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“Where did you get all those flowers?”
4C leaned over Spidey’s shoulder, watching her rummage through her bag. It was crowded and messy despite everything going in specific pockets, but stuffed in amongst the tools and food were stems and petals and flowers, all delicately taken care of in contrast to the disorganization. She took one out— a light blue orchid, twirling it around between her fingers.
“I’ve been travelling a lot!” She replied. “Here, take a flower, 4C.”
“Oh. Thanks!” 4C took the orchid, tucking it into his front pocket. “I have a few flowers in here too.”
“I know,” Spidey grinned, “I also gave you those ones.”
“You did?”
“I did!”
“So that’s where they’re from..” 4C mused, nodding slowly. He turned around to cough as Spidey took out a few more flowers from her bag, spreading them out across the table. She’d collected all types of flowers from various locations, from the tallest of sunflowers to the smallest of daisies. Vibrant coloured pansies and soft primroses decorated the church’s altar.
“Do you know what a flower crown is?” She asked, glancing up at the boy. She picked out a few flowers from the altar.
4C shrugged. “A crown of flowers?”
“..Yeah.” Spidey snickered. “You wanna make one with me?”
“Sure.” 4C nodded, picking up a flower from the table. “How do you do it?”
“Let me teach you!” Spidey gasped, “Oh! We could make matching ones for each other!”
“Oh, okay.” 4C twirled the flower between his fingers, examining the small blue petals protruding from the pistil. “What do I do?”
“Just pick a few flowers, whichever ones you want!” Spidey advised. “I’ll teach you how to weave them after. The longer the stems are, the better.”
She collected a few stems from the table, eyeing 4C with a smile as he did the same. He seemed to take a liking to the blue ones, holding up one of the smaller flowers and showing it to her. “What are these flowers called?”
“Oh! Um,” Spidey paused. She didn’t exactly know much about flower names or their meanings– she could recognize the more obvious ones, but there were a lot of flowers that she hadn’t even known existed until she saw them for the first time. But even so, she was pretty sure these ones were called…
“Forget-me-nots!”
4C looked down at the small blue petals, coughing. “Forget-me-nots?”
“I’m pretty sure!” Spidey nodded. “Do you like them?”
“It’s a weird name for a flower,” 4C mused, picking up a few more. “But they do look pretty.”
Spidey nodded enthusiastically. “They are! They’re blue, just like you!” She held up another flower, “And these ones match my eyes! I’m gonna use them.”
Spidey led 4C through the slow process of weaving each stem together— gently wrap one stem around one flower, then pull it to the side, take another flower, and repeat. The process was slow, despite the repetitive action; 4C kept stopping to rub his arm or completely forgot what he was doing, and Spidey had to guide him back on track. Part of her wondered if 4C was sick, but they had more than enough medicine to remedy it.
Still, there was a relaxed, calming silence as the two of them worked. Occasionally, they’d catch someone watching them; Jonathan asked what they were doing and declined politely when Spidey asked if he wanted to join, Poafa stared for a minute or two before walking away, even a few visitors like Saps came to watch for a little while. 4C seemed so focused whenever Spidey glanced over to him— it made her really happy.
Not a lot of people would agree to do something like this with her. In fact, not many people were open to her in general. A most of them had told her they weren’t her friend, and others would be a bit too apprehensive to accept her flowers, no matter how hard she tried. Spidey wasn’t the greatest at making friends, it seemed. It was something she’d known for a while, and despite her attempts, some things just wouldn’t change.
But 4C wasn’t like that at all! He warmed up to her right away, and they were best friends! Hell, they even rode a rollercoaster together!
They were like a dynamic duo, her and 4C. He may forget a lot of things, but one thing Spidey noticed after a few days was that he’d recognize her a lot more often. Sometimes he’d still forget her name, but she’d find that they’d gravitate to one another more often. It was sweet. Having a friend like 4C was awesome!
After all this time, Spidey was so glad to have someone she could really call a friend— and someone who thought the exact same of her.
By the time the two were done, the sun was setting over the horizon and the smell of baked potatoes wafted from a campfire outside. 4C held up his flower crown, blues, whites and yellows decorating the green stems. It was definitely a bit wonky compared to Spidey’s, but—
“You did such a good job!” Spidey gasped, “For your first time, it’s really good!”
“Yours looks nice, too,” 4C complimented, smiling back at her. “You should put it on!”
“Oh, okay! Then you do, too!”
At the same time, the two of them plopped the wreaths onto their heads. Both had gone lopsided, laying at an angle. They looked at one another and laughed.
“These flowers are cool,” 4C hummed. “I like the blue ones a lot. What’re they called?”
“They’re forget-me-nots! Maybe you’ll have a better memory with those flowers on!” Spidey suggested, snickering.
4C raised an eyebrow in confusion, “What do you mean? I already have a good memory.”
Spidey nodded slowly, stifling her laughter. “Sure thing, 4C!”
