BEAUTY AND THE MAN-SPIDER
Chapter 4: Human Again
I'm back everybody! So for now, this chapter will be about Bloom and Man-Spider getting to know each other better, aside from the fact that he was originally keeping her prisoner. I promise that everything's starting to get a lot better than it was before, so all you readers out there hang on to your hats.
I don't own anything related to Spider-Man or Winx Club, both franchises are properties of Marvel and Rainbow.
So here begins Chapter 4, and away we go!
In a few weeks' time, Bloom and all her friends had begun to enjoy their stay at the mansion a lot better than they did the first time. Also, the Man-Spider's injuries had healed rather rapidly since he was very tough, and one day, he decided to give Bloom a surprise as a reward for healing him.
He led her down a hall where the girl had never been to before, and they came to the front of two big doors that were part of the same doorway. "What's on the other side of those doors?" Bloom asked curiously.
"It's a surprise" he told her "So you might want to close your eyes for this." Bloom did as she was told, and the beast waved a hairy paw in front of her face to make sure that her eyes were really closed. Then he opened the doors quietly and took her by the hands, leading her inside "Can I open my eyes now?" Bloom inquired.
"Not yet" he told her before having her stand in the middle of the room, then he went to a window and opened the blinds since it was very dark in the whole room with the blinds closed.
"Now can I open them?" Bloom asked quietly.
"Yes" he told her "Now." So Bloom slowly opened her eyes and was very astonished at the sight before her, the whole room was not the largest and widest, but also the most magnificent library she had ever seen.
"Oh wow!" she gasped in amazement "I've never seen anything like this."
"I hoped you would like it" said Man-Spider gently, and he began to show her all the different books he had read before when he was once human. Not far off, the rest of the Winx Club and the cursed inhabitants watched in utmost amazement.
"Why he's being so sweet" Flora said, the other girls nodded in agreement.
"If he keeps this up, soon the spell will be broken, and he'll be back to his normal human self again." Musa added, the others looked at her in surprise.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Tecna confused, the music fairy groaned in frustration, but she told them all what the Man-Spider told her prior to the scorpion incident. "So that guy used to be human?" asked Aisha in astonishment, Musa nodded before turning to look back at the scene.
"We all used to be human" T'Challa reminded the princess from Andros "Until that fateful night when a strange enchantress cursed a young man to look the way he does now, as the Man-Spider."
Aisha was shocked when she heard that, but then she was now curious "So…what was this young man like?" she asked politely.
"He was…mostly very young, handsome, intelligent but was also very mean, selfish, and spiteful." T'Challa explained carefully, the Winx were very sorry to hear that.
Just then, there was a slight noise from outside. "What was that?" asked Musa, the others didn't know, so they all went outside to look. Sure enough, they all saw that it was a red ship with blue markings, a hatch opened up from the back and out came five young men that the Winx knew so well.
The first one had brown hair and blue eyes, the second had red/purple hair and brown eyes. While the third had orange hair, blue eyes and wore glasses, the fourth had long black hair that went down to his shoulders. Then the fifth had brown eyes and long brown hair in two braids, he even had brown skin and wore purple clothes with yellow lines. Apart from the others, who had Caucasian skin and wore blue uniforms with white sleeves and blue capes.
Turning to the Winx, T'Challa asked them. "Do you young ladies know these boys?"
"Of course we do!" cried Stella excitedly as she ran forward to greet the first boy.
"Brandon!" she squealed leaping forward and throwing herself into the arms of the one addressed as Brandon, who was very much glad to see his girlfriend again. The others also stepped forward to greet the girls, each one going straight to the girl of his choice.
Flora went straight to the boy with long black hair and smiled at him. "Oh Helia, it's so good to see you again" she greeted before throwing her arms around his neck and Helia returned the hug "It's so good to see you again Flora" he acknowledged.
Then Aisha stepped forward to greet the boy in purple clothes. "Nabu! How wonderful to see you again!"
"Aisha, we heard about what happened here. are you alright?" Nabu inquired.
"Of course I'm alright" Aisha replied "We all are, now that you're here." Musa and Tecna then greeted the last two boys whose names were Riven and Timmy. "Hey girls, how are ya'll feeling?" asked Timmy.
