The rise of the White Widow

-Aleksandra

"Hey honey," my mom says gently.

Surprised and confused by their presence, I turn back towards the principal while my parents take their seats on either side of me. My leg begins shaking from nerves and anxiety as the conversation unfolds.

"Alex has quite a bit of work to catch up on," the principal informs us all as he pulls out a massive folder with my name displayed across it from his drawer. Just great.

"I expect this completed work by Friday next week," he continues. "I've included extension slips if necessary, but do your best to meet the deadline"

I briefly thank him as I slide the folder into my bag. My dad, sensing an opportunity, chimes in. "Would it be alright if we took Alex home for the remainder of the day so she can start working on this work?"

Please say no, please say no, I beg internally.

"Of course," the principal agrees with a warm smile.

Nooooo.

⚠️Abuse/Torture⚠️

As soon as I step into the new house, my dad angrily shoves me to the ground with a powerful force.

"You're absolutely useless!" he screams at me.

My mom and dad proceed to take turns scolding and hurting me, making sure I feel their disappointment and anger in every possible way. When they're finished, they coldly drag my broken body down the stairs and into the dark basement where they tie me up like a punching bag, suspending me from the ceiling. I hang there, my head drooping low, every part of my body pulsating with pain.

A short while later, my dad stomps back into the room. His face is still red with rage as he marches over to where I'm hanging helplessly.

"Tell me where you were staying!" he demands loudly.

Mustering all my strength, I lie and reply, "I was staying with Hayden"

The room fills with an eerie silence before he yells back, "You better not be lying to me!" He grabs a bat that had been resting against the nearby wall and proceeds to strike me with it.

Despite the unimaginable pain, I grit my teeth and stand by my words. "I'm telling you the truth," I try to reassure him.

For what seems like hours on end, my dad continues to interrogate me about my whereabouts while inflicting more pain during his persistent questioning. Eventually, he exhausts himself and comes to a stop.

Finally satisfied for now, he tosses the bat aside and heads back upstairs, leaving me still hanging from the ceiling, a living embodiment of a battered punching bag.

Peter's pov

As I scan the bustling school cafeteria, my eyes search for any sign of Alex. I'm certain she's in school today since I saw Ms. Romanoff drop her off this morning. I continue to look, feeling a hint of anxiety creeping in.

Turning to Mj, who's sitting next to me, I ask, "Hey, have you seen Alex around? She's usually here by now"

Mj takes a moment to think and then says, "She got called into the principal's office during art class and never made it back. I hope everything's okay"

A wave of concern washes over me. It isn't like Alex to get in trouble, and her sudden disappearance only heightens my worry. Without wasting another second, I decide to call Nat, she might know more about what's going on.

As the phone rings, I can only hope that this is just a minor misunderstanding and that Alex will be back with us shortly. Little did I know that things were about to take an unexpected turn.

Natasha's pov

I'm in the kitchen baking scones with, Wanda and Yelena. We're laughing and chatting when suddenly, my phone starts buzzing on the countertop. My hands are covered in sticky dough, so I awkwardly answer the call with my elbow.

"Hey Peter! What's going on?" I ask, trying to sound casual despite the mess.

"Uh...you dropped Alex off at school today, right?" Peter hesitates.

"Yeah, of course. Why?"

"Well, I just heard from Mj that she got sent to the principal's office during first period," Peter explains. "And it's already lunchtime now...but nobody has seen her since"

My heart drops. "Alright," I respond, trying not to panic. "I'll give her a call." I hang up and quickly wash my hands.

As I dry my hands on a towel, I dial Alex's number. The phone rings and rings until it finally goes to voicemail. My anxiety rises.

"That's weird," I mumble.

"What happened?" Yelena asks with concern.

"It's just...Alex always picks up her phone," I explain.

Wanda chimes in with a reassuring tone, "Maybe her phone died or she got caught up with something important at school"

"Yeah, you're probably right," I agree, though the uneasy feeling remains lodged in my chest like an unwanted guest.

I spend the rest of our baking session distracted and on edge, glancing at my phone every few minutes for any sign of a message or missed call from Alex. Despite everyone else's attempts to reassure me, I can't seem to shake off this nagging worry that something terrible has happened to my daughter- I mean Alex at school today.

Alex's pov

By this point, my body feels so battered and bruised that I can barely register the pain from my parents blows. I don't dare to look at myself in a mirror right now, I must resemble a train wreck. As my mother descends the stairs, she approaches me and unlocks the chains that have bound me for what feels like an eternity. The moment I am free, my legs give way, and I collapse to the floor. A sharp, sickening crunch echoes in my ears as my ankle gives in under my weight. Biting back the surge of pain, I do my best not to scream.

My mother hands me my phone with a stern warning, "Reply to this text and tell them we've found a new house, and you're living with us now. Don't even think about trying anything funny. I'll be checking your message"

My eyes widen as I see that the text is from Nat, who has been wondering about my whereabouts. Trying to stay calm and focused, I carefully type out my response, "Hey Nat, so my parents found a new place and I'm living with them now. - Aleksandra"

I hand the phone back to my mom smirking to myself. Little does she know that by using my full name,Aleksandra, instead of the usual shortened version, Alex, I've managed to create a subtle hint that something is off. Nat is familiar with how much I dislike it when people call me Aleksandra, hopefully, she realises that something is wrong and takes action soon.

Nat's pov

I've been nervously staring at my phone for hours, desperately waiting for any form of communication from Alex, a call, a text message, just anything to give me a sign that she's alright. My heart is racing, and my hands feel clammy as the overwhelming sense of worry fills my chest.

Out of nowhere, the screen finally lights up, causing me to quickly snatch my phone from the table. In my haste, I almost drop it onto the floor. Breathlessly, I see that the notification is indeed from Alex. Eagerly, but trembling with fear, I open the text message with anticipation.

The text reads that she's currently at her parents new house. However, what catches my attention and sends a chill down my spine is the last word she has typed out, Aleksandra.