The ghoul was chewing on a fingernail, and tapping the page of her homework with a pencil in her other hand when her phone rang. She popped the finger from her mouth, and dropped the pencil, watching it roll across her desk as she reached for her phone, tapping a button to stop the shrill noise emanating from it. She didn't take notice of the caller ID before she answered it, but the imperious tones that drifted from the earpiece made her unconsciously sit up straighter, as if she imagined her mother could see her slouching.

'Arachne, I have tried to call you several times, is it too much to hope you could avail yourself whenever I need to speak with you?'

Arachne frowned, and took a moment before answering, trying to rid her voice of any irritation before she did so.

'I am sorry Mother, I am not allowed to have my phone on during classes.' she replied, her grip on the phone tightening a little as she felt herself get irritated.

'At least I know you're actually attending your classes.' came the frosty response.
'However for the time being I would like you to return home, I believed you are intelligent enough to miss a few lessons, and I am sure your return will be of short duration.'

Arachne was confused; she had been home for a visit not too long ago, and said much to that effect adding;
'Actually, it's not a good time, I'm in the middle of several good classes and I really would like to finish the current lessons.'

There was silence for a moment, and Arachne called into the mouthpiece a couple of times, wondering if the connection had been cut, before she finally received a response.
'Well, I certainly would not want to inconvenience you, and I daresay your Grandmother doesn't either, but unfortunately she has chosen a most inopportune time to be dying. I shall pass on your thoughts I am sure.'

This time there was a click, and Arachne was left to stare dumbfounded at her phone, mouth and eyes in perfect round 'o's of shock.

'No, no, no, no!' she cried, dialling her home number with shaking hands. She listened to the ringing, standing now, pacing back and forth as she shouted down her phone.
'Pick up, pick up, PICK UP!'

There was no answer however, and she ended the call, frustration and not a little panic written all over her face. She dropped the phone on her desk, scrabbling around for clothes and toiletries as she frantically packed a travel bag, cramming everything in without care. Her Skitter wasn't in the room, so she popped the window, grabbed her phone and keys and was out the door, and soon away from the school.



Eventually Arachne had arrived home, and she hurried up the long path that led to the entrance of her family's mansion, banging the front door open as she hurried inside, nearly getting accosted by one of the servants before the young girl realised that it was a family member.

'S-sorry!' she heard as she ran up the stairs, leaving her luggage in the hallway. She came to a halt as at the top of the stairs was her mother, arms crossed, a face of thunder.

'I do not believe that your Grandmother's condition warrants your complete loss of manners or deportment.'

Arachne blinked, balling her fists at her side and pushed past her mother, not wanting to get into an argument, knowing she would have to listen to a lecture at some point whilst she was at home, but not caring at that moment.

She stopped again outside her Grandmother's room, listening for a moment, her hand on the door handle as she tried to calm herself before she went inside. Before she did so, she her a voice from inside;
'Stop dithering, and get in here.'

Arachne smiled despite herself and went inside, hurrying over to the huge four poster bed, jumping onto it and into the welcoming arms of her 'Grammie'. She sunk into the soft sheets and mattress, and buried her head into her Grandmother's shoulder, feeling the sharp bone against her cheek. The old woman had lost weight since she'd last seen her, and as she drew back look at her, it was all she could do not to gasp at how much she had wasted away in the time.

'Gram, what happened?' Arachne asked, her eyes shiny with tears that spilled over her cheeks even as she was trying to blink them away.

'I'm dying child.' her Grandmother responded in a matter of fact way, off handed even.
'I've lived a long life, I've foreseen much that I would rather have not done in my years, and I relish the end of it.'
Arachne shook her head mutely and collapsed against her Grandmother again, crying so hard that her whole body shook as she let out her sorrow. Grief was yet to come, for now she was crying for what she would lose.

'There, there, I will miss you my dear, you are the single regret I have now that I know I am dying. You will only have your awful mother left as your family, and I know she will never change. I urge you to find your own family, make friends at school, and don't close your heart.' the old woman said, trying to soothe her granddaughter. She knew that Arachne had some tough times ahead of her, but they would help shape her into a better demon.

Arachne listened, though she couldn't take it in. All she could think of was the one person who made this place a home would leave her, and it was a chilling thought. Eventually she cried herself out, and dozed off, her head on the Gram's shoulder, her Grandmother's thin hand gently stroking her hair.