SPIDER-MAN: DARK WOUNDS

REMORSE:

God, I have no idea how long I had been laying there. Minutes? Hours? Maybe even days. The slabs of granite were familiar to me now, as was the loss of time. I would come here everyday, just to think. But it was hard to think without bursting into a sudden fit of remorse.

"Shit…it's my fault…" I cried.

That feeling never went away. Never will.

Today was different though. Today was the first day of my new life. A sort of…metamorphism almost. The graveyard was only the beginning.

xXx

I took a taxi home. I couldn't find a reason to call Ben…couldn't find a reason not to call him either. Guess I just wanted to be alone. Just me and the Latino taxi driver, thinking back to simpler times. Times where I wasn't a human bug…or an orphan. The taxi driver was obviously getting bored and turned on his police scanner. Glad he did, thinking only depressed me.

"Squads 6, 9, and 13, report to a shooting over near Lexington." The scanner crackled.

"I'm sorry son, they…they didn't make it."

Guilt.

"Whadya gonna do? Shoot me?"

Death.

"Hands up! NOW!"

Murder.

"Hey…hey, buddy. You alive back there?"

"Wha-how…?" My head was pounding uncontrollably.

"We're there, sunshine."

"Yeah…yeah, thanks for the ride." I mumbled as I started to get out of the taxi.

"Whoa! Wait a second, pal!" He locked the doors. "Pay up." I didn't blame him.

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry…" I handed him a twenty. I didn't know how much the ride cost, but the look of satisfaction in his eyes told me I just lost about fifteen bucks.

My body felt numb as the taxi pulled away from the curb. The sidewalk was lifeless, as was the street. My brain, however, was feeling the opposite. It felt overloaded and I felt sick. I entered the building slowly, not wanting to attract attention. I could feel people staring at me from all angles, but I brushed it off. Guess a 16 year old kid in a muddy t-shirt and jeans wasn't "New York normal" but the constant shoot-outs and death were.

xXx

The elevator's hum was louder than I remember and I started to regret not taking the stairs. I leaned against the wall and started wondering if Ben would be home…I forgot my key. Luckily he was inside to greet me.

"Hey pal! Where were you?" Ben asked, cheery and smiling.

"Nowhere…" I trailed off, still walking to my room.

"Yeah, ok. Sure." Ben stuttered. "I have some-"

I closed my door behind me.

"-Chinese food here…" Ben finished, feeling ignored.

I fell into my bed, literally. Staring at the ceiling I realized I would have to get my mind out of the gutter. I thought about it for a while and decided it was at the top of tomorrow's "To-Do list" and fell asleep.

"Good night, Aunt May and Uncle Ben." I muttered to myself half-asleep.

They weren't there to say it back.