I found myself sitting in a Police interrogation room. Aunt May died last night and I woke up to find her and say good morning. She was... she was in the kitchen with multiple stab wounds. The knife was on the counter. I could barely get out a scream as I went to cradle her body. I was in denial to say the least. I knew she was dead, but I didn't want her to be dead. I wanted her to survive. To stay with me, have our movie nights every Friday, go to the yoga club she loved so much, and the cooking club, help the people at her work at the hospital. I didn't want her to leave me and everything she had behind.
I didn't want to be finally orphaned after those 3 deaths in 13 years. I don't think I'll be able to handle it. 4 deaths in 16 years? I hardly call that coincidence. And calling it Parker luck is just sugar coating it. It's not Parker luck, it's Peter's curse. Or well, Peter the curse.
But I don't have that choice of May being alive. People don't come back, I of all people know that far too well. I called the cops after I got a hold of myself. They immediately knew she wasn't coming back when they arrived. When the authorities were checking the crime scene and everything, I was brought into an office of a building I didn't even remember walking into.
I've been crying too much to pay attention to anything around me.
Once I finally shed too many tears to count I was emotionally and physically exhausted. And it was what? 9 in the morning?
Someone opens the door and I flinch hard. I guess I'm gonna be fragile for a while. "Mr. Parker, I'm sorry to hear of your loss but we need to ask you a few questions."
And that was it. The entire questioning, which felt more like an interrogation. I was asked questions about Aunt May. They brought up Uncle Ben and my parents too. Digging into every crevice of pain they could wiggle their way into. Everytime they used one of their names my chest would sting with a sour flavor of guilt and grief. It hurt so much and at some point it all just blurred. Looking back on it I can deem it dissociation but in the present it was blanking out. I could still answer the question but my perspective was 3rd person and my answers were short and bland. Void of emotion.
Not feeling anything however made me paranoid. I don't get that lucky to just shut off. Something bad is about to happen right?
And something did happen. I was landed in a temporary containment cell. Who would've thunk, Spider-man's alter ego in jail.
I tried to question what I was being detained for but they ignored me. My nerves collected in a pile and it just kept building as the situation set in. After a while I fell into restless sleep and woke back up to a food tray. I ate the food, went back to sleep, and woke up again. About 20 minutes after I woke up the second time someone came into the cell.
"Hey, Peter. I'm your Aunt's lawyer. Gary Steinfield. Remember me?" He spoke softly. I do remember him, and how easily he can turn the switch. At first he may seem too nice to be a lawyer but boy are you wrong. He gets down and dirty in the courtroom. Wait... that sounds wrong. Anyways, I answer him eventually. "Uh yeah. Great guy. But, -OH do you know why I'm locked up in here?"
He looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite name. He paused his movement but lost my eye contact. Almost guilty?? "About that kid... they suspect you killed May..."
And then my heart sank. I wanted to scream and cry. Break the doors down and punch the walls. I knew I could but that I shouldn't. I wouldn't be appropriate. In fact it would be completely inappropriate, especially for this wimpy nerd get up I'm stuck with. I tried to question him. Surely there had to be a mistake! But all I could get out was a choked gasp. My eyes start to water and my heart beats faster. They couldn't really think that. They couldn't.
I'm not a murderer. I didn't kill her. I didn't kill Aunt May. I'm not a murderer.
Then why was I the last one there? Why didn't the intruder come after me? I was asleep in bed. They could have easily searched the house for any possible witnesses, find me and then boom. Double homicide. But they didn't. Why didn't they kill me too?
I really wish they did right now.
"Peter, you need to breathe. I'm gonna get you out of this mess. I know you wouldn't do something like that. I know you didn't kill your Aunt, your only living relative. I know you wouldn't do that. Just look at me and breathe. Everything will be okay, I promise." Mr. Steinfield pleaded, trying to soothe me. I guess I had a little bit of a panic attack.
"Does he need a medic?" A person in a cell across from me asks. It was surprisingly thoughtful.
"I don't know, he seems fine now. Maybe just in case?" Mr. Steinfield answered uncertainly. I try to get my bearings to say I don't need one but I couldn't in time. By that time the other prisoner already waved someone over.
"Hey, everything alright?" An officer asks.
"Yeah, the kid over there just freaked out a bit and we wanted to make sure he was alright." The prisoner said thoughtfully.
The officer grimaced. "The kid that killed his Aunt? That psycho will be fine." He replied bitterly and walked off.
The other prisoner scoffed as the officer walked away dismissively. All I could do was just sit there in shock. How many people think I actually killed her?
"Hey, kid. I've seen killers before and you ain't one. You'll win that case." The prisoner tried to assure me. It would've worked if I actually listened.
~Time skip~
We're in court and the opening statements were just given. I'm the first to be questioned, and to be honest I was a nervous wreck. At Least I had some people here that I know to prove I'm not the kind of person to do such a thing. To start off from what I remember, this court case is for my innocence and depending on the verdict I end up and in jail and May's murder is a fine deal or I'm our free to go into the system and May's murder investigation will be revisited.
One of my teachers, and a neighbor of mine in the apartments were there to profess my innocence by my character. I was still nervous nonetheless. How stupid would it be if Spider-man's alter ego went to jail?
I make it up to the stand playing with my hands nervously. I can't go to jail, I didn't even do anything.
"Mr. Parker, Do you swear that the evidence you shall give to the court in this matter shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help you God?" Someone asked from beside my stand.
I answered in the way I rehearsed, swearing the truth. "I solemnly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." I take a shaky breath as I picture May dead again. "So help me god." My voice was shaky and my eyes bloodshot from the crying the previous days but I knew I had to make it through this.
"Good, let the questioning begin." The judge says.
