Spider Games

On the way to the house, rainwater splashed as he ran with the game he just spent all his work's allowance on, and he wrestled a whole group for the last piece and probably spared a bruised rib.

He breathed out covering his head as the rain fell and he made it to the front lawn but slipped on the grass.

"Danny! This is the third time this week that you've stained a shirt, I am not touching those anytime soon, I don't care if you walk to school..."

His mother talked but he zoned out thinking only about the game the company just released, his heart beat faster as his chances of even touching the TV faded.

Sweat dripped down his face as his red eyes roved to the missing game system. Looked like Carrie came prepared this evening.

He went down to the shower in surrender after glaring suspiciously at the object behind her back.

Danny Irons was twelve years old and lived in Kansas the most of his life and he was obsessed with all things Marvel but not very obsessed enough to buy almost every merchandise or comic there ever was.

He only got the limited editions as they were hard to find so that way it would not feel like he was wasting his money on expendable issues that everyone had.

His mom Carrie Irons always talked about money not falling from trees, but they both know very well that she spent some if not all on natural hair care products which didn't come as close as the ordinary ones...he tried them.

Times have been tedious and she just unplugged his only source of entertainment there ever was, Donnie Irons bought that system two years ago on his birthday before he left for the military.

There had been no communication ever since and the game reminded him of Donnie, perhaps that was why he played with it a lot. To his surprise, the system was recovered and he rushed in clean clothes to kneel before the television to connect it.

Holding on to the controller, his eyes sparkled at the Spiderman logo and he skipped the one-liners and instructions.

"Yeah yeah"

He said ignorantly and started the games, he snorted at the pixel-like background and dropped the gamepad in shock.

WHAT IS THIS, 1982?

The visuals sucked but the plot managed to draw his attention and he would have to play anyway because there was nothing to do.

He grit his teeth at the first level, it was so difficult

"One way or another, I'm going to finish this game"

He said with conviction and took snack breaks feeding on his popcorn bowl, his eyes watered at the light and he was getting cosy.

He reached down and his hand-dipped in the water instead, "Water?"

he looked down at his keen pet as it switched his snack bowl for his waiting for a refill.

"Get out, can't you see I'm trying to defeat Rhino?" He turned back and with the slash of two lightning bolts the TV went off along with everything else, he gazed at the darkness in disbelief and bellowed.

"Noooo!"

Rover howled with him and he stepped up on the puddle that he caused. Annoyed that he just lost ten levels of his progress to a thirsty mutt.

Thunder rumbled and lightning flickered and stayed on the wires and systems scaring the dog.

Danny mumbled a swear word fixing everything else and grabbed hold again groaning at the logo, this time he only read a few eyecatchers before he played, he gasped at the spark and dropped it.

"Mom, Rover fried my system!" He screamed and Rover howled back, he got dramatic sometimes and already knew that Danny was pinning this one on him.

"Mom?"

He picked himself up and walked to her bedroom pinning his ear on it, he heard nothing and pulled back worried for her, Rover scratched on the door going crazy and barking all of a sudden, he was able to push back the heap that was probably behind it and found everywhere scattered.

The window was shattered and he screamed when lightning flashed on her body on a spike, he was afraid to go near her for she was dead, the blood was too much to take in.

Frightened by the blood and storm, he wept over her and covered his face with her picture in his hand. Rover hung about whimpering.

Who would be this cruel to take his mother away? What had she done to deserve such cruelty?