Us Against The World ｡ Peter Parker [2]

49 - Goodbyes

There was a numbness that followed in those passing days since Gwen Stacy's death. A terrible, demanding and ruthless numbness that echoed throughout my entire body and bled into the people around me. That night seemed like a completely different story, almost like an ending to a terrible nightmare and any second, my eyes would blink open and my reality would flicker back and everything would be perfectly alright.

But this wasn't a nightmare.

Sirens had howled into the cold air that night. Bright blinking hues of blue and red had dotted my vision which had been clouded with heavy tears. Someone had pulled me up from the dirty rooftop flooring and carried me downstairs, trying to sooth calmness into my bones. On the street I was greeted by police officers and paramedics scrambling to help. I caught the brief words of somebody saying I was in shock. Tears coated my cheeks but I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't feel the bruises that lined my neck or the heartache that rocketed through my chest. Everything was numb.

I remember watching Spider-Man swing away from the body that had been dangling in his arms. He couldn't stay behind, despite every single fibre in his body telling him to stay. He had to walk away and blend back into the shadows like every other hero with a masked identity. I remember seeing the paramedics carrying Harry's broken body towards the ambulance, quite fascinated with how he was still breathing from the fall. I remember seeing Ned appear from inside the Avenger's Tower, head bowed as he wiped away his own tears. I remember watching Mary Jane collapse to her knees, her cries hallow on the wind. I wanted to join her, to cry over our friend. I wanted to close Gwen's eyes and hug her once last time. I wanted to say goodbye and to say thank you. But my body didn't move. The only thing that I did was allow the tears to dribble down my chin while I clutched her ring to my chest.

Tragedy had fallen once again and tonight, it had been just children caught up in the warfare of heroes and villains. Mere kids that thought they could conquer the world, that thought they could save their friends. Maybe that was the cruel truth; kids were not supposed to be soldiers with heavy burdens on their backs to protect when their souls were not ready for the fall.

***

Days had passed by slowly, sunlight shunned from the city with the loss of a friend. Despite my best efforts in trying to remain strong, that numbness echoed in my mind and forced me down like a tidal wave. My bed had been a sanctuary, a safe place where reality was altered. Tucked safely under my heavy blankets, it almost felt like the horrible days were just dreams.

Twilight had come to greet me once again and my limbs did not move. Downstairs, I could hear my parents arrive home again and even with my stomach growling, there was no strength to pull myself out of bed and eat and shower. New voices filled the hallway soon enough and naturally, there was a knocking at my door. I couldn't even bare to scream for them to go away.

I heard the door open and close. I felt somebody sink to the end of my bed, the weight shifting the bed slightly. With a fresh wave of tears, my eyes slipped shut as I placed Gwen's ring on my finger, the only thing I had left of her now.

"The funeral is tomorrow, Flo." Peter Parker's voice was filled with incredible sadness and that tugged at my heart strings a little further. "You have to say goodbye."

When I didn't reply, he slipped off his shoes and crawled under the blankets. He flopped down beside me and when I opened his eyes, I found him staring across at me. His eyes were ringed red and suddenly, I felt even more terrible. Peter didn't speak just yet. He just lied next to me, not moving, not ever leaving. Finally, he glanced down to my hand that was nested under my cheek. He saw the ring and quickly wiped away another tear that had made its journey down his nose.