The door was opened. Although it wasn't the loudest noise that Ruulka would hear, it definitely was the most dreaded one; it was the sign that peace had been disturbed. A monster had entered his safe space and there it would stay until the next morning. Ruulka had to somehow survive it, just like he had to every day. It never became easier. He had to cling onto a thin shred of hope, that someday he would be able to escape from the monster completely. But dark were the days and finding that dim light over and over again was getting harder. There was so much burden, so much anguish and despair that tainted his soul, that he felt like he didn't deserve anything better, that he had to surrender to the darkness. And yet, his heart still harbored a little bit of courage, giving him strength to face the monster and carry on.

The day had already turned dark. Ruulka was sitting on the floor in his little room, listening carefully. The hinges of the entrance bewailed like tortured souls, unwillingly giving access to the evil. For a brief moment everything was oddly quiet, but Ruulka could sense the tension in the air. Then the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway, along with a distorted noise that was almost like poison to Ruulka; the closer the sound was getting, the more effectively it was messing with his brain. It was the anticipation, the fear of what was about to come. The source of the tormenting noise was getting closer and Ruulka had his eyes fixed at the doorway to his room. A cold light tried to weakly banish darkness just outside of the boy's room, offering a little bit of comfort for Ruulka. But then this beam of light got blocked by a tall black figure. A being so wicked that in Ruulka's eyes, she was just a shadow stuck in between two different forms, bending the reality. She was a black mass that somewhat held a humanoid figure, but was unable to maintain it and as a result, her appearance kept shifting and warping, growing extra limbs and other strange appendages. She had completely white eyes devoid of any feeling and their gaze was an unsettling one; Ruulka couldn't even count how many times they had pierced into his soul, looking for ways to hurt him. And she would always find a way. That was the reason why Ruulka tried to avoid looking at them at all costs.

It seemed like that evening, Ruulka was in luck. The monster lingered by his door only for a short moment and then she was gone. Maybe she would leave him be for the rest of the day. Ruulka allowed himself to breathe and try to occupy his mind with other things so the presence of the monster wouldn't bother him that much. There were pieces of blank papers scattered on the floor and Ruulka grabbed one, placing it in front of him. The contents of a box of crayons were lying on the floor as well and the boy took a blue one and started to bring forth the visions of his mind, to visualize his dreams. A heart full of hope, but being so badly bruised by the one who's supposed to love and protect you, it will infest the mind of an innocent with darkness. But drawing would unleash his imagination, anything he wanted would become real and in these vivid visions, he would dwell. That evening, Ruulka was drawing pleasant things, until the moment when he would have to go to sleep.

The night was cold and Ruulka's blanket barely brought warmth to his tiny body. He kept falling asleep, only to be awakened by shivers. The storyline of his dreams was broken into small fragments, but like a puzzle that can't serve its own purpose, those pieces couldn't fit together and so the boy was unable to get a clear picture of what he had been dreaming that night. In the end, the only thing he had by the morning was a string of scattered imagery and confusing moments. Something had happened in his room. The shadows had been knocking on the window, sometimes even scratching it. They wanted to come in, but Ruulka wouldn't let them. Then they would start to scream, demanding the boy to give them access. But still, Ruulka kept them outside of his room. Messages written with something red had appeared on the walls surrounding him, seemingly coming out of nowhere. What did they say again? The boy couldn't remember after he woke up.

Ruulka didn't find comfort from the morning sun. Its rays were so pale, almost greyish; it was like the sun itself felt sick. For a moment the boy stood by the window, looking at the world around him. A fog surrounded his home. He had never liked fog, because he felt like the dead would roam there freely. The haze veiled the outside world so perfectly that Ruulka was terrified by it; who knows what kind of unholy entities were roaming there? However, he knew he had to face his fears, just so he could get away from even greater terror. He stepped away from the window and stared at the door. He had to be brave, he had to be quick, and then he wouldn't have to see the monster for some hours. Ruulka took a deep breath and with silent steps he walked to the door of his room and opened it carefully. He stopped for a few seconds, listening. But the house was quiet, the monster was probably still asleep. Afraid of waking her up, Ruulka tiptoed through the house, heading to the kitchen.

