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Death is an end every Addams welcomes. Whatever the cause may be, they greet it with open arms.
The same is said, of course, for Wednesday's Aunt.
She wasn’t exactly a close member, however, she was adored by everyone.
Never once married, but finds company in her pack of dogs.
She admired the woman for her deviation towards love, and all things as such.
Yet an unfortunate case, really. Who knew rhinos could be capable of such brutality?
She knocks at her parent’s library.
“Come in!” A voice from inside says.
She opens the door, to discover a mess of papers, plans, and diagrams scattered across the floor.
Her mother was sitting on a couch, with her father sleeping on her lap.
“Apologies for the mess. You know how much stress your father gets from being a perfectionist.”
She stands, arms behind her back and legs straight. Ever since she heard the news, she's been itching to ask her mother, Morticia Addams, a question.
"Mother, will I inherit her chainsaw?"
"I'm afraid that one goes to her dog, dear. But don't worry, you'll get one this Christmas."
Disappointed, she nods her head.
"I understand. I shall prepare the body, then."
Morticia chuckled.
"No need. Uncle Fester already has that covered. Why don't you pick up some flowers for the funeral?"
"Flowers?"
"Yes, dear. I heard there's a recently opened flower shop in the town. Might be worthwhile."
A flower shop? Wednesday initially thought that her mother would be the one to provide the flowers since she does have a beautiful (and gothic) garden. Yet, it’s best to not question it.
“I see. I will be going now.”
She turns to the door and her attention to her black coat. After some trouble fitting the sleeves on, she heads outside.
She walks at an unhurried pace. The autumn leaves crunched beneath her feet.
To her, having a favorite season was an idiotic notion since all four seasons bring misery, but if she was forced to choose, Fall was her pick. But she would never admit that to anyone, of course.
After some time, she reaches the shopping district.
Now, if her memory didn’t fail her, the flower shop her mother spoke of should be.. near the park, she and Pugsley roamed when they were children.
Fond memories of terrorizing the local children washed over her.
She dismisses the nostalgia in search of her quest.
On a bright pink banner, the words “ Sinclair’s Flower Shop ” is etched in cursive.
Ah, that must be it.
She gently opened the door, and a soft ringing noise was heard.
Wednesday almost wanted to puke in her mouth from all the colors and the dreadful scents invading her eyes and nose.
However, she managed to pull herself together. She must stay strong for her mother.
The shop was as quiet as a shop could be during the morning. Few folks can be heard chatting, and laughing.
Just then, she spots a cotton-haired girl, donning an apron, talking to one of the customers cheerfully.
“She must work here. Who else wears an awfully pink apron in an awfully colorful place?” She thinks.
She quietly approaches her.
“Excuse me.”
Suddenly, the girl lets out a small yelp, taken aback by the sudden jumpscare.
Wednesday would be lying if she said she didn’t find that reaction amusing, however, she feels like she’ll contract a rash if she stays here any longer.
Better make this quick.
After the girl composed herself, she turned to her and smiled.
“Welcome! What can I get ya?”
“I am here to look for flowers fit for a funeral.” She responds in her usual monotone voice.
The cheery girl’s attitude quickly turns sour. Her eyebrows lowered and pulled together, turning into a frown.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be.”
“Well, we have to honor their life with the most beautiful flowers, then! Come, follow me!”
The girl practically dragged her by the arm into a subsection of the shop. Annoyed, Wednesday suppressed her urge to murder.
“Here, you can find some White Lilies, and different batches of Carnations, and finally, roses.”
She pondered for a while.
Her mother asked her to buy flowers, but she didn’t know what kind. It’s not like she told her on her way out.
It’s disgraceful to pick the incorrect flowers, as it would bring her mother’s love for gardening to shame.
She creased her eyebrows. She can already feel a migraine coming in.
The other girl, seeing this, spoke up.
“You can ask me for any recommendations if you’re having trouble picking!”
She sighed in defeat, and gave in.
“What do you recommend?”
“Let’s see..” the blonde says, thinking
“Red carnations represent love and admiration, white for innocence, and pink for remembrance. There are other flowers as well that could fit the theme, y’know, like most commonly White Lilies are-”
“You don’t actually believe that ‘flower language’ is a thing, right?”
Wednesday’s monotone voice cuts the other girl’s train of thought.
She lets out an awkward chuckle.