"Oh we're feeling alright Timmy" Tecna answered "But just wait till you meet Bloom's new friend."
"New friend?" asked Riven indignantly, the Winx led the Specialists right into the mansion and down the hall to the library where Bloom and the Man-Spider were still reading books.
"What the heck is that thing?!" cried Riven, he drew his sword and was just about to charge at the Man-Spider when T'Challa pounced on him and snarled right in his face. "If you try something like that again, I shall certainly teach you a valuable lesson you won't ever forget!" the Specialists were very shocked and surprised to see that this panther could actually talk, they had never seen anything like it before.
"How….How is this possible? That he can talk?!" asked Nabu in absolute disbelief.
"Don't worry about it, these animals used to be human." Aisha explained, she told them about how the enchantress transformed a young man into a horribly, hideous man-spider and all the mansion's inhabitants were transformed into animals.
"Why that's horrible!" said Helia in surprise. "An enchantress casts a terrible spell on all of the mansion's inhabitants, all because one person was being so cruel, selfish and unkind. I had no idea."
The other Specialists were also surprised, but also shocked and perplexed at the same time. Up until now, none of them had ever heard such a sad story. "Well, I certainly hope that breaking this terrible curse happens much sooner than later." Nabu told Aisha comfortingly.
"Well now that we've got that all out of the way" said T'Challa solemnly, getting the attention of both the Winx and the Specialists. "Let us take care of some more pressing matters."
The next day
The following morning was very festive as everyone in the mansion got up to see how everything would play out at breakfast. The rest of the Winx Club, along with the Specialists and the mansion's inhabitants went to the dining room where Bloom and the Man-Spider had just sat down to breakfast. Mrs. Richards and her children had just served them bowls of porridge and just as Bloom had taken a bite of her own meal, the Man-Spider was consistently wolfing down his food like a real pig, much to the girl's shock.
"He was being a pig Mommy!" exclaimed Valeria hysterically, prompting the others in the room to laugh out loud. Mrs. Richards looked at her daughter with a most reprimanding glare, the little girl flinched under her mother's glare while shuddering at the same time. Man-Spider sat up with a mouth full of porridge, looking rather embarrassed before gulping down his food.
"Looks like he still needs to work on table manners." Nabu whispered to Aisha who nodded in agreement while Man-Spider picked up a spoon and started to slurp his porridge noisily, Franklin snickered to himself before being reprimanded by his mother. But Bloom just shook her head in disgust.
"Oh this will never do." So with that, she picked up her bowl and brought it up to her lips. Man-Spider, seeing what she had just done, opted to do the same. Then they both sipped their soup while the others were looking on.
"It seems he'll have a long way to go for sure." Helia whispered to Flora, who slightly giggled at his suspense.
A little while later
Bloom and the Man-Spider went outside to the courtyard, which was around in back. There was a whole flock of little birds out in the snow, which included the likes of cardinals, blue jays, mockingbirds, chickadees and turtle doves. Bloom spread some seeds on the ground, attracting the attention of the little birds.
Then she put some in the Man-Spider's paws so he could feed the little birds, but just as he came closer. The birds were so spooked that they fluttered off at the sight of him, so he tried going closer as Bloom looked on smiling, and started thinking to herself in the form of a song:
There's something sweet, and almost kind
But he was mean, and he was coarse and unrefined
And now he's dear, and so unsure
I wonder why I didn't see it there before
Then she came over and took some of the seeds from his paws and placed them on the ground. Then one of the birds fluttered over and pecked at the seeds, before it climbed up into the beast's hands and started eating out of his palms. Man-Spider was surprised, yet also happy that he finally made a good impression, then Bloom went over to one of the horses while looking at the beast shyly.
The rest of the Winx and the Specialists were all watching the scene with utmost curiosity, while the Man-Spider continued feeding the birds and felt some similar thoughts in his own head:
She glanced this way, I thought I saw
And when we touched, she didn't shudder at my paw
Though it can't be, I'll just ignore
But then she's never looked at me that way before
Bloom then moved behind a tree to avoid being looked at, she felt a little bit uneasy about the whole thing. She also felt very nervous and some different thoughts went through her head:
New, and a bit alarming
Who'd have ever thought that this could be?