An unpleasant smell welcomed him as soon as the boy successfully got there. Flies swarmed around because of all the rotten pieces of food that hadn't been eaten or even thrown away for a reason or another. Dirty dishes had been piling up for a good while now and there wasn't a single spot on the kitchen tables that was free of them. Ruulka had to navigate his way through all the filth and decay just to get something to eat so he wouldn't starve. Luckily, there was still some toast in one of the cupboards, it was his target. Carefully he opened the door, feeling rather tense, as if he was about to steal something. As quietly as he possibly could, Ruulka took two pieces of toast from the bag and closed the cupboard's door. Everything was still quiet in the house. The boy was fairly confident that he would get away before encountering the monster and hastily but producing as little noise as possible, he headed towards the main entrance. Once the outside door was in his sight, he felt relieved because he had managed to avoid the monster. His tiny hand reached for the doorknob and still doing his best to remain as silent as he could, he cautiously opened the door and snuck outside.

The outside world was eerie. There were shapes in the mist, moving in unnerving ways, and something was making sounds that were simply inhumane. Ruulka tried his best to focus on eating the two slices of bread, not giving attention to his surroundings. The world was a scary place for the child, but it was still better than being trapped within the same walls with a monster. With haste he walked forward, getting startled every now and then by a sudden movement in the haze or when something would suddenly screech right by his side. After some time, his surroundings started to feel way too oppressive, and he began to run. The dead and dry leaves underneath his feet rustled as he pushed forward and at some point, he could swear that he heard the same rustling behind him as if something was chasing after him. Ruulka didn't dare to glance back, he just kept running.

Eventually a large shape came into his view; a building, however its form was blurred by the haze. He had to get closer, he knew that he would be safe there. Even though Ruulka had his destination in sight, it somehow felt unnaturally long to actually get there, almost like some mischievous entity was prolonging his travel just for their own amusement. But to Ruulka's relief, the building was taking a more solid form and soon he reached it, feeling like he could calm down. It was a kindergarten, a little slice of shelter in Ruulka's life. The boy ate the remains of his toast and headed to the door, entering the building, leaving behind his burdens, even if it was only for some hours.

Ruulka enjoyed the company of other children. He could be himself around them and just be a child for a moment. The kindergarten was the only place where he could express himself however he wanted and he didn't have to fear being severely punished by the monster. Ruulka had wondered if the other children were living with monsters too, and so he had brought out this topic with his peers. Most children didn't, but there were some whose lives were similar to his. None of them knew what to do, so they just continued to play with each other and hope for a better tomorrow.

Days of autumn went by, but everything in Ruulka's life remained the same. Though his birthday was getting closer, he wasn't looking forward to that day. In a way or another, the monster would twist it and make it miserable – as if it was his fault for being born. Ruulka did what he could do best: just try to stay out of harm's way as much as possible and not provoke the monster, never bringing up the day of celebration. However, he knew that he could get some positive attention in the kindergarten, and that was enough for him. Even if he didn't get any presents, at least his friends would make him feel like he was worth something. One couldn't put a price tag on that.

But little did he know, he would get the best birthday gift by accident and from a child he didn't know.

On Ruulka's birthday, a new face appeared in the kindergarten, a boy called Elor. All the children were happy to meet him and get to know him, Ruulka included. Elor appeared as a little shy, maybe even a little weird as he seemed to be very interested in insects, but Ruulka liked him immediately. He considered befriending Elor as a birthday present. Even though Ruulka was the center of attention that day, getting candy and having fun with his peers, he also tried his best to make some time to spend with Elor as well. The little boys talked about many things, such as animals, their favorite ways of having fun and what they liked to draw. Little by little Ruulka got to know Elor better as they discussed various things, until finally, the new boy said something that really stuck with Ruulka.

“You know, if you kill a spider, your mother will die”, Elor had said while they had been drawing with crayons.

Ruulka had stopped what he had been doing and stared at the other boy. “Really? Is that true?”

Elor shrugged a little, focusing on making art. “I don't know. My granny told me that.”

The topic was left at that, but it was like glued to Ruulka's head. He couldn't stop thinking about it, even as the day progressed. The thought filled him with excitement, it was something he had to try. It was like after all this time he had been trapped with the monster, he had been granted a tool so he could finally escape. To get away from her was his greatest desire, and now it felt like it could actually become reality. For the first time – maybe ever – Ruulka was thrilled to get back to his house.

She shouldn't be home. Even though Ruulka was aware of this, he still felt relieved when he couldn't sense her presence. The boy started to carefully search all the nooks for a spider; they shouldn't be hard to find, right? Especially since the house wasn't the cleanest place. Since there was some daylight left as well, it would make it easier for him to find a spider. He focused on locating cobwebs, the telltale signs of those creepy little crawlers. Ruulka visited all the rooms in the house while looking out for spiders and after a while it came clear to him that the task was a little harder than he had originally anticipated. The spiders didn't want to be found. Eventually it frustrated the boy to the point he stopped looking for them. He had been in the kitchen at that moment and he sat down in front of a cabinet that was below the sink. He punched the floor angrily, not knowing what to do next.

