Spider-Woman: Origin

2018

“Please pass the ketchup,” I said, staring at my steaming plate of french fries. If there was one thing I loved most in this world, it was fries. My gaze shifted to my mother, who was grimacing at my lackluster dinner choice. She probably hated that my plate was devoid of color.

“Here,” my father muttered, sliding a bottle of ketchup within my reach. I grabbed it and doused my fries.

“You’re disgusting,” my younger sister chimed in, but I ignored her as I tossed a fry into my mouth. I relished in the familiar tang of the ketchup.

We continued our meal in silence, the air thick with unspoken judgments. I was oblivious to the group of workers approaching our table, carrying a candle-lit cake. It wasn’t until they were just a few feet away, singing “Happy Birthday” that I looked up. I cursed myself for not seeing this coming.

“Happy birthday to Jessica!” they sang, standing at the edge of our table. My smile faltered as I glanced around at my family, their faces alight with joy. I silently prayed for the moment to end.

The singing abruptly ceased when the woman carrying the cake suddenly dropped it. Her hands turned to ash, the particles drifting to the ground. I watched, frozen, as her entire form followed suit. Gasps rippled through the once-bustling diner. It was now cloaked in shocked silence. I couldn’t process what had just happened; I stared in disbelief, hoping she would reappear. She didn’t. Others began to vanish as well.

The diner erupted into chaos as more family members succumbed to the same fate. Ash filled the air. Panic swept through the crowd. My heart raced as I struggled to grasp the reality of the situation. What had been a quaint restaurant, filled with laughter and conversation, was now a scene of horror, with people crying out for those they lost. A cold dread settled in my chest.

“Mom?!” Jordyn’s voice rang out, tinged with fear. My mother pulled her close and shielded her eyes.

“We have to leave,” my father commanded. He shifted in his seat as he prepared to rise. I felt his arm searching for mine and I grasped his hand. Together, we hurried away from the table, heading for the entrance. As we passed sobbing families clutching the ashes of their loved ones, my vision blurred with tears. I wiped my eyes with my free hand, but in that instant, I felt my hand slipping from my father’s grasp.

“Dad?” I whimpered, panic rising in my throat. My family turned to me, fear etched on their faces. I felt my legs go numb, and in that moment, I realized my time was running out.

“I love y—” My words were cut short, and the stunned expressions of my family were the last thing I saw before I vanished into nothingness.