True, that he's no Prince Charming
But there's something in him that I simply didn't see
Then she looked out from behind the tree and was both surprised and delighted, seeing Man-Spider covered with all kinds of little birds, that had flocked around him just to get some seeds. Just then the birds suddenly flew off, spooking the Man-Spider, who was very excited that he had finally fed the birds. But then, a snowball smacked him right in the face, he shook off the snow and opened two eyes to see Bloom laughing at him because she was the one who threw a snowball at him just now.
Man-Spider grinned as he scooped together a great big snowball with his big paws, and prepared to throw it at her. But she dodged it just in time and hit him with yet another snowball, causing both of them to engage in a snowball fight. The rest of the Winx Club and the Specialists laughed out loud at the funny sight, prompting the mansion's inhabitants to come on over.
"What is all this commotion about?" T'Challa demanded sternly, Aisha pointed over at the funny pair having a snowball fight and the cursed inhabitants now completely understood that they also burst into song:
Scott: Well who'd have thought?
Mrs. Richards: Well bless my soul
T'Challa: And who'd have known
Mrs. Richards: Well who indeed?
Scott: And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?
Mrs. Richards: It's so peculiar
All: We'll wait and see, a few days more
There may be something there that wasn't there before
As soon as the snowball fight was over, Bloom and Man-Spider went inside the mansion where they sat down by the fireplace and read a book together. While the others went off to do their own thing, Flora and Helia accompanied the mansion's inhabitants down the hall.
"We've got a lot of things to do today." T'Challa told them "Furthermore, we've got to make that those two fall in love tonight, if we ever expect to be human again…"
"Ah, human again" sighed Scott happily.
"Human again" added Mrs. Richards in agreement.
"Yes, think what that means." Scott implored as he turned the hands of a mantle clock, causing it to ding loudly much to T'Challa's annoyance. Then the little fire ant began to sing:
I'll be cooking again, be good looking again
With a mademoiselle on each arm
When I'm human again, only human again
Poised and polished, and gleaming with charm
I'll be courting again, chic and sporting again
"Which should cause several husbands alarm!" added Mrs. Richards bemusedly, which caused Flora and Helia to burst out laughing. Scott laughed before continuing:
"I'll hop down off this shelf, and feel great to be myself
All: I can't wait to be human again!
They all went up into chorus and celebration, while the other staff members started their own lines:
When we're human again, only human again
When we're knick-knacks and what-nots no more!
When we're human again, good and human again
Oh Cherie, won't it all be top drawer?
I'll wear lipstick and rouge
And I won't be so huge
Why I'll easily fit through that door
I'll exude savoir faire
I'll wear gowns, I'll have hair
It's my prayer to be human again
Then the group went outside, where the other staff members were all busy trimming bushes and hedges, watering garden plants, planting fruit trees, sweeping off the porches front and back, cleaning out the stables and so on. All the cursed people then resumed their singing;
When we're human again, only human again
When the world once more starts making sense
T'Challa: I'll unwind for a change
Scott: Really? That'll be strange
T'Challa: Can I help it if I'm t-t-tense
In a shack by the sea, I'll sit back sipping tea
Let my early retirement commence
Far from fools with antennae
I'll get down to brass tacks and relax!
All: When I'm human again!
Then they all headed inside where the whole staff was cleaning up the mansion, and resumed singing the song;
So sweep the dust from the floor
Let's let some light in the room
I can feel, I can tell someone might break the spell
Any day now!
Shine up the brass in the door
Alert the dust pail and broom
If it all goes as planned, our time may be at hand any day now
Open the shutters and let in some air
Mrs. Richards: Put these here and put those over there
All: Sweep up the years, the sadness and tears
And throw them away!
Elsewhere
While everyone else was having a good time, Bloom and the Man-Spider were now in the library reading together. Bloom had just come to the end of one particular story that she was reading out loud, which was about "Boy meets Girl". Now she had moved on to another book that she had selected for Man-Spider to read.
"Would you like to read out loud?" she inquired. Man-Spider looked doubtful as he glanced down at the book in his hairy paws before looking the other way. "I can't" he answered.
Bloom looked surprised "What do you mean?" she asked "That you can't read?"