And then, there it was. A small spider was skittering across the dirty floorboards. Ruulka watched its movements for a brief moment, being a bit baffled. How did it happen, him being completely immersed in his task of finding one of these creatures and failing, but now one came crawling to him. Though, he pushed the thought out of his head and prepared to do the deed. The spider stopped its going, as if it was aware of its fate and humbly accepted it; giving up its life so somebody else could live. Ruulka slammed his palm against the floor, crushing the spider with no remorse. He raised his hand again and looked at the squashed remains of the little critter. He had just taken a life from another living being, and yet, he felt nothing. He got up from the dirty kitchen floor and headed to his room.

Ruulka spent the afternoon drawing pictures with his crayons. He was waiting for a sign that something had changed in his life after killing the spider. He was hopeful and excited, almost sure that he had defeated his monster. However, he ended up getting a bitter disappointment when later in the evening the monster came home, still as terrifying as ever. The distorted noise was loud, louder than it had been in a couple of months. She was angry and in need of a scapegoat. A distress so great it paralyzed the boy took over and Ruulka could only cover in the dim light, like a beaten puppy. The noise was like somebody was drilling his head, striking his brain. The monster was coming closer to his room, until she finally appeared on the doorway. Black tentacles growing out of her back were flailing around frantically, looking for prey. The white eyes were as emotionless as ever and their disturbing gaze was fixated at the boy. Ruulka knew that she would hurt him – and he would have no chance of fighting back. The terrifying shadow figure came closer and with her black tentacles, she would cause agony to the little boy. No matter how many tears the boy would shed, no matter how much he would beg her to stop, the unjust punishment wouldn't end until the moment she wanted.

The boy was questioning why killing the spider hadn't helped him. When he was lying on the cold floor alone and broken, he pondered if Elor had lied to him. Or maybe there was some other reason… His thoughts were racing in his head, desperately trying to understand or find a reason for his situation. All sorts of thoughts visited his mind while he was on the floor, but eventually, he got an idea that made the most sense to him. Maybe killing one spider wasn't enough, maybe the monster was so powerful that more spiders were needed. This realization gave new hope for Ruulka and he finally lifted his aching body from the floor and dragged himself to bed. Tomorrow will be a new day with new possibilities. His troubled little mind was blessed that night, for no nightmares plagued him and he was able to get well-needed rest.

When Ruulka woke up the next morning, one of the first things he registered was that it was raining. He lifted his small and sore body from his bed to take a glance at the window. Everything looked so grey, so withered. Leaves had fallen, leaving trees completely bare and the mild rain was giving a sad veil to the world. It was a somber morning, though it didn't really matter to Ruulka. He had already decided to stay in the house, for he really needed to find spiders. The monster had to die, what happened last evening was a reminder of that.

As soon as Ruulka turned to face the doorway of his room, he got immensely perplexed as a sight so strange greeted him. There were spiders, numerous spiders, in all kinds of sizes. They infested the floor right by the doorway, moving in large groups as if they were up to something. Where were they coming from? The boy couldn't really understand the odd phenomenon he was currently witnessing. Then the little creatures started to come to his room like a tide, his awakening somehow signaling them to change their bizarre behavior. The boy watched how they conquered the floor of his room and after that, they didn't seem to have any purpose in mind as they just skittered around. Ruulka was confused, but soon he realized that this was exactly what he wanted: he needed spiders and now they had come to him willingly, as if they were aware of his situation. Ruulka took the steps towards the horde of spiders, ready to change his life forever.

With his bare, bruised little hands, the boy gruesomely crushed tiny creatures that were weaker than him. He didn't know how many he had to kill; he just tried his hardest to slaughter as many as he could. He wanted to be free, he wanted to be happy. He squashed the little beings as horrible memories flickered in his mind, of all the times the monster had beaten him, made him starve, locked him up in his room and whipped him with her vile tongue. The torment, the despair, the fear – Ruulka wanted it to end. He slammed his hands against the floor, sacrificing little lives. So desperate, but also so very angry, these emotions guided his hands as the amount of tiny dead bodies kept increasing. But somehow, the number of spiders didn't seem to decrease.

“Ruulka.”

