Shadow // Peter Parker (Book 1)

Part 17

Song: 'Believer' by Imagine Dragons
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Ellie POV

I feel like I'm in one of those movies where you always think something good is going to happen and make things even slightly better, but it turns out to be something shit that just makes everything ten times worse.

I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I take it out and I see Peter's caller ID come up on the screen. This makes me cry harder than I already am. What does he think he's going to do? Snap his fingers and everything will be better? I think the fuck not.

I sprint up the stairs to my apartment and rush through the door slamming it behind me. I'm surprised that door isn't broken, I've had to slam it a lot lately.

I throw my bag onto the floor and just stare at the empty apartment. I wish my dad was here. He'd hug me tight and tell me everything would be fine. He'd listen to me and let me vent out my feelings.

I take out my phone and ring him, but there is no answer. I feel like everyone has just ditched me and left me to go to shit. I actually have no one anymore.

I walk into my room to change into my pjs so I can have a movie binge, but I fall to my knees when I enter it.

There are mouse traps scattered all over the floor, and painted on the wall in jet black ink:
"The early rat escapes the trap, but can't hold back once she snaps. Black eyes are her gift to you, like father like daughter, we all know it's true".

The only way I can explain this feeling is if you've been stabbed, but the killer pulls the knife out and pushes it back in, almost like a drill, to make it hurt even more.

Hot rage filled tears spill down my cheeks like a waterfall. I back away from it all and crouch in the corner.

I'm struggling to breathe, and I'm getting hot shivers and cold sweats. My throat is tight and I feel dizzy. I want to escape but I can't. I feel like a heavy object is being pressed on me.

This keeps going on for about 10 minutes and then they start to disappear. "What was that?" I mutter to myself. Did I just have a panic attack?

All this isn't just hurtful anymore, it's threatening and even scary. I feel so unsafe, like someone is watching me. The person who did this must know me personally, and go to school with me. They obviously know how to rub salt into my wounds.

The sun starts to slowly set outside my window, and my eyelids grow heavy. This past week has been exhausting. I want to sleep but I make sure to make a mental note in my head before I do: I'm going to find who did this, and I'm going to do whatever it takes.

With that in mind, I fall asleep, right there on the cold hard floor.

(Next morning)

I actually sleep until 8:30 am, which is a first as I've been getting no sleep lately. I quickly get up off the ground I was sleeping on and walk to my closet to get get changed.

As I do I step in one of the mousetraps, forgetting they're scattered everywhere. "Shit!" I shout with pain. But then all the memories come flooding back.

I need to scope out the school, and try and out some puzzle pieces together. And I will truly beat the shit out of whoever has been terrorizing me.

I don't bother getting changed, all I feel is cold hard rage.

My stomach rumbles, and I realize I haven't eaten in two days, but I don't care. This is more important.

I pick up my bag from where I threw it on the ground and march out of the apartment, feeling more angry with every step I take.
I reach the school entrance and and make my way down the hall.

Everyone stares at me and begins to whisper, but I ignore them. They've been doing it a lot lately so I'm over it.

What I don't expect however, is the big crowd outside my locker. When I reach the crowd, I try to push through. "Guys I don't have a rat colony in there if you're wondering!" I shout sarcastically so people will let me through.

I bump into Michelle near the front. She jumps slightly when she sees me. "Ellie, I'm sorry" she says softly. I roll my eyes at her. Why does she feel sorry for me? Cos I have no friends? No life?

I eventually push to the front and I walk to my locker. However, I nearly faint when I see what people are staring at.

On my locker, another sentence is painted on it again in the same black ink.

It reads "Rats may be small, can almost turn invisible, but there is a way to catch them. And that's to follow their Shadow", the word "Shadow" underlined.

I feel my bag drop off my back and land with a thud on the ground. I can see everyone look at me with worry and confusion. Suddenly, I here a familiar voice push its way through the crowd.

"Sorry. Sorry there. Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry" I hear them say. I turn and look at Peter. His face turns to shock when he sees my locker. My eyes become blurry with tears. It's not because of the ink. Who else would know to underline Shadow? The one and only Peter Parker.

The tears start to escape. "Ellie......I'm so sorry" he says quietly, not looking me in the eye. I'm so tempted to punch him into space, but I'm too weak.

He might be the person behind this, but I need proof. Suddenly I have an idea.

I turn to his locker, and let the rage, hurt and all the strength I have take over, and kick open his locker. I look inside, and I see the the thing I was dreading to see: black spray paint.

Everyone starts to whisper and look at Peter, who has gone really pale. He looks surprised.

"Ellie I swear.....that.....that wasn't......" he stutters. I just shake my head at him, and I pick up my bag and run, which is all I know I guess, and it's all I can do.

I run outside, gasping for air and choking on my tears. I feel so small and isolated.

I take out my phone and ring my dad, praying he answers. Suddenly, I hear a worried "Ellie?!" over the phone.

"Dad. Dad please I need to talk" I sob.

"Ellie?! Where are you? Look just come home, to he apartment. It's urgent" He says quickly.

"Dad?! Is everything okay?!" I ask, still crying.

"Just come home quickly" he says before abruptly hanging up. It must be important.

With all the energy I have, I sprint home, loads of scenarios playing in my mind. Ones that involve me jumping into my dad's arms and him hugging me tightly, and others where there's something bad after happening and he needs to discuss.

Oh no. What if he found out about Germany?! The ink! I forgot to clean it! Shit! I run faster and faster.

I burst through the door, and call for my dad, but there's no answer. "Dad?! Dad where are you?!".

Suddenly I'm pushed onto the ground. I look up and see a man wearing dark clothing. Behind him is another man, holding my dad in a headlock with a gun at his head.

"Dad!" I wail. The man in front points his gun at me.

"The suit! Now!" He yells.

"Dad?" I ask tearfully.

"Just.....give.....it..." my dad chokes. I get up and quickly run to my room and grab it from inside the closet.

Once I walk back to the living room, I stop in my tracks. "Let go of him, then I give it to you" I say strongly. The second man shoots at the ceiling which gives me a fright. I throw the suit at them. The first man smiles.

"Boss will be very happy with this. Now Shadow," he smiles slyly at me and pauses, standing close to me. "I'll see you soon" he says before injecting me with something.

I lose all senses of balance and collapse onto the ground, and then: Black.