long? big? Whatever the term, there was a lot of it. It was taller than me, with long thin legs, a multi-parted body and far too many eyes. Horrified, I counted six, all black and shining. I swallowed, and backed into Maddy. She clung to my arm, barely breathing. Shadows of long thin legs reached down the door, with another set reflected in blue on the snow below. For a moment I forgot all of that in awe at its beauty. It was incredibly delicate, pale and mottled in cream, light browns and greys. How could I capture the soft colours? I’d need translucent watercolours – Paynes grey and burnt sienna, perhaps. Then I looked into its six eyes and shuddered. It spun on its thread, watching us through all its eyes as it turned. Slowly it descended, letting out thread to reach the ground. It looked at me, and then at Maddy, as it stretched its legs to the earth.I could feel panic swamping me, making me want to run, to hide, to throw up. How could we fight this? I began to draw magic into myself.
