Smoke spiralled into the sky and fire scorched everything to blackness.
The people, after realising they couldn't slip past Quinton's lashing arms, abandoned me to save themselves; tossing their burning sticks as they scurried away.
There was nothing we could do about the fire though. It danced through the field, destroying everything beautiful in its wake as Reid and Quinton watched on helplessly.
Quinton kept me backed into his cavern in the ground. With my eyes boiling in their sockets and my lungs choking in the ashen air, it was only buying us time to decide what to do.
Fleeing was the most sensible option. Reid and Quinton could rebuild elsewhere. The only thing that they would be leaving behind was the items they had lined their nests with that held no value to them anyway.
Even Quinton had a decorated nest like Reid's. Small dolls and flowers from the field were piled inside the entrance, while larger furniture that had been dumped on the curbsides were now playing their part in Quinton's small hovel. The most newest addition to the collection was a small bear sitting beside me.
"Silas" Reid choked out as he backed up beside Quinton "we are going to have to leave. There is no way we can put this out. The town can send in their people to do it before it spreads further."
"Where should we go?"
Reid looked to Quinton then out at the field licking at the trees of his forest.
"You need to go back home. We can't bring a human with us; its too dangerous."
Quinton bristled up and loomed over his brother. Despite already being much larger than Reid, Quinton's imposing size did nothing to frighten Reid who snapped back.
"I'm not leaving him behind" Quinton hissed "he's my mate, not yours."
"And he has a home!" Reid argued "we do not. Do you want to drag him away from all of that just because you want to have him as your plaything whenever you want? Think with your brain and not your dick, Quin!"
The fire charged through the leaves of Reid's forest now. I could see his nest blazing brightly through the gaps as all of his possessions fuelled its hunger.
"WE NEED TO GO!" Reid shouted "NOW!"
Quinton looked down at me trying to wipe my streaming eyes and nodded. His arms pushed me towards himself so i was underneath his quivering body that i used to guide myself up onto my feet.
"I'll drop you back home" Quinton spoke, hissing when i tried to complain "don't argue with me, just climb on."
He didn't give me the option before his leg was nudging me onto his back. I pressed myself to his fur and gripped around the back of his neck to steady myself,
"Whatever you do, do not let go" Quinton warned.
Reid pushed through the forest behind us and powered onwards. I saw branches breaking and heard wildlife cry out as they scurried away from the path being cut through the forest.
Quinton went to follow after Reid before i felt him tense up underneath me.
"W-What is it?" I coughed.
His body faced the fire and froze.
"Do you hear that?" he whispered and tilted his head to the side.
The crackling and spitting of the fire was deafening. Branches hammered the ground as they fell in the distance, and flowers popped when every drop of life was ripped from them.
But amongst it all, there was terrified sobbing.
"No, it can't be...." Quinton muttered to himself then glanced down at the broken entrance of his nest where the bear sat "LOTTIE!"
His yelling voice shook through him. I felt his body tense again as he awaited a response.
"HELP!" a tiny voice squealed and wailed from within the field "HELP ME!"
It sounded like a young girl. From the way Quinton fretted for her safety, he knew this girl well.
He looked torn between what to do. Leaving me here would only make me a target for the fire that would spread in his absence. But leaving the little girl to get me to safety would result in her death.
"Hold on" Quinton demanded, and was throwing himself into the fire as i braced against him
I could barely see through the black shroud blinding me. The heat from the fire ripped at my legs gripping the sides of his body as Quinton searched desperately for the screaming voice amongst the destruction.
Chunks of fur were boiled from Quinton's body that threw itself into danger without a second thought. My legs bubbled and blistered when the heat pried at them to try and unhinge me from my only lifeline.
If i fell here, there would be no saving me in time.
"LOTTIE!" Quinton roared out again when he lost track of the voice.
There was only a scream in response; long and loud.
Quinton snapped onto the noise instantly and sprinted for it. He darted through walls of fire like it was nothing but air; each wave biting down my back to tear at my flapping shirt and scorched pants.
I saw the screaming silhouette ahead of Quinton. Instantly, i dropped down to the ground and took off running towards it. The bandage around my head flew off like a banner. Its burnt fabric twisted when it fell to the blackened ground to catch alight.
The soles of my shoes melted and left liquid plastic footsteps along the ground. My flapping shirt caught fire when my arms wrapped around the grabbing child who was frantically swatting at her burning dress.
In one movement, I wrapped my shirt around the little girl and scooped her into my arms to sprint back to Quinton. The little girl was hysterical, her shoes melted through and her two ponytails singed along the lengths. Even her hands were bleeding from where she had been forced to bat the fire away from her body.
"Lottie" Quinton sighed in relief when i lifted her onto his back, nestling in behind her "lay down, sweet thing."
She did as she was told, sobbing and coughing into Quinton's fur while i shielded her with my body over hers.
