worn, his eyes held steel within. “We are unarmed in hostile territory. We need to get aid. Or at the bare minimum reallocate somewhere more defensible.”

Rick took a moment to remind himself of the man’s name… Mister Gabriel, was it? He was sure the man was someone’s grandfather, but right now no names came to mind. Not that he was focusing too much on that matter, the conversation was more important right now.

Alice shot them an angry glare. “Look, we don’t need to move from here,” she hurried to speak up. “This is a defensible spot, the seats are sturdy enough. We can split up, have people seek and gather supplies. There are wounded here who’re not able to move, not without their condition worsening.”

An uneasy silence spread through the crowd. There were some who nodded at that proclamation. Others kept hardened expressions.

“They can’t be saved.” Everyone’s gaze turned to the loud redhead standing near the entrance, Mark Dodson. “Anyone who thinks we’re not fucked is a moron, we need to move the fuck away from this place.” Next to him, his younger brother shrunk and stepped away from the brash young man, trying to avoid the attention. “I’d say right now would be the best time.”

“The spider retreated from the roar,” Mr. Gabriel said with a scoff. “Whatever made that sound, meeting it in the dark is just begging to becoming a quick meal.”

“Agreed there. We need to be careful on how we do this. The bodies being away from the bus should help in that,” Rick spoke quickly. At his words, every head inside the bus towards him with looks that were far less sympathetic than they’d been a second ago. The chemistry teacher frowned at everyone else present, trying to push the pressure off of him. “Anyone here armed? Conceal carry?”

Their collective gazes lowered. A long silence followed with uneasy glances.

Rick nodded, lips tight in concern. “Then we can’t protect ourselves.”

“The gasoline in the tank is still usable,” Mr. Gabriel scoffed. “But we’re still short in supplies and that spider could come back.”

“Doesn’t mean that leaving is our best move,” Miss Alice muttered. Her eyes moved towards the rear of the bus, where the mantles rested, where there were people laying down and groaning. Some were in obvious pain, others deathly still. The woman’s frown deepened, but her tone remained soft. “We can’t let the wounded just… die.”

Rick’s lips thinned, the touch of tension within him being pushed back. Was there a better option available? “No one needs to die if we can avoid it.” His brow furrowed. “And we have no clue to tell us whether help will come at all. We have to move considering the worst and push to get everyone to safety as soon as we can.”

“I don’t believe the chances of being found are slim.” The voice came from the back. All eyes turned over to the muscular young man with thick glasses. Tomas squirmed as he took half a step forward, just enough to project his voice a bit better. “Our crash here must have been loud, it drew attention from that Arachnae. It’s likely to draw attention from elsewhere too.”

“The what now?” Mr. Gabriel frowned.

“Arachnae, fantasy creature, top half is a human, bottom half is a spider.”

“I don’t think the exact terminology is of importance right now, unless we see wizards and dragons,” Rick commented, turning back towards the other survivors, and spreading his arms wide to make it clear he was addressing all of them. “We can’t be sure we’re anywhere near a place that could have spotted, heard, or detected what happened. Setting out to find help is our only option.”

“Agreed,” Mr. Gabriel nodded solemnly. “If there’s any kind of population center nearby, then they should have a better understanding of the terrain and the threats. We need that help.”

Rick glanced at the crowd. He made sure to focus on each face for half a second. It was clear to him there would not be a unanimous resolution. But he didn’t need one either. “We have to prepare at least a scout team or two to head out and look for help. First light tomorrow would be the best option. Anyone interested in volunteering?”

“I will go.”

Mr. Gabriel’s hand rose as he stood straight; his body shook slightly as he looked at Rick, resolute, his expression hard as the shadows within the bus hid the graying hair. Next to him stood a young woman with dirty gold hair, her face contorted into a glare. She hissed something into his ear that he ignored, the older man remaining firm.

The young woman stared daggers at Mr. Gabriel and then at Rick.

“Well, that makes two of us.” The teacher nodded. “Everyone else that wants to join, think it over and give me a heads up before tomorrow. For now we should focus on preparing for the night.”

No one else spoke up. The young chemistry teacher nodded and stepped outside. He needed some air.