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“She likes to bite.”
Wednesday’s sentences were usually ignored by now. Most everyone at school had become accustomed to her remarks of murder and torture. Yet somehow, someway, they all collectively heard her this time. Even Enid. Which was, perhaps, the only person Wednesday wish hadn’t heard. Thankfully, Yoko passed off the remark with ease.
“Oh my gosh same!” Yoko smiled, clapping her hands together. “I’m glad I’m not the only one. Sometimes you just get that insufferable urge to bite people. Especially the ones you like.”
“Do you draw blood?” Wednesday asked, somewhat invested in Yoko’s story.
“I try not to,” Yoko admitted.
“Well, if I bit someone I’d make sure it scarred at the very least,” Wednesday informed, looking at her short black colored fingernails. “You could use some practice.”
“I don’t think it’s really ethical to terrorize people by biting them,” Ajax chuckled, adjusting his beanie. With a tiny smile, Wednesday gnashed her teeth startling the other boy.
“Easy there,” Enid smiled, slinging an arm around Wednesday’s shoulders, making sure to avoid the wound she’d inflicted on the smaller girl.
“If you’re done stuffing your face, I have summer plans to discuss with you. Some of which involve grave digging, others more pleasant things like sacrifices,” Wednesday explained, staring intently at Ajax. She didn’t hate him, and she wasn’t jealous of him, but she certainly enjoyed making him uncomfortable.
“I’d say I have time,” Enid noted, glancing at a pink watch on her wrist. “See you later Yoko! And good luck getting those concert tickets you wanted.”
“Thanks boo,” Yoko smiled, lifting her sunglasses ever so slightly