Spider-Woman: A New Home

Chapter 1 - Tombstone

I open my eyes to see the bright, clouded sky looking down at me. I feel my exposed skin touching dead grass, inhaling the familiar scent of newly grown apples on trees. The bee's pollen blooming flowers, the scent filling up my lungs. I feel light weight on my lap. My little brother, Peter, sleeping.

I bring my left hand up from the ground, to look at my watch, which my boyfriend bought for me when I turned 20. I'm 23 now. Time was taking too long. The world was supposed to spin quickly and take me away with my family. But it spun and spun, and spun. Why couldn't the Earth move faster? I need to see the rest of my family again.

8:30 was what my watch showed. I slowly accept, that I still have a life, and need to live it. Even if the rest of my family isn't here. They would want me to get over them I think. I haven't been to work in a while. Hopefully, I don't get fired.

After lifting my dizzy head off the yellow-green grass, I look at the grey stones, surrounding my body. By my left, my aunt looked up at me, awaiting my next move. I looked to my right, my boyfriend looking down at me, awaiting my next move. I put my hand around their shoulders, to pull them in for a hug. No movement, only tired arms from pulling heavy objects made of stone.

Why aren't they hugging me back? They are stones. Tombstones. My boyfriend, a tombstone. My parents, tombstones. My aunt May and uncle Ben, tombstones. My friends, all tombstones. Why are they stones, and I'm not? It's not fair. It should be me. Not them. Never them.

Why, Tombstone? Why'd you do this to me? What made you hate people? Why'd you make them disappear, instead of me? You hate me. Why not kill me instead?

He made my family and friends disappear forever. So, I killed him.

I lost myself. After losing my everything, I couldn't handle it any other way. I needed revenge. It wasn't fair that he could roam the Earth, while my family lay in their boxes, still and rotting. So I put  Tombstone, underneath a tombstone. No one knew who Spider-Woman was anymore. I was the murderer of Tombstone, and the framed murder of half the population. Penny Parker wasn't known these. But Spider-Woman was. I regret it. I was mad and not thinking straight. I'm in hiding for the rest of my life. Thankfully I have two identities. I am 50% safe and unknown.

I tried saving people when I could. Some people didn't want a murderer to be in the same area as them. So I tried my best to save them, then I ran and hid. Before the cops were called, I was arrested. I've been doing this for years now. Saving, running, hiding. Everyday. Save, run, hide. A never-ending cycle. I needed to stop falling asleep in the graveyard before someone finds out who I am and sees me. Or worse, hurts my Peter.

I eventually wake Peter and stand up from my spot, beside my family's stones. I look at them all and slightly smile, thinking of all the happy memories I had with them. Well, not my parents. I hadn't known them. They died before Tombstone. My Aunt May and Uncle Ben took me in when I was 5 years old. They were like parents to me. Uncle Ben died because of me. We got into a fight, and I left him alone and unprotected. When I came back to apologize to him, he was on the sidewalk. His lifeless body stared up at the stars in the night sky. He was stabbed and shot by some criminal. I wanted to kill whoever did this, but he was put in jail before I got my hands on him. I'm glad I didn't get to him. He would've been dead like Uncle Ben. I hate that I killed someone. I feel disgusting and evil. And I hate it. It was a lifelong mistake that I can't take back.

I grabbed Peter's hand, and I dragged my feet in my dirty black Converse in the grass, slowly making my way back home to change my clothes so I can drop Peter off at school and head to work. I was welcomed back into my apartment home by a deafening sound. The sound of nothingness. Just my furniture staring back at me, standing still. I closed my door and locked it.

My apartment belonged to my aunt. But it's mine now. I looked around my empty home, envisioning my family on the couch, talking and laughing. They all looked at me with smiles on their faces and waved at me. I mentally waved back, and made my way down the hall, to my small but comfy room. I told Peter to go get changed since he had school in a few minutes. My drawer was opened from the last time I took out clothing. I pulled out my baggy navy blue jeans, a grey t-shirt, and a Fils sweater. I changed my clothes with my spider suit underneath just in case, I grabbed a cold pizza from the fridge. One for me to eat now, and one to go in a bag for Peter's lunch. I made my way out the door after Peter was done and ready to go.

A light slam was made from the elevator doors, as I pressed the lobby button. Another woman was in here. An older one. Possibly 60-70? "Don't I know you from somewhere?" The old lady slowly formed her words. I froze. I slowly moved Peter behind me, just in case she knew who I was. Did she know who I am? I shook my head, certain that she didn't, since only Peter was the only one who knew I was Spider-Woman, and believed that it wasn't me who killed those people. "Uh, no I don't think so." She just nodded her head and smiled. Thank God she didn't recognize me.

I made it out of my apartment building and was now walking down the sidewalk to drop Peter off at school and go to work. My job wasn't the best, but I liked doing it.

I was walking my normal path until our spider sense went off. I stopped in place getting weird looks from people walking by. I turned my head to a dark alleyway. Peter looked up at me and gave me a strange, but knowingly look. "Are your senses going off again?" He whispered. I looked down at him and nodded. "Get behind me," I said, preparing for the danger. 

I walked towards it, with Peter hugging the back of my thigh. Nothing was there. Once I looked over the place a little bit more just to make sure everything was ok, I started to walk away. Still feeling strange. When I saw an orange circle beneath mine and Peter's feet. Not having time to react, we fell through with a slight scream coming from us both. I pulled Peter towards me, holding him as tight as I could. I suddenly hit the ground, feet first. Falling to the ground with Peter in my arms.

I quickly stood up and got into a fighting stance. Ready to fight whichever dumbass made us fall. I closed my eyes so I could feel my senses better. Nothing coming to me, I straighten up. I examined the space we were in. It was the same space I was in before. What the hell happened? I cautiously made my way out of the alleyway. Looking around at all the towers, apartments, stores, etc, I noticed that this was not the same space...I was somewhere else? "Where are we Pen?" Peter asked, frightened.

That was when, the hair on my arms and the back of my neck, stood tall. My senses went off.

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AN: I know this was kinda depressing at first, but it'll get better. I've had this story idea for a while now, but I never got to making it. I get writer's block easily, so if I don't write often, that's why. Plus school stuff. Anyway, hoped you liked Chapter 1!

Word count: 1398