“Oh um, well- I just think flowers are a fascinating way to tell someone,.. Something. It’s poetic, I like it.”
The uncomfortable silence was making her skin crawl.
The shorter girl, satisfied with the situation she’s made, decides to speak up.
“I’ll take two bouquets of red carnations.”
“Huh? Oh, okay! Just give me a second.”
She observes as the other girl searches the field of red, carefully picking flowers.
She’d be lying if she said that she wasn’t mesmerized by how careful she was being in her work. Her hands gently picked one flower after another, moving in perfect unison.
As if she was a well-oiled machine. Efficient in her work.
Her trance was cut short however when the other girl looked at her expectantly.
“..Is this enough flowers?”
Wednesday, quickly gathered her composure and responded with a nod.
“Alrighty, I’ll just tie these up, and they’ll be ready to go!” She says, hurrying to what seems to be a counter.
As she waits for her bouquets, she questions herself about what happened a while ago. The only time she has ever felt that way was when she was playing her cello, or when she was too absorbed in writing.
It was odd.
She brushes the thoughts off. She will investigate them further later.
A ‘ding’ was heard.
“ Ta-da! ” the other girl says, holding out the bouquets of red carnations.
“Thank you.. uh.”
“Enid” she smiles, pointing to her name tag, “Enid Sinclair!”
“Wednesday Addams.”
“Nice to meet you! That will be $70.”
“Oh right.”
She hands over the money and takes the bouquets.
“Thank you! Please come again!”
Enid shouts as Wednesday goes out the door.
As she starts walking back to her family’s manor, she observes the bouquets. A red and white color scheme, with a pretty bow tightly sealing the flowers together.
Not bad.
The day of the funeral arrived.
It was held near the woods, where the beloved Aunt spent most of the time practicing witchcraft.
Every Addams, dressed in black of course, paid their respects.
The ceremony is currently going without any problems, however, the same thing cannot be said on Wednesday.
Ever since that day, she’s been thinking more than usual. And of all things, she was thinking about that blonde.
She was confused. She didn’t know what these thoughts were, what they meant, or why they were present.
She held the bouquets in her hand. Pondering.
Why is she, the cold, calculating, “Love is dead to me” , Addams, thinking about a girl she met over a day ago?
Before she could think of a reason, she heard a loud commotion.
Two uncles, who were black-out drunk, were fighting a bear.
A crowd gathered around them, cheering them on.
The result, however, ended with one lightly injured and the other dead.
Ah shit.
A week after the disastrous funeral, she was typing away at her typewriter.
Eager to finish a little of her soon-to-be novel, when she suddenly hears a knock at her door
“Come in.”
The door creaks open to reveal that it was her mother.
“Wednesday, do you remember the flower shop I sent you off last time?”
She nods.
“You see, the guests from the previous funeral adored our flowers.”
Morticia said, seemingly gliding towards her daughter.
“Perhaps it’ll be a good idea to visit it for another, don’t you think?”
She could calculate the exact time her heart skipped a beat.
“..I guess so. Then I shall be heading there, mother.”
She moves away from her seat, grabs her wallet, and out the door in a swift motion.
Morticia watches her as she walks by and smiles knowingly.
Wednesday walked, now at a slower pace than before.
This situation was to be expected, after all, the bouquet was.. Lovely, to say the least. However, the shock still resonated within her. For a reason, she cannot figure it out.
She tries to take her mind off it but fails. Distracting herself from this predicament seems futile. How absurd.
After some time, she spots the familiar flower shop in the distance.
She approaches the door and stills. Her hand stopped at the door handle.
Why won’t you move? Move, move, move, move, move–
Suddenly, the handle turned.
The door opens, making the tiny bell ring.
All her senses were immediately invaded by the familiar scent of flowers. Her eyes barely adjust to the world of color.
Then, a certain blonde was right in front of her.
“Ah, welcome back!”
Her brain was barely working at that point. Malfunctioning, like a laptop filled to the brim with malware. Gripping to her what remains of her brain to say anything, just anything.
She was not ready, yet, there she was.
“Enid.”
That careless remark shocked the other girl a little.
“You remembered my name?”
Think, Wednesday, think. Use your wit.
“And you don’t remember mine? How rude.”
The blonde barks out a laugh.
“Of course, I remember yours! Wednesday, right?”
“That is correct.”