The boy was startled, even though the voice was gentle. As the immediate frightened state took over, he stopped what he was doing and looked at the doorway. He had never seen someone like the entity who was now standing there. She was a mix of a woman and a spider. She was tall and standing on two human feet, even though she had spider legs too sticking out of her body. Her body was covered in a bluish and black matter that connected all her human parts to her spider-like appendages. Only her face was free from this; a face so white it almost looked like a mask. Right at that moment, she was smiling tenderly, but Ruulka wasn't sure whether it was a good or a bad thing. He was afraid that this entity was furious because he had been killing a lot of spiders.

“Have no fear, my dear boy”, the spider woman spoke again, her voice was like a chime of bells – at least she didn't sound angry. “I'm here to help you. I'll take you out of this awful place.”

“Really...?” Ruulka's own voice was feeble and quiet, but there was also a little trace of hope; something that hadn't been there for a long time.

“Yes, Ruulka, you don't have to stay here any longer”, the woman said and her tender smile grew wider on her pure white face. “This is the day when your life finally starts.”

The entity reached out her hand, beckoning the boy to come to her. Ruulka's feet were trembling as he got himself up from the floor and he walked towards the stranger, almost like in a trance. As he was getting closer to her, he stretched out his hand, ready to grasp hers. His tiny hand was guided by uncertainty, but the woman closed the distance between them and their hands joined together, the unknown entity's hold was firm yet kind. Ruulka stared at their clenched hands; it felt right somehow. He raised his gaze to look at the strange woman, who was still smiling in a reassuring way – that he was safe.

“Now, it's time for us to go”, she said calmly and took a couple of slow steps backwards, guiding the boy. Ruulka followed, stepping over the threshold while the numerous spiders were skittering all around them.

A horrid screech almost froze Ruulka's heart. He had been inches away from salvation, but now the dread had captured his soul again. Terrified, he looked to his right and saw a black figure standing in the corridor. The distorted noise infiltrated his ears, his skull, filling him with unspeakable fear. The monster wouldn't let him go. There she was standing, her form flickering more than ever before, body parts changing shape and size, white empty eyes appearing all around her body, only to disappear a second later. Her head was like a nest of snakes, tentacles whirling like a mad vortex. Sharp black claws formed on the tips of her fingers, ready to tear apart flesh. She wouldn't let anyone take away her boy – and Ruulka knew this.

Instinctively the boy's grip on the spider woman's hand became tighter, a sign of great distress upon seeing the monster that had tormented him his whole life. But unlike him, the woman wasn't her victim and thus, the monster had no power over her. Defiantly, the spider woman stepped forth, acting as a shield for the boy, still grasping his hand.

“What a miserable wretch you are, a heartless monster”, the spider woman said with a relatively calm tone, however, each syllable was dripping with hatred. “You won't hurt this beautiful boy any longer, I'll make sure of that.”

She made a quick gesture with her free hand, looking like she had just cut air. However, a laceration had appeared on the monster's chest and a gush of red liquid came out of the wound. It was surprising that the blood wasn't black. The monster let out an animalistic cry and attempted to assault the spider woman, heading right towards her. But she didn't give her any mercy. The spider woman repeated her movement multiple times, opening up more and more wounds on the monster's body. Her form was getting mangled and torn, she couldn't stand and fell on her knees on the floor as she was bleeding out of her wounds. Broken and whimpering, just like how Ruulka had been after her torment. The spider woman made a significantly violent move, which resulted in the decapitation and the monster's head fell on the floor with a quiet thud, the rest of the body soon following.

All this time, Ruulka had watched, not glancing away even for a second. The monster had got slaughtered in front of his eyes in a brutal way, being so helpless against the spider woman. Now that the monster's head was on the floor like a pile of garbage, Ruulka was smiling. He was smiling wider than in years.

“No one will mourn for her”, the spider woman simply said. “It's time for us to leave.”

She made circular movements with her free hand and from this command, an oval-shaped blue light appeared out of nowhere. Ruulka was very curious about it. It was rather small at first, but then it grew larger until it had a size that an adult could fit in it. It looked like a portal, a gateway to another dimension.

“Come”, the spider woman invited with a soothing voice, stepping closer to the portal she had opened, gently guiding the boy by holding his hand.

Ruulka followed her eagerly, ready to get away from this place, ready to leave behind a life full of pain. The body of the woman soon vanished from his sight as she had stepped into another realm, the only visible part of her being the hand he was grasping. Before the boy followed after her, he gave a glance at the bloody body of the monster. All the spiders had gathered around it, weaving their webs, infiltrating the insides and laying eggs in there. Perhaps she could be of use after all.

This being the last picture of the monster he would see, he took the final steps that would free him from her clutches forever and entered the life that was waiting on the other side of the gateway.