“I’ll keep this on,” 4C mused to himself, “It looks nice. Will you?”
“If you do, then I will too!” Spidey chirped. “They’re like friendship bracelets, but instead of bracelets, they’re crowns! Isn’t that awesome?!”
“It is!” 4C nodded, his face lighting up. “I love flowers!”
“I do too!” Spidey pat the boy’s shoulder, gathering the rest of her flowers to stuff back inside her pouch. “Come, I want to show this to the others. If they’re cool enough, do you think they’ll want to make one too?”
4C nodded confidently, adjusting his grip on his crown. “Definitely!”
“Let’s go, then!” Spidey grabbed 4C’s wrist, the latter sucking in a sharp breath as she excitedly dragged him out back to the larger campfire. To have someone like this, someone who she was confident wouldn’t leave her, someone who was sure to stick by her side… Spidey was grateful.
Nothing bad would happen to either of them. She was sure of it.
“Hey, guys! Look at what 4C and I made…!”
⌖ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ ⌖
The streets were quiet. Empty.
Maybe in a time before this, there would have been laughter. Excited chatter between her and a friend.
Someone who was long gone.
Jonathan walked in front of her, occasionally glancing between the shrubs by his feet and the area ahead to make sure he didn’t trip or lose their way. The two of them were out scavenging again— Poafa would’ve joined, but he said he wanted to stay back this time around. He’d gotten a bit injured recently and needed time to rest, after all. Spidey understood.
The silence was something Spidey couldn’t bear. It felt empty. Devoid of the smiles and joy she held when he was here. She adjusted the flower crown on her head, blinking back tears at the fond memory. She’d sworn to never take it off.
“Just around this corner,” Jonathan mumbled to himself as he stepped over a bush. He turned around, glancing back at Spidey. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” Spidey nodded, almost too eager. Anything to stop herself from getting too emotional. She knew it wouldn’t end well.
There was a strange look in the old man’s eyes— Spidey couldn’t discern whether it was worry and concern, or rather a painful sympathy or pity for her. He knew what she’d lost, he’d lost him as well. They both had. Jonathan wouldn’t admit it, but Spidey knew.
It was him who built the grave behind the church overnight, after all. The day after they lost him, while Spidey was sleeping, he’d spent the whole night carving a small grave out back for him. Spidey cried again in the morning when she saw it, just as violently as she had the day before.
She was trying. Spidey was trying so, so hard to keep it together, she knew loss was inevitable, she knew it, but it still hurt. It hurt so, so much. No matter much you prepared yourself for it, it would hurt.
Spidey didn’t think she needed to prepare for it. Not with him, at least. She was so confident that they’d stay together, the bestest of friends with their little flower crowns as a symbol of their friendship. The ice cream trucks, the rollercoaster, even if he had a tendency to wander off or unknowingly put himself in danger, Spidey was so sure that she wouldn’t lose him. They’d find each other again.
She should’ve seen the signs. She should’ve known, maybe then, they could’ve done something. Find a cure to save him somehow— there were doctors here! They could’ve done something, she could have done something, but…
…Spidey didn’t want to think about these things. She knew it wouldn’t lead anywhere. But sometimes—oftentimes—she couldn’t help herself.
She looked up, eyeing a building to her side. There was a giant blood splatter on the ground, a mark that had been made a long time ago. Nobody knew where it was from, but…
“No, sorry, this place just felt- familiar.”
There was a groan nearby. Jonathan paused, and Spidey almost bumped into him.
“One of them’s around here,” He muttered. “Be careful, Spidey.”
“I know.” Spidey nodded. He’d been a bit more vocal in his concern lately. She wondered if Johnathan had realized it, but he’d started checking up on her and a few others he didn’t mind the presence of much more often as of late.
There was a strange rustling from inside the large building, catching both Spidey and Johnathan’s attention. The latter took out his knife, eyes narrowed and posture straightening. Spidey’d hand subconsciously moved to the pan hanging off her belt.
“Spph- spuh…”
Spidey shivered. The noises zombies made were always so unsettling. This one sounded a bit stranger, though. It was almost like it was saying her…
“Sphh.. Sssppiddhh..eey–”
…Her name.
Spidey felt her blood run cold. Johnathan’s eyes widened, stepping in front of her.
“Who’s there?!” He called out through gritted teeth, grip tightening on his knife. “Come out. NOW!”
“Ghh-”
Slowly, painfully slowly, from the shadows, stumbling over shrubs and vines, appeared a figure.
Both Spidey and Johnathan felt their hearts stop.
The zombie was mutated, tall, skin blemished and rotting, mouth hung open as it groaned, attempting to speak. There was a bag slung over its torso, recognizable boots with broken soles, and atop its head—
“Ssspii..ddhheey…”
A familiar wreath of forget-me-nots, laying lopsided against his head.
Spidey let out a choked cry.
“4…4C–?”