**Holy crap, you guys. Okay, I don't know what else to say but I'm sorry?
Jeez, did I get some HATE mail from that last chapter.....don't hate me!!!!
This is how the story is going, I can't help it. I just write it how it
happens. This may sound strange, but maybe some of you know how it
feels....I basically have no say in the way the story goes. I only write
it. Make sense? I know it doesn't. But that's just how it is. Like the
saying goes, Don't kill the messenger? Yeah. Don't yell at me. Let me just
console you in the fact that....well, I can't console you. Just wait until
I write the damn thing and then read it. K? Okay. BTW, 'premonition' is
pronounced 'preh-mo-nition'. At least, that's how I say it.**
"How could this have happened?" my dad asked for the umpteenth time. Our apartment was full of police and C.S.I. officers, officials of every kind. I was curled up on the couch, Nick on one side and Gwen on the other, Jay sitting next to her. I hadn't spoken to anyone for three hours, since we got home. I could only stare at the floor. "Why would someone do this?"
"Sir, we're not sure if it was a murder or not," said a man in a black suit. I looked up. "There are signs of struggle, but none of death. We're leaning towards a kidnapping." I felt a tiny bit of hope. I stood up and glanced at my friends.
"Let's go," I said quietly. I led them back to my room, where everyone sprawled out where they could. I threw myself onto my bed, burying my face in the fluffy pillows. Someone pat me on the back.
"Things'll be all right, Jessi," said Nick. My leg moved slightly as he sat down next to me. I looked up at him blearily.
"You don't know, though," I said stonily. I pushed myself into a sitting position, with a cold look. "She could be dead. Or she could be tied up somewhere with a gun to her head. Either way, she's not here. If she's been kidnapped, then I have to get her back." Nick looked skeptical, but Gwen was worried.
"Jessi, you can't go-," Gwen started.
"Yes, I can," I said. I was surprised at the steel in my voice. "And I will." Nick frowned.
"Jessi, you are a sixteen-year-old girl," said Nick firmly. "I don't want you to go out and try anything stupid." I glared at him, feeling unrationally angry.
"What do you mean, I'm a sixteen-year-old girl?" I snarled. I stood up, noted the worried look passed between Jay and Gwen. "I'm perfectly able, BY myself, to rescue her, and anyone else." My dad entered the room then. He took in the scene: me standing next to the bed with my fists balled up, Gwen looking frightened in a bean bag chair, Nick wearing a concerned expression.
"Jess, I think maybe it's time for your friends to go home," he said. There was a tone in his voice that made me think he wanted to talk to me in private. He raised an eyebrow, and everyone started to get up.
"No," I said suddenly. They froze. "I don't want them to leave yet. Let's go to your room. I'll be back in a sec, guys," I told them, then led my dad into the hall and to his bedroom.
"What's up?" I asked, perching myself on the edge of his bed. He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly.
"They really think it's a kidnapping," he said. He started to pace, then looked at me seriously. "Jessi, I have a strong feeling that this has to do with me. Us; you know, what we are." I felt a bolt of shock. That had to be it. I hadn't thought of it before, but that had to be what was going on. I nodded. "Now, there's got to be a ransom note somewhere. Have you found anything like that?" I shook my head. "Where it is will be a clue to who they're trying to affect. My first instinct is that it's me, but they could be after you too. You've joined the family business, sport, where accepting the identity of Spiderman makes you a lot of enemies." I nodded, not knowing what to say. There was a silence, then I got up.
"I'm just gonna lock myself in my room for a while, okay?" I said. Before he could answer, I was down the hall and in my doorway. Everyone was quiet as I entered the room. Nick walked over to me.
"Jessi, I've got to get home," he said apologetically. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, or call you later, okay?" I nodded. We hugged each other, and he kissed me on the cheek. I tried not to show my surprise. He smiled at me, then left the room, Jay following closely. Gwen eyed me suspiciously.
"My dad says he thinks it has something to do with the Spiderman thing," I whispered. I flopped down onto my bed. "Someone seeking revenge. I was just thinking though. How did the kidnapper know? I mean, he must have known my dad was who he was, or he wouldn't have targeted my mother like that." She gave me a weak smile.
"This is too weird Jess," she said nervously. I made a face and picked up my book. A note fell out of it. With surprisingly steady hands, I picked up the envelope reading Jessica Parker across the front. I exchanged horrified stares with Gwen, then proceeded to open it. A small letter was contained inside. I took it out and unfolded it, revealing a fancy script:
Ms. Parker,
I regret to inform you that upon learning your identity, I was forced to have my associates accompany your mother, one Mary Jane Parker, to a secluded and highly guarded location. I wish to meet you at the following place, on Friday the Thirteenth of October, at ten o' clock.
An address was listed, one I recognized as an abandoned museum on the upper West Side. I realized I was grinding my teeth together, and stopped to prevent further damage. I continued to read:
Please do invite your father, as it will be a most welcome reunion. If you choose to not show up, or if you bring anyone other than yourself and your father, I will be, unfortunately, forced to dispose of Mrs. Parker in a most undesirable fashion. I am looking forward to our rendezvous.
