WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A MENTALLY STABLE PERSON?

Is it those people you see on social media who claim to wake up at 5AM for a morning run, work out at their home gym before having a nice big traditionally American breakfast and heading off to a job they give little to no information about? Or maybe it's sleep in till 12, eat a banana and yogurt they found in the back of the fridge and go to the same job as the first person?

As a society, we tend to determine someone's value in life by how much they work and where they work. Someone who works for 10 hours at an accounting job won't get the same praise as another worked that same amount at McDonald's or any other retail job. And when you're a person color living amongst the majority, you can't afford to fall behind, ever.

When stereotypes about people who share the same skin color as you are pushed upon you before you can even speak, all you dream of doing is becoming better. Some don't. Some have no choice but to fit into the box racist stereotypes created for them because they cannot afford any more or any less. But not Imane Morris.

No, no, no, if she even thought of switching her vocabulary or wearing red, wearing a tank top or developing too fast—her parents would be right behind her, looming over her like a shadow to cloak her from the world. The parents of her parents broke out of those stereotypes and forced their children into a new box of expectations. And so the cycle began with Jaivyn and Evita Morris who stuffed their daughter into a box smaller than the one they were put in.

Science, math, english, social studies, all day, everyday with no room for breaks or play time or friends—no distractions.

"Is that the reason we never see you outside of July or Christmas?" Asked a young Peter Parker who had his head in his hands as he laid on the natural patch of grass the park created.

"Yeah...it gets so boring but at least i have something to look forward too." Imane sighed

Harry perked up, "What do you look forward to?" The three other children stared at him blankly before looking at each other bursting out laughing. "What? What did i say?"

Imane tried suppressing her giggles to let herself speak, "You, Harry. I look forward to you guys when i'm stuck at home."

"Ohhhh..." He drew out his h's and nodded understandingly. "Aww, ya love us, Imane!" Harry exclaimed, pushing himself off the grass to throw his entire body into a hug with the young girl.

She groaned and pinched his cheeks, watching his pale skin turn bright red under the pressure. Harry gasped and let go of her, holding his cheek while glaring at her.

"Ha! Your skin is so sensitive, Harry!." The kids all collectively laughed at the young Mitzi's observation, all besides Harry who huffed and turned his face away.

That night on the fourth of July, everything was right. Everything was just as it should've been and the laughter of those four kids echoed off the bark off the trees and the petals of flowers. That night on the fourth of July, was the last night of normalcy Imane Morris ever had.

Because as her eyes began to droop in the backseat of her parents car and her ears began muffling the sound of their hushed voices, time lost its meaning. Time slipped through her fingers so easily, the half hour drive turned into two minutes and suddenly, she was being lifted into the arms of her father like a princess. And although they were arguing about something she wouldn't understand for years to come, Imane pretended she was a lost princess being saved by a king, her father, and brought back to her real family who never made her do hours of work far beyond her age. And again, time slipped.

It slipped so easily, she didn't register the familiar fluff of her white blanket being draped over her small frame as she was tucked into bed. It wasn't until the man got up to leave that the child released her warmth and grasped her father hand.

"Don't leave." The man jumped slightly before letting out an airy chuckle and sitting back down on the bed.

"I thought you were asleep, you little faker." He teased, tapping her nose.

Imane scrunched her face and shook her head, "I was sleeping."

"Mhm, sure." He hummed sarcastically, smiling when she let out a giggle.

"I was, I promise. But i'm not tired anymore."

Jaivyn nodded and ran his hands over his daughters hair lovingly, "How about some chocolate milk, mhm?" Imane's face lit up with a smile, nodding excitedly at his offer.

He smiled, stood up and walked out the door, leaving the young girl alone the dark with her thoughts.

Even in moments of peace, Imane's brain never stopped running at a thousand. Going through different scenarios and possibilities at a constant rate. Hell, with how realistic and wild her dreams were, it was no surprise that those thoughts carried out into her daily life. Especially the bad ones.