She grins “Knew it! What brings you here?”
“Another funeral. A misfortune, really.”
“Oh, okay. Do you want the same ones as before?”
Saying ‘yes’ would mean that she’ll get to be home faster, but perhaps the presence of those flowers would bring sour memories to some members.
“I don’t think so. What do you have?”
“Well, we have some new arrivals that could catch your eye.”
The blonder motioned for her to follow. And she did as she was told.
“On our right, we have some sunflowers, over there would be the chrysanthemums, and beyond that would be the geraniums.” She says, while roughly motioning to the respective flowers.
“Not sure why we have those. Geraniums symbolize ‘stupidity’.”
Wednesday chuckled.
“Oh, those could be perfect.”
The other girl stopped in her tracks.
“Why? Isn’t this supposed to be for like, a dead person?”
“Uncle tried to fight a bear.”
“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.”
Again, there was an awkward silence. But it wasn’t the kind Wednesday liked.
It made her want to dig a hole and die.
Dios mío , perhaps she’d also get an extra bouquet for her own funeral.
“..So about the flowers.”
“Ah right! You were interested in the-uh, geraniums, right?”
“Yes. I’ll also take some white lilies that you mentioned a while back.”
The blonde took note of that and hurried off.
Wednesday was fighting the urge to facepalm at herself.
For once in her life, she felt embarrassed.
“Can this day get any worse?” was a question that clouded her mind.
Until she spotted something moving in the corner of her eye.
Curious, she decides to investigate it.
Thus, a game of cat and mouse began.
Whenever she thought it had it cornered, it always ran off somewhere. She’s starting to lose her patience.
Her movements become bold, dashing from corner to corner, in pursuit of something she swears was there. The customers jumped out of her way in a panic.
Ignoring that, she finally spots it in clear view. A hand, now hiding under a counter.
She drops down and grabs it by the palm with no remorse.
“Thing? What are you doing here?”
The hand, now scurrying around in a panic frenzy, slips through her and behind a pair of legs.
She looks up.
It was Enid, holding two beautiful bouquets of flowers.
She looks at Wednesday with her eyes filled with a mischievous glint.
“What’s the weather like down there?”
You have got to be kidding me.
Wednesday stands up and dusts herself off. She looks around at the other patrons, who turn their gazes away in fear. Then, she looks at Enid.
“Do not tell anyone about this, ever.”
“You have my word, scout's honor!”
She huffs, places the wallet on the counter, takes the bouquet, and power-walks outside the store.
Before the door completely shuts, however, she can hear a familiar voice yell
“Thank you! Please come again sometime!”
On her way back, Wednesday was still holding the bouquets and Thing like a stress ball, her stride filled with new-found anger and embarrassment. Mostly embarrassment.
She glares at the petrified hand.
“How dare you make me look like a fool? Don’t you know what you’ve done?”
She was about to throw Thing into a nearby lake when she realizes that she’s made a mistake. Her pockets aren’t as heavy as before. Was her wallet missing?
She feels her pockets. Then she tries to backtrack to where it would’ve gone.
Her thoughts were as follows:
“It can’t have gone that far, otherwise that would mean that I got pickpocketed, but that is not possible. So perhaps I’ve-”
“Oh.”
Enid was sweeping the store. After all, the commotion that Addams left was quite a mess. She hums along to a song in her headphones when she suddenly spots something.
A black leather wallet.
“That’s odd, did a customer drop it by accident?” she says to herself.
She opens the wallet to find the ID of the owner, and to her surprise, it belonged to Wednesday Addams.
She had already thought that she left without paying, which was rude, but to leave her entire wallet behind?
She chuckles. Finding mild amusement in the whole situation.
Then, the door opens and the bell rings.
“Welcome! How- oh.”
What she saw next was nothing short but extraordinary.
It was Wednesday, trying to catch her breath like she ran a 5k marathon in the desert, holding the doorknob for support.
With a strange hand-like creature following behind her.
She gives her a warm smile.
“Aww, you miss me already?”
“What,” the girl pants for air “are you saying?”
“Nothing, nothing. This is yours, right?” She says, tossing her wallet to her. She catches it with ease despite her fatigue.
“Thanks, and also..” the shorter girl pauses, hesitating for some reason.
She waits for a while, giving her time.
Then, she finally says
“I’m sorry.”
She simply replied “No worries!” and continues sweeping.