Quinton darted around the fire and broke free from its blistering grip to sprint back towards his burning nest. Quinton powered straight past it and into the crackling forest raining burnt leaves and embers from the canopy above.
Quinton grunted in pain while he forced himself to keep running forward. We even caught up to Reid who was pacing frantically on the spot in wait for our return.
He saw Quinton's bleeding and burnt body bolting beside his before noticing mine hunched over the little girl underneath.
"Who's... the girl?" Reid panted when they leapt over a fallen tree trunk.
"She brings me offerings" Quinton grunted when they both curved back around the scattered trees to loop towards town "flowers and lollies mostly. I watch her while she plays in the field."
"Poor thing" Reid peered over at the shivering girl, his eyes flicking up to me and softening "I didn't even know she was there."
Quinton finally slowed down his frantic pace when he threw himself over a stream of babbling water. Reid kept by his side as they saw that the danger chasing them was crackling in the distance behind us now.
"Her favourite game is hide-and-go-seek" Quinton revealed "It's easy to lose her in the flowers when she is so small."
Reid acknowledged this in silence. Both spiders were nearing the edge of their protective barrier of trees as they neared the town.
When they reached it, they stopped to scan the town before them.
The street was blaring with wailing sirens of fire engines speeding towards the fire still destroying the forestry that whipped up like a beacon. People were watching outside their houses while others crowded around the roadsides to witness what the others had caused.
I recognised this street. It led straight towards the town centre only a few metres ahead that was always bustling with activity. The heart of it was for pedestrians only, and was decorated with string lights connecting the cafes and niche stores lining both sides. My own home was only two blocks from here.
In the stunned crowd swarming the centre, there was a hysterical man sobbing on the doorstep of a cafe. He held his head in his hands as he wailed to the sympathetic workers and officers that tried to console him. His blonde hair was the same as Lottie's, falling over to cover his stained face.
"Silas, stay with Reid" Quinton spoke without taking his eyes from the man.
I slid down and saw Lottie release her tight grip on Quinton so she could wipe her eyes, smearing the ash on her face further.
Quinton left the cover of the trees and slowly limped towards the town centre.
Instantly, people reacted to his presence with curious fear that rooted them in place.
Quinton kept his steady pace, slowly pushing himself further while Lottie clung to his burnt fur.
Reid was so tense that it felt like he had turned to stone. I couldn't even see him breathe as he watched Quinton and waited for his moment to rush in to protect him again.
The man was the last to notice Quinton, who had safely reached the inner circle of the town centre. He was prompted by one of the officers, which made him finally raise his eyes from his hands.
When he saw Lottie sitting atop Quinton, he let out a moan and started crying again. Lottie wailed for her father when she was lowered to the ground, and rushed towards him as fast as her little legs could carry her.
Her father wrapped his arms around his daughter and sobbed into her burnt body with relief. He planted kisses all over her and blabbered words i couldn't hear.
Quinton watched the reunion before taking his chance to leave. As soon as he turned around though, Lottie reached out towards him.
There were smiles when she left her father's arms to embrace Quinton's head. The father cried words to him that the surrounding crowd chorused with their own praises. Soon i could hear the roar of everyone calling out their thanks to Quinton who tearfully accepted the love.
People were still calling out when Quinton returned to our sides and pressed his head to my body to steer me in the direction of my own home.
My parents were already rushing out the door and towards me when we turned down the street. They didn't even care about the two massive spider demons flanking me until i was safely in their tight, tearful embrace. Once they did notice, they both stared at Quinton and Reid in shock as they stood there; Quinton steadily dripping blood onto the tar road beneath him.
"They saved me" I smiled up at them "and we saved a little girl."
"Oh, honey" my mother gasped and ran her eyes over my bleeding body "i could have lost you!"
"We were so worried" my father sobbed "i don't know what we would have done."
I was crushed in their arms again as both demons watched on.
Reid turned from the tearful reunion and began heading back down towards the col-de-sac. Quinton remained, glancing back at his brother.
"Thank you for everything" I smiled up at Quinton, feeling tears flow over my cheeks "do you really have to go?"
"We can't stay here" he spoke solemnly "we have to keep moving to somewhere safer."
I wrapped my arms around Quinton's head to rest mine against his. He relaxed under my grip, nudging into me.
"Don't make me wait" I chuckled through my sobs, hearing him laugh back.
Quinton easily lifted himself from me and stared at my family with his glistening amethyst eyes longingly. Reid was at the boardwalk, watching silently as he waited to start the beginning of his new life.
"I'll come back for you" Quinton vowed as he turned to leave "I promise."
I tried to hold my smile as the tears still streamed down my cheeks. Quinton reunited with his brother, the both of them looking back at me one last time, before disappearing into the forestry again.
ns 18.68.41.141da2