A man in a brown suit made his way to the stand and I was shaking with a concoction of emotions. He took the same oath of his own and the Judge started the questioning.
"Hello, Mr. Parker. My name is George Powell." He said monotonely as he flipped through some papers.
"Hello, sir." I greeted back.
"To begin this questioning let's start simple. How long have you been in your aunt's care?" He asked, looking up at me.
"I'm 16 and have been in her care since my parents death when I was around 4 so, roughly 12 years." I responded.
"Alright and would you say you had a good relationship with her?" He asked with faked softness. I could sense it and it made my brows furrow in slight frustration. Memories from my time with her over the years sifted through my head. Of all the laughter and love and the warmth.
"We were as close as a mother and a son. A very good relationship." I said my lip quivering at the thought of what I've lost.
"Okay, Mr. Parker. And just know you can pause any moment to collect yourself. I'm sure the guilt is very strong right now." He explained in mock sincerity. A fire started to crackle in my heart.
"Please don't insinuate that I have anything to be guilty for, sir." I replied, trying to keep my tone leveled. I tried not to even feel the urge to lunge forward and grapple him.
"Of course Mr. Parker." He paused before continuing. "How was your relationship with your uncle, Benjamin? How did his death affect you and May?" He asked. That fired seared at the thought that he'd have the audacity to insinuate I was Ben's killer too.
"Uncle Ben, Uncle Ben was amazing. We would often bond over camping trips and science projects. He was like my father. Not like my biological father, I mean he was like a father to me. His death, it hurt a lot. Not to mention I was the one who held him in his final moments. I was in a shop for a few groceries while he waited outside. And a robber came in, took the money and tried to get Ben's car as a get-away but... Ben being Ben stopped him. And in what I can only assume was panic about the plan going South, he pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest. I heard the bang and ran outside after making sure the guy at the register was okay and saw him on the ground barely hanging on. Um.." I paused for a moment so then next words could actually come out audibly.
"Ben's death was... was like shattering glass. It was sudden and sharp and painful and loud. The aftermath was messy and sad. May was devastated to lose her husband and I was devastated to lose a father figure. I mean, who wouldn't be upset after seeing the man who raised you gone before you could even say goodbye?" I finished. I didn't want to talk about him any longer. I hurt too much.
"I'm sorry to hear that. That must have been very hard." Mr. Powell seemed taken slightly aback.
"It's okay. There is nothing anyone could have done. No matter how much I wish I could have helped him stay awake before he could get proper help." I answered solemnly.
"Do you think Ben's death fueled anything within you? Any kind of passion or thirst for revenge?" He asked.
I hesitated for a moment. The room seemed awfully quiet now as I became overly aware of my surroundings. "I wanted Ben's killer dead, but somewhere along the way I realized that killing Ben's killer would make me just as bad. Hurting people would make me just as bad. And I didn't want to become like someone who tore Ben's away from me." I answered with small doses of salt seeming to invade my mood.
"Alright. So how would you explain what you saw the morning after May's death?'
~time skip because what he says is the same info as earlier~
The prosecution attorney just finished questioning me. And I'm not gonna lie when I say it scared the hell out of me. He brought up my relationship with Gwen, May and Ben, my parents death, made me describe in detail what happened when I found May. The entire time I was holding back tears every memory that was forced to resurface just reminded me of how truly alone I am now.
~another time skip to the verdict because I'm bored and lazy~
Several witnesses went up to the stand 2 in my favor and 2 in my opposition. The two in my favor being my teacher from earlier and a neighbor. The others being a neighbor who said stuff like Peter hasn't been the same since Ben's death and that they saw no one enter or exit the house that night so it would have to have been me who was already inside. And a police officer with evidence pointing to me for the murder. There were also psychologists on each side who early had a long conversation with me about how I was feeling and things like that. Then the opposition said that I have symptoms or antisocial personality disorder, which to be completely honest, seemed a bit far fetched and I could tell not very many people in the courtroom believed it.
The psychologist on my side diagnosed me with several things, PTSD, some anxiety disorder, and clinical depression. And all of which make me more likely to not engage in behaviors that could hurt others around me. She also explained that she firmly believes the PTSD is from witnessing Ben and May's deaths. Meaning, I couldn't have killed them and I couldn't have antisocial personality disorder.
I felt very uncomfortable having my whole life story given out to the people in the court but it was necessary for me not to end up in jail. It also surprised me that the psychologist on our side could have gotten that much of a read on me within the conversation we had.
Enough of this talk though, I was just relaying everything in my head to stall listening to the verdict. But here it goes...
The judge was reading off a paper I assumed had my verdict on.
"In the decision of myself and the jury of this case, Peter Benjamin Parker is not guilty of the charges of 1st degree murder and 2nd degree murder. The case to find the murderer of Maybelle Ruth Parker-Jameson will be revisited, investigating suspects not including Mr. Parker."
I felt like the entire room was looking at me as I stood there, still comprehending what that meant. They believed I didn't kill Aunt May, they believed me. I won't go to jail. I'll- I'll be put in the system.
I vaguely feel Mr. Steinfield hugging me, whispering encouraging words in my ear. I couldn't move. Tears ran down my face but I felt paralyzed. I didn't know what I was feeling but it was so much at once. I couldn't breathe, my legs felt weak. I returned the hug and grabbed on for dear life. Trying to anchor myself back on Earth. I rasped into his ear.
"I need to get out of the room."
Before slipping down on him. He hung on tighter and lifted me back up. "You're okay, Peter. You're gonna be okay just listen to me right now. Just listen. Everything will be okay. Breathe for me, I'm gonna set you back down on your chair."
And like that I had a panic attack in front of the entire courtroom while our psychologist rushed to calm me down. However, I will sleep a little better tonight knowing I won't be going to jail.