When she turned her attention back to the other girl, she was already walking away.
God knows what made her do this, nor why she even did, but as soon as she saw that she was leaving, she called out to her.
“Hey, Wednesday!”
The girl turned around.
“Based on our schedule, I’ll be seeing you next week?”
On the outside, Enid was wearing her usual smile, but inside she was reprimanding herself for saying such a stupid remark.
“That was, actually so dumb. Her relatives literally died twice in a span of two weeks and she’s just bringing them flowers. What the hell is wrong with me?”
But, she swears as long as she lived, she could see Wednesday’s eyes soften and say
“Perhaps.”
And just like that, she was gone.
She spent that night staring at the ceiling. For an odd reason, she cannot sleep.
Maybe because the bed was too soft for her liking, perhaps the fact that Thing set her off, or perhaps she was thinking way too much about that time. And that girl.
She buries her head into her pillow, how badly she wanted to scream, but she suppresses it. She’s an Addams, and Addams don’t get flustered.
After that day, Wednesday is convinced that she has been possessed.
First of all, she’s done things that she will never do ever .
For example, her father told her that she seems ‘happy’ lately. Which was absurd. She is miserable. Why can’t he see that?
Second, she has been passing by the flower shop more often than she’d like to admit. Most of the time, she merely passes by the window.
But sometimes, she actually enters the establishment but under a false excuse.
Amongst them were:
“My pet goldfish died.”,
“I found a dead pigeon that I feel the need to give respect to (If she was asked any further, she’d explain that it was a war hero.)”,
And ”A raccoon ate my grandma’s cooking, and now it’s dead.”
Even the time that she accidentally stepped on a snail, she quickly placed it in a nearby suitable box and quickly dashed to the flower shop.
She’s had theories as to why she is acting this way, besides the possessed one.
Her main symptom, however, was not making it easy for her to identify why.
If she were to describe the feeling, it would be as if there were spiders in her stomach.
With each visit, the number of flowers grew.
Roses, purple lilacs, sunflowers, tulips, and peonies decorate her room with colors, in contrast to her previously dark and monotone room.
If her past self went to see the state of her room right now, she would puke from nausea.
She would ask her present self if she's had a concussion, or if she’s gone mad.
But if that were to happen, she wouldn’t know the answer.
Perhaps she has gone mad after all.
Wednesday Addams would never leave this to fester, though. She has always been knowledge-hungry and she needs to know.
She needs to know why she’s feeling this way.
One faithful day, she asked to meet with her mother.
“Mother, it seems I am stuck in a dilemma.”
She turns to her, concerned
“Tell me, what’s bothering, you dear?”
She was quiet for a moment. Was she sure of this?
Only one way to find out.
“..Lately, I’ve been feeling quite odd. Not like myself.”
She motions her to speak further.
“These feelings arise whenever I think of that girl in the flower shop. Perhaps she’s cursed me via a flower.”
Then, she heard something quite unexpected. Her mother laughed.
“Oh dear, it does feel like a curse at first, doesn’t it?”
She looks at her, confused.
Then, her mother gently put her hand on her shoulder, and explained.
“Little starlight, these feelings are no curse. It’s something called ‘Love’. A wonderful thing, a new profound way of being.”
Oh.
Oh.
“Oh god.” she puts her hands on her head, “Oh dear god .”
Morticia pats her back.
“ Wha- What am I supposed to do with this? Is it physical? Can I kill it?”
“Oh no dear, you must confess.”
“ HUH?? ”
Unhappy with that answer, she storms off to get some fresh air. Her own mother stifles a laugh on her way out.
“If you want to get rid of it, there is only one way!”
After the door slammed shut, Morticia motioned to a random part of the room. Out came Thing, skittling towards her.
“Now, I don’t mean to underestimate my little girl, but make sure that she goes through with it.”
Thing moved its hands to a ‘salute’ position.
“Good, hurry along now.”
Wednesday kicked a random pebble in the sidewalk. She wasn’t sure why she acted like that, she never did.
Perhaps there was a curse in the flowers after all.
She was lost in her own thoughts, then she heard a noise in the bushes.
She turned her head to the source of the sound, but there was nothing.
“Thing, I swear to fuck .”
The hand jumped in fear. Drats, caught again.
“My mother sent you to spy on me, didn’t she?”
