"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Part One
By Will
Spiderman sat perched atop the Empire State Building, high above the city. It lay below him like a vast sea teeming with movement. A light breeze caressed his body, penetrating his thin spider suit. The city looked so peaceful from above. The noise was drowned out by the sound of the wind among the skyscrapers and the movement of people and cars seemed slow and calm. He knew, however, that amidst that teeming darkness there was evil and injustice. He turned his gaze to the moonless sky, black like velvet with stars like shimmering diamonds. Tiny specks of light in a world of darkness, he thought. He could feel the melancholy coming over him again. His heart ached and his eyes fell again to the streets far below. Images of her passed through his mind again, as they had a million times. "Is this the price you have to pay?" they seemed to say. He had been distracted in his studies and work for weeks since Mr. Osborne's funeral. The pain and uncertainty of his parting with Mary Jane seemed unbearable. He hadn't seen her since then, of course. But she had never left his mind and he had begun to catch himself thinking strange thoughts. Peter shook himself out of his mood. There was only one way of putting those thoughts out of his mind: action. There was work to do. There was a city to protect.
The screams were muffled, distant, but unmistakable. Spiderman swung through the streets on thin strings of powerful webbing, coming ever closer. Meanwhile, a young girl lie on her back, screaming and struggling against two men dressed in dark clothes. She was in the proverbial dark alley, the kind that makes you nervous when you first turn to walk down it. One man stood a few steps off while the other was bent over her, clawing at the top button of her coat. They had knocked her down from behind, taking her by surprise. If she'd had a moment to think, she would've reproached herself for such recklessness. But that was the furthest thing from her mind. Teresa was no push over. When she was knocked down she was frightened, but getting frightened made her mad. She thought to herself vaguely, "I'm not going out without causing some pain first." Just at that moment, in a flash, she saw a shadow flit by in the light beyond her attacker, and with a muffled choke his buddy went flying into the adjacent wall. Teresa saw her chance-when the man above her glanced toward his friend's crumpled body her foot came up hard into his crotch. He doubled over, falling face-first toward her.and right into a left hook that shut out his lights. Teresa stood up, a little confused, and was looking around when suddenly a figure stood before her who she'd only seen in the newspapers and only half believed in. He was partially obscured in the shadows, but the costume was unmistakeable. "Now that was a punch!", he said, laughing lightheartedly. "Uh, thanks.um, Spiderman?" "Really, I've got to say, I'm impressed." Teresa began to feel more normal again. "Thanks for helping me out. I.I thought I was in big trouble there." She moved a little closer to see him better. Spiderman moved slightly further into the shadows, away from Teresa and replied, "I'm afraid you were, Miss. What were you doing down here all alone, and at this time of night? I mean, I've even got special powers and I try not to hang out around here alone", he chuckled. "Yeah, maybe not the best decision, I guess. Thanks for your help anyway, though. Even though I could've taken 'em alone.it's fun to work as a team", she replied playfully. "It was my pleasure, Miss, and what's more, I think I might call you next time I need help." With that he was off, disappeared into the shadows. Teresa began walking toward the street, heedless of the unconscious figures lying crumpled in the alley. Her mind was on this man in the funny suit. He seemed so normal, she thought. Not like the "superhero" she had pictured in her mind.but a man, maybe even a boy.
Spiderman sat perched atop the Empire State Building, high above the city. It lay below him like a vast sea teeming with movement. A light breeze caressed his body, penetrating his thin spider suit. The city looked so peaceful from above. The noise was drowned out by the sound of the wind among the skyscrapers and the movement of people and cars seemed slow and calm. He knew, however, that amidst that teeming darkness there was evil and injustice. He turned his gaze to the moonless sky, black like velvet with stars like shimmering diamonds. Tiny specks of light in a world of darkness, he thought. He could feel the melancholy coming over him again. His heart ached and his eyes fell again to the streets far below. Images of her passed through his mind again, as they had a million times. "Is this the price you have to pay?" they seemed to say. He had been distracted in his studies and work for weeks since Mr. Osborne's funeral. The pain and uncertainty of his parting with Mary Jane seemed unbearable. He hadn't seen her since then, of course. But she had never left his mind and he had begun to catch himself thinking strange thoughts. Peter shook himself out of his mood. There was only one way of putting those thoughts out of his mind: action. There was work to do. There was a city to protect.
The screams were muffled, distant, but unmistakable. Spiderman swung through the streets on thin strings of powerful webbing, coming ever closer. Meanwhile, a young girl lie on her back, screaming and struggling against two men dressed in dark clothes. She was in the proverbial dark alley, the kind that makes you nervous when you first turn to walk down it. One man stood a few steps off while the other was bent over her, clawing at the top button of her coat. They had knocked her down from behind, taking her by surprise. If she'd had a moment to think, she would've reproached herself for such recklessness. But that was the furthest thing from her mind. Teresa was no push over. When she was knocked down she was frightened, but getting frightened made her mad. She thought to herself vaguely, "I'm not going out without causing some pain first." Just at that moment, in a flash, she saw a shadow flit by in the light beyond her attacker, and with a muffled choke his buddy went flying into the adjacent wall. Teresa saw her chance-when the man above her glanced toward his friend's crumpled body her foot came up hard into his crotch. He doubled over, falling face-first toward her.and right into a left hook that shut out his lights. Teresa stood up, a little confused, and was looking around when suddenly a figure stood before her who she'd only seen in the newspapers and only half believed in. He was partially obscured in the shadows, but the costume was unmistakeable. "Now that was a punch!", he said, laughing lightheartedly. "Uh, thanks.um, Spiderman?" "Really, I've got to say, I'm impressed." Teresa began to feel more normal again. "Thanks for helping me out. I.I thought I was in big trouble there." She moved a little closer to see him better. Spiderman moved slightly further into the shadows, away from Teresa and replied, "I'm afraid you were, Miss. What were you doing down here all alone, and at this time of night? I mean, I've even got special powers and I try not to hang out around here alone", he chuckled. "Yeah, maybe not the best decision, I guess. Thanks for your help anyway, though. Even though I could've taken 'em alone.it's fun to work as a team", she replied playfully. "It was my pleasure, Miss, and what's more, I think I might call you next time I need help." With that he was off, disappeared into the shadows. Teresa began walking toward the street, heedless of the unconscious figures lying crumpled in the alley. Her mind was on this man in the funny suit. He seemed so normal, she thought. Not like the "superhero" she had pictured in her mind.but a man, maybe even a boy.