My whole body shook violently at the next few words, and Gwen came over to comfort me. When she read the letter, she let out a cry and dropped it on the bed. The words still loomed out at me, in bright emerald green ink:
THE GREEN GOBLIN LIVES
Gwen's shout had drawn my dad's attention. He burst into the room. It looked as though he had been tearing out his hair. His face was haggard, but calm. I held out the paper to him, trembling. He took it, turning a pasty white. I saw his eyes set on the last phrase. He glanced at me. I held back tears, and nodded. My training had just begun.
"How could this have happened?" my dad asked for the umpteenth time. Our apartment was full of police and C.S.I. officers, officials of every kind. I was curled up on the couch, Nick on one side and Gwen on the other, Jay sitting next to her. I hadn't spoken to anyone for three hours, since we got home. I could only stare at the floor. "Why would someone do this?"
"Sir, we're not sure if it was a murder or not," said a man in a black suit. I looked up. "There are signs of struggle, but none of death. We're leaning towards a kidnapping." I felt a tiny bit of hope. I stood up and glanced at my friends.
"Let's go," I said quietly. I led them back to my room, where everyone sprawled out where they could. I threw myself onto my bed, burying my face in the fluffy pillows. Someone pat me on the back.
"Things'll be all right, Jessi," said Nick. My leg moved slightly as he sat down next to me. I looked up at him blearily.
"You don't know, though," I said stonily. I pushed myself into a sitting position, with a cold look. "She could be dead. Or she could be tied up somewhere with a gun to her head. Either way, she's not here. If she's been kidnapped, then I have to get her back." Nick looked skeptical, but Gwen was worried.
"Jessi, you can't go-," Gwen started.
"Yes, I can," I said. I was surprised at the steel in my voice. "And I will." Nick frowned.
"Jessi, you are a sixteen-year-old girl," said Nick firmly. "I don't want you to go out and try anything stupid." I glared at him, feeling unrationally angry.
"What do you mean, I'm a sixteen-year-old girl?" I snarled. I stood up, noted the worried look passed between Jay and Gwen. "I'm perfectly able, BY myself, to rescue her, and anyone else." My dad entered the room then. He took in the scene: me standing next to the bed with my fists balled up, Gwen looking frightened in a bean bag chair, Nick wearing a concerned expression.
"Jess, I think maybe it's time for your friends to go home," he said. There was a tone in his voice that made me think he wanted to talk to me in private. He raised an eyebrow, and everyone started to get up.
"No," I said suddenly. They froze. "I don't want them to leave yet. Let's go to your room. I'll be back in a sec, guys," I told them, then led my dad into the hall and to his bedroom.
"What's up?" I asked, perching myself on the edge of his bed. He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly.
"They really think it's a kidnapping," he said. He started to pace, then looked at me seriously. "Jessi, I have a strong feeling that this has to do with me. Us; you know, what we are." I felt a bolt of shock. That had to be it. I hadn't thought of it before, but that had to be what was going on. I nodded. "Now, there's got to be a ransom note somewhere. Have you found anything like that?" I shook my head. "Where it is will be a clue to who they're trying to affect. My first instinct is that it's me, but they could be after you too. You've joined the family business, sport, where accepting the identity of Spiderman makes you a lot of enemies." I nodded, not knowing what to say. There was a silence, then I got up.
"I'm just gonna lock myself in my room for a while, okay?" I said. Before he could answer, I was down the hall and in my doorway. Everyone was quiet as I entered the room. Nick walked over to me.
"Jessi, I've got to get home," he said apologetically. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, or call you later, okay?" I nodded. We hugged each other, and he kissed me on the cheek. I tried not to show my surprise. He smiled at me, then left the room, Jay following closely. Gwen eyed me suspiciously.
"My dad says he thinks it has something to do with the Spiderman thing," I whispered. I flopped down onto my bed. "Someone seeking revenge. I was just thinking though. How did the kidnapper know? I mean, he must have known my dad was who he was, or he wouldn't have targeted my mother like that." She gave me a weak smile.
"This is too weird Jess," she said nervously. I made a face and picked up my book. A note fell out of it. With surprisingly steady hands, I picked up the envelope reading Jessica Parker across the front. I exchanged horrified stares with Gwen, then proceeded to open it. A small letter was contained inside. I took it out and unfolded it, revealing a fancy script:
Ms. Parker,
I regret to inform you that upon learning your identity, I was forced to have my associates accompany your mother, one Mary Jane Parker, to a secluded and highly guarded location. I wish to meet you at the following place, on Friday the Thirteenth of October, at ten o' clock.
An address was listed, one I recognized as an abandoned museum on the upper West Side. I realized I was grinding my teeth together, and stopped to prevent further damage. I continued to read:
Please do invite your father, as it will be a most welcome reunion. If you choose to not show up, or if you bring anyone other than yourself and your father, I will be, unfortunately, forced to dispose of Mrs. Parker in a most undesirable fashion. I am looking forward to our rendezvous.
My whole body shook violently at the next few words, and Gwen came over to comfort me. When she read the letter, she let out a cry and dropped it on the bed. The words still loomed out at me, in bright emerald green ink:
THE GREEN GOBLIN LIVES
Gwen's shout had drawn my dad's attention. He burst into the room. It looked as though he had been tearing out his hair. His face was haggard, but calm. I held out the paper to him, trembling. He took it, turning a pasty white. I saw his eyes set on the last phrase. He glanced at me. I held back tears, and nodded. My training had just begun.