Thing had no choice but to nod (or nod as best as he could)
She sighed.
“Tell her I’ll be back in 5 minutes.”
Thing, however, scurried to her direction, and pointed towards the town.
“Did she tell us to buy something?”
Thing ‘nods’ vigorously.
“Fine. Come on, then.”
It was a nice day out, the autumn leaves are starting to turn to green, welcoming spring. She focused more on Thing as much as she could, her thoughts cannot be trusted right now.
Near the park, Thing finally motioned her to stop moving.
“What? Are we here-”
This cannot be happening.
It seems that the hand, the sly devil that it is, led them to a far too familiar bright pink banner, the words “ Sinclair’s Flower Shop ” etched in cursive.
Her thoughts, of course, were “Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.”
And he knew this, and he knew what he had to do.
Thing took a running jump, and ‘dropkicked’ Wednesday, her face hitting the door open, and landing on the floor.
Everyone, including Wednesday, was stunned.
The silence was cut short when someone in the store pipes up
“Oh hey, it’s ‘funeral girl’ .”
Her head shot upwards to whoever dared said that, and he felt his soul leave his body.
She was about to lunge at him for calling her something idiotic, when suddenly, someone appears right in front of her.
Donning her usual pink apron, Enid kneeled, wearing a concerned look at her face.
“Are you alright, Weds?”
She picks herself off the ground.
“Don’t call me that.”
She was about to start running for the hills, when suddenly, she felt her nose run.
She mumbles under her breath. “ Fuck .”
“Oh-uh, I think we have a med kit in the back, come with me.”
The other girl then grabs her hand, and leads her through the crowd of people.
She leads them to what seems to be the ‘Employees Only Room’.
There, armed with a med kit, Enid starts applying them to Wednesday, who was sitting comfortably at a nearby plastic chair.
“So, what brings you here? Another rat got boiled in your soup?”
“Thing betrayed me.”
Enid brings out an ice pack filled with ice, and hands it to her.
“Thing? The hand, right?”
“Correct. He pushed me for no reason. Jerk.”
She hears the girl giggle at that remark.
“What’s funny, Sinclair?”
“Nothing, it’s just,.. I didn’t know you were capable of acting like a child!”
At that point, the blonde was full-on laughing.
“Ha ha, that’s funny coming from someone who cursed me.”
“Cursed you?”
Wednesday quick-witted, and always thought of comebacks at the speed of light. However, the presence of Enid seems to nullify that.
Therefore, she can do nothing but stare at the taller girl’s confused face.
She examined her. Her bone structure, her defined nose, her fluffy hair, her piercing blue eyes, and her soft lips.
Suddenly, what her mother said made sense.
She can do nothing, but look at her. Love is not a curse, but a new state of being, yet peak ordinary.
And she would never trade it for anything else.
That, however, was interrupted by the door creaking open.
At first, they found that nobody was there, until they looked down.
Thing stood, with a red rose in hand. It then ran to Wednesday and offered it to her.
“Get out, Thing.”
It insisted.
Finally defeated, she reluctantly picks up the rose.
“Thank you.”
Thing gave her a low bow and scurried out the door.
Now, she only needed to think of something, anything.
Yet, her mind was blank.
Her train of thought (more like lack of one) was interrupted by Enid.
“..What was that about?”
Deep breaths, you can do this.
“Enid Sinclair, you confuse me. Your sense of style, your taste in music, and especially, your awful flower trivia. You are an enigma.”
She suddenly stands up and brings her arms forward, the red rose in hand.
“But if I were to speak in your language, you’d understand what this means, right?”
She didn’t want to look in the other girl’s direction. She wanted to convince herself that it was because she’d start bleeding again, but she knows the real reason why.
She was afraid.
Then to her surprise, soft hands enveloped hers. She turns to look at Enid, who was smiling, rosy cheeks coating her face.
“I do understand. I’ve felt it even since back then. Even after you trashed the shop.”
Now it was Wednesday’s turn to laugh.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
"Scratch what I said earlier, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
After Enid was done patching her up, Wednesday aims to head home before it was noon.
She gently opens the door, before being interrupted by the blonde calling to her.
"Wait you forgot something!"
She turns around and was immediately caught off guard.
Enid sprints towards her and gives her a tiny peck on the cheek.
"Make sure to visit even if nobody died, alright?"
This time, Wednesday genuinely smiles.
"I will."