"Oh, I've read before" he admitted "It's just been…so long."
"Then why don't you start from the beginning?" she suggested before opening the book, which was titled Romeo and Juliet. Man-Spider looked down the pages, a little doubtful at first but then he began reading very carefully, starting with the part about two households at odds with each other.
Back outside, the whole mansion staff were still cleaning the whole estate inside and out. They were even washing the windows, transplanting different plants and watering them, they all resumed singing;
Chorus: We'll be dancing again, we'll be twirling again
We'll be whirling around with such ease
When we're human again, only human again
We'll go waltzing those old one-two-threes
We'll be floating again, we'll be gliding again
Stepping, striding as fine as you please
Like a real human does, I'll be all that I was!
On that glorious morn, when we're finally reborn
And all of us human again!
As the song ended, a huge bear wearing a bathing suit dove off the balcony high up above directly into the swimming pool below. The whole group quickly dispersed before the bear hit the water with a huge splash!
Back in New York
Meanwhile, Andy Hamill and his friends were deceitfully scheming ahead since they heard the news report about Mike McNally's supposed ravings. Andy was still determined to get Bloom to marry him, so he wasn't going to rest until it happened.
Right at the moment, Andy and Larry were conversing with Fredrick Kingsman, the current warden of Ravencroft Institute. "So, what can I do for you boys tonight?"
"I was hoping you could do us a favor." Andy told him "Would you mind dealing with Michael McNally, personally?"
Kingsman looked very surprised to hear that. "Michael McNally is literally harmless" he told them.
"Oh yeah?" Andy responded "It was recently reported on the news, that he was raving about a spider-beast in a haunted mansion."
The warden was even more surprised to hear that new piece of information. "So… what would you have me do?" he asked.
"Well, for instance" Andy began to explain "I have my heart and mind set on marrying Bloom, so I think that if we staged a coup to have Mike committed. Then she might get a little persuasion, since she wouldn't have anything happen to her poor father."
Kingsman thought for a moment before grinning in glee. "I love it"
Elsewhere
Back at the McNally house, Mike and Vanessa had both complicated about what to do next. For one thing, if they were going to help their daughter, then they'd better be careful against this spider creature.
"Oh Mike, whatever are we going to do?" asked Vanessa worriedly, Mike had just finished packing the last of his belongings before looking at his wife.
"We'll just have to do the best that we can." He told her. "If no one in this town is willing to help, then we'll go back to the strange mansion ourselves." Vanessa was very surprised to hear her husband say that, but she mustered up the courage and agreed with Mike.
"You're right" she told him firmly. "We must do what we can, with or without help from other people who won't believe us."
Mike smiled at his wife when he heard that. "Alright then, let's get ready to leave" so with that, they packed a few belongings and set out for the strange mansion where the Man-Spider lived. But no sooner had they pulled out when another car pulled up beside the house, the persons who stepped out of that car were none other than Andy Hamill and his crazy cronies.
Andy and his buddy Larry walked straight up to the front door and knocked, but when they realized the door was already locked, Larry took out an extra set of keys and unlocked it. Then they went inside to check things out. "Bloom?! Mike, Vanessa?!" Andy called out urgently.
There was no answer, so Larry decided to call it quits. "Well, I guess there's no one home at the moment." he was just about to walk back out when Andy stopped him from leaving.
"Maybe for now, but they might come back later." Andy reminded him "So that is why you've got to stay behind." Larry was a bit astonished to hear that, but before he could even protest, Andy shoved him directly into an alley that was right across the street, facing the McNally house.
"Don't move from this spot until Bloom and her family come home." Andy instructed before departing.
"But I…" Larry started to object, but Andy had already driven away in the car. "Aww nuts" he grumbled to himself "Now I've got to be stuck with watching a house all day and night, or maybe all week until the McNallys come home."
Well there you have it readers! The fourth chapter of Beauty and the Man-Spider is finally here. Now I hope you won't mind that I changed some of the lyrics in Human Again, just to be in contrast with the story.
I might be focused on other things such as writing my other fanfics, or this new job that I got four months ago. So just don't expect the next chapter to pop up right away, that's all I'm telling you, so enjoy reading this new chapter while you can.
Until next time!