They seeped into her happy dreams like poison and the only way she could make it stop was by learning to control her dreams. To turn the monster into a cute teddy bear that would fly her off into space to meet nice little aliens. To turn a burning building into a children's home that allowed all and anybody to enter. Controlling her nightmares became easier and easier until they began appearing when she was awake.

What were supposed to be relaxing and peaceful moments turned sour in an instant. That the closet door that was left ajar was soon going to explode with thousands of monsters crawling out to get her. That the crow that kept cawing outside of her windowsill was staring right her, waiting, watching.

At that age, she didn't understand why those crows waited patiently outside of her window. But now, now she understood that those crows were there for a reason. And the meaning of their entrance never changed, the omen of death.

It was kinda funny, to Imane, at least. Others would certainly have a different opinion on the comedy a young child getting up to turn on their night light and suddenly collapsing to floor, shaking uncontrollably with white foam coming out of the mouth. When you say it like that, it's not that funny. But maybe in Imane's "rational" mind, she tried to find humor in the fact that the first seizure she ever had she was a child, alone in a dark room with only a hardwood floor as her comfort.

She fought to see the humor in the flashes of bright white lights, her Uncle Max looking at her with pity, a newspaper clipping with the headline "INFAMOUS SCIENTISTS JAIVYN AND EMITA MORRIS GONE MISSING", the DNA bands of a black spider being morphed and changed—and her youngest brother, Runako, sleeping in her arms in the backseat of their parents car.

In the moment, she thought she died.

As morbid as it is, who wouldn't think the same? Apparently, the doctors and psychiatrists thought so as well. That in her few moments of near death, memories of her short life flashed behind her eyelids in hopes of remembering the good before the gone. That it certainly was something she'd seen before and she just didn't remember because she's so young. That the newspaper clipping was probably just a moment of imagination, nightmares—that a child couldn't possible predict the future or what was to come.

And maybe, even now, she hadn't quite fully grasped what it was she went through. Younger, older, it didn't matter—as soon as she hit the floor the visions would begin until she woke up in a hospital again.

Scientifically, psychics aren't real and if science and logic are all you've known you're entire life, why question it?

Why question it when there's constant irrefutable proof of everything that ever has been on this earth? Someone just happened to think of what everything was made out of and now we learn that atoms, matter, energy and light are apart of every universe, known and unknown. Someone decided to add numbers together and now we can calculate anything and get the correct answer. Was there really room to question that? To interpret what you already know wasn't unthought of in science but it wasn't common when you tried to go beyond what humans believe is logically possible.

How is one supposed to interpret visions of a giant man hunting lizard destroying a bridge in New York and the death of the leading officer at the NYPD? If the answer was ever found, Imane hoped she'd be the first one to receive the news because laying there, hooked to machines with her Uncle and baby brother standing over her on the right, and her two best friends standing to the left nervously chewing on a rice krispy treat, was not a sight anyone ever wanted to wake up to.

"She's awake!" The thirteen year old boy exclaimed, Imane winced at his loud voice, Max hushed the boy.

"Imane...? Can you hear me?" He whispered

"I did, until Runako's loud ass screamed in my ear. Might want to get a specialist in here." She joked, the tension in the room lifted significantly as everyone relaxed their shoulders.

Mitzi slapped her shoulder lightly, "You dickhead, don't ever do that again, you scared the shit out of me." She complained.

"Well sorry, next time i'll make sure to plan when I seize out." She paused for a moment, "Wait...how did you know I had a seizure?"

Mitzi rolled her eyes, "I know everything. But seriously, Peter called me in hysterics, crying and out of breath, could barely hear him but here I am."

Imane blinked, taken aback. "Peter...yeah, I remember being at his house. Is...Is he..."

"Yeah, he went to the bathroom a little while ago." Mitzi informed her

"Probably to cry some more." Yuri added, ignoring the pointed look Mitzi gave her.

"Cry? Why would he cry?" Imane questioned. Everyone in the room looked at each other for a few seconds before looking back down at her. "What?"

