wheel.
Eleven cage doors began opening at once.
The wolf snarled. The gorilla began beating its chest. The rattlesnake hissed and the rat scampered in a circle. The spider got down low and tried to squeeze beneath the rising door. The scorpion stood tall and raised its tail. The bullfrog jumped, knocking its head against the cage roof. The wasp stung the ground beneath its feet twice and the grizzly bear growled.
The crowd released several collective gasps.
God’s People began stirring. Most stayed close to the cage but a few began to wander. Frail screams were released. Children buried terrified faces against their mother’s dresses. Fathers cursed Jonathan’s name.
“This is going to be good,” Jon whispered.
A string of saliva dangled between Monk’s thin lips, he looked terrified. And a moment later the spider squeezed its body under the cage door.
It was free. And it was Hungry.
* * *
Eight long, hairy legs scampered across the ground with incredible speed, creating a sound similar to a trotting horse. Each leg was the size of a tree trunk, orange on one side and brown on the other. It hard-shelled back was as thick as the bible.
It leapt.
Helga turned her lanky body towards the giant arachnid with her mouth gaped in fear and her tongue pulled so deep into her throat you’d think she was trying to swallow it. She stepped back, looking directly into three rows of eyes. From her perspective the eyes looked like a deformed face.
As the 750-pound spider knocked her down she couldn’t help noticing that the creature smelled like a barn. The spider nuzzled closer. Its two front legs held her shoulders, two long, orange, mandibles snapped together, tearing away her face and half her skull. Helga’s blood and brains spewed into the air.
Then all the people of Monk Town flinched and God’s People started running. But there with no escape plan, only the need to move.
Four children stayed where they were, three girls and a boy.
The boy’s eyes were glued in place. He watched the giant spider with his hands at his heart. If not for the fear in his eyes, he’d look like he had fallen in love.
Next to the boy, a girl with pigtails began pissing herself.
And next to the girl with the pigtails, a girl wearing a bright yellow dress had her hands over her eyes, her shoulders raised to her ears, and her elbows tucked into her waist. Her knees were pressed together, making her legs look like they were melting. She was whispering, “Stand still and nothing will hurt you.”
On her left stood a two-year-old girl.
The two-year-old had baby-smooth skin, blonde curly hair, and wasn’t much bigger than a newborn. She watched people running and the giant spider cocooning Helga, but she didn’t understand what was happening and she thought she might be dreaming.
Then the 650-pound wingless wasp squeezed free of its cage and came straight for her, moving in a clumsy stumble. One front leg was broken and it was trying to fly, but with no wings it just couldn’t do it.
Suddenly the girl with the pigtails and the girl with the yellow dress ran in opposite direction, each of them screaming. This caused the boy to snap free from his daze and fall on his ass.
Then the wasp attacked the two-year-old. It knocked her over and stung her right between the eyes, killing her instantly. With her head pinned to the earth, the boy could see blonde hair turning into red strings of goo.
* * *
Now that the cages were open, Bill Watt wondered if he would end up in hell. If so, somehow it seemed fitting. Opening the doors was a sin.
Looking down, Bill watching the rat step from its cage. Then a man named Davis Poppy (who wasn’t exactly sure why he sided with God’s People) ran directly into the rodent and quickly lost half an arm. “Oh Gawd!” He screamed with blood gushing from an elbow. Then his feet started moving and he ran towards the scorpion. The scorpion, ignoring Davis, scurried across the Pit and
Eleven cage doors began opening at once.
The wolf snarled. The gorilla began beating its chest. The rattlesnake hissed and the rat scampered in a circle. The spider got down low and tried to squeeze beneath the rising door. The scorpion stood tall and raised its tail. The bullfrog jumped, knocking its head against the cage roof. The wasp stung the ground beneath its feet twice and the grizzly bear growled.
The crowd released several collective gasps.
God’s People began stirring. Most stayed close to the cage but a few began to wander. Frail screams were released. Children buried terrified faces against their mother’s dresses. Fathers cursed Jonathan’s name.
“This is going to be good,” Jon whispered.
A string of saliva dangled between Monk’s thin lips, he looked terrified. And a moment later the spider squeezed its body under the cage door.
It was free. And it was Hungry.
* * *
Eight long, hairy legs scampered across the ground with incredible speed, creating a sound similar to a trotting horse. Each leg was the size of a tree trunk, orange on one side and brown on the other. It hard-shelled back was as thick as the bible.
It leapt.
Helga turned her lanky body towards the giant arachnid with her mouth gaped in fear and her tongue pulled so deep into her throat you’d think she was trying to swallow it. She stepped back, looking directly into three rows of eyes. From her perspective the eyes looked like a deformed face.
As the 750-pound spider knocked her down she couldn’t help noticing that the creature smelled like a barn. The spider nuzzled closer. Its two front legs held her shoulders, two long, orange, mandibles snapped together, tearing away her face and half her skull. Helga’s blood and brains spewed into the air.
Then all the people of Monk Town flinched and God’s People started running. But there with no escape plan, only the need to move.
Four children stayed where they were, three girls and a boy.
The boy’s eyes were glued in place. He watched the giant spider with his hands at his heart. If not for the fear in his eyes, he’d look like he had fallen in love.
Next to the boy, a girl with pigtails began pissing herself.
And next to the girl with the pigtails, a girl wearing a bright yellow dress had her hands over her eyes, her shoulders raised to her ears, and her elbows tucked into her waist. Her knees were pressed together, making her legs look like they were melting. She was whispering, “Stand still and nothing will hurt you.”
On her left stood a two-year-old girl.
The two-year-old had baby-smooth skin, blonde curly hair, and wasn’t much bigger than a newborn. She watched people running and the giant spider cocooning Helga, but she didn’t understand what was happening and she thought she might be dreaming.
Then the 650-pound wingless wasp squeezed free of its cage and came straight for her, moving in a clumsy stumble. One front leg was broken and it was trying to fly, but with no wings it just couldn’t do it.
Suddenly the girl with the pigtails and the girl with the yellow dress ran in opposite direction, each of them screaming. This caused the boy to snap free from his daze and fall on his ass.
Then the wasp attacked the two-year-old. It knocked her over and stung her right between the eyes, killing her instantly. With her head pinned to the earth, the boy could see blonde hair turning into red strings of goo.
* * *
Now that the cages were open, Bill Watt wondered if he would end up in hell. If so, somehow it seemed fitting. Opening the doors was a sin.
Looking down, Bill watching the rat step from its cage. Then a man named Davis Poppy (who wasn’t exactly sure why he sided with God’s People) ran directly into the rodent and quickly lost half an arm. “Oh Gawd!” He screamed with blood gushing from an elbow. Then his feet started moving and he ran towards the scorpion. The scorpion, ignoring Davis, scurried across the Pit and
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