Max spoke up before anyone else. "Uh, I think it's best if Peter tells you himself. Let's go get him and give Imane some room."

As everyone shuffled out of the room, there was only one person Imane wanted at the moment.

"Runako?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you stay here a minute?" Without hesitation or looking away, Runako rushed over to his sisters side.

She waited until the door closed behind Max to pull back the blanket and make room for him on the bed. He chuckled before shaking his head and tucking himself in next to her, laying his head in the space between her shoulder and chest.

"Are you okay?" Imane asked quietly after a minute of silent hugging

He scoffed, "You're asking me if i'm okay like you're not the one who had a random seizure out of nowhere. Are you okay?"

"Fine now but...last time this happened you were just a baby, I can't imagine how you feel now that you're older." She sighed

"I mean...it's scary. When Peter called the house phone and Uncle Max started shuffling on shoes halfway out the door, I knew it had something to do with you. So, yeah it was scary, but as long as we keep having conversations like this then I don't wanna know the details." He confessed, his voice soft as he tried not to cry.

Imane sniffled and kissed the top of his head, the siblings holding each other a little tighter than usual.

A knock on the door interrupted the soft and warm moment between the two. They pulled apart, Runako getting out of the bed to open the door and allowing a disheveled, red eyed Peter Parker. Imane's heart flew up to her throat as she took in his appearance.

"I'll leave you two to it." Runako mumbled before silently walking out of the room.

Silence encompassed the four walls of the hospital. The only source of noise came from the buzzing of the illuminated lights hanging above them and the small gasp that escaped Imane's lips.

"Peter...wha-what happened to you?" She asked, still reeling from the shock of seeing him in such a devastating state.

He didn't answer, just staring at her for a moment before letting out those beginning hiccups of a cry and walking over to her bed, letting out a sob into her blanket covered lap. With nothing else to do, she stayed. Ran her hands through his brown curls and waited until he was ready to speak, just as her uncle had done for her countless times. Despite how every tear broke her heart, she stayed and rubbed his cheeks with her thumb till he finally quieted down and wiped away the tears.

Lifting his head, Peter stared at her for another moment before taking a deep breath.

"I know I probably look really stupid right now-"

"No, Peter-"

"But-but I was so...so scared, you can't even imagine." She chose to stay silent and listen, "You were quiet in the closet for a few seconds but then I got this...feeling. Strongest sense of fear i'd ever felt in my life and-and when I went to check you-..." He collected himself and began his rambling.

"You were seizing and I-I didn't know what to do. I told aunt may to call an ambulance but they were gonna take too long so I-uh... I carried you in my arms and ran all the way to the hospital, called you family and your friends. I don't know what to do but—"

"Wait, you ran while carrying me to the hospital—how...?"

Peter shook his head, "Adrenaline, I don't know but...Jesus, Imane. I probably looked insane but seeing you like that it just...it reminded me of Uncle Ben and-"

"Peter, Peter, stop, stop. I'm so sorry you had to see that-"

He shook his head profusely, "No, no, no, no, don't-don't apologize it wasn't your fault."

"But you should've never seen that again. Not after Ben." She insisted but Peter continued shaking his head and placed a hand on her neck gently, slightly touching her cheek.

"No, i'm glad I was there when it happened. I don't think anyone else would've ran around the city looking like kidnapper just to get you to a hospital." He joked lightly, letting a small laugh. Imane joined him and shook her head.

"Thank you, Peter."

"It's okay, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"No, I mean...thank you for being there when it happened." Peter's eyebrows fluttered together

"What do you mean?"

And even though these words had never reached the ears of anybody else, Imane began speaking. She spoke and spoke and spilled about everything that happened that night on the fourth of july. Told him about the crows, the loneliness of the night that stayed with her the first time she had a seizure, and most importantly, the visions.

In that moment, concealed behind four white walls and secrets spilled from the lips of a lover, Peter Parker felt like his secret may not have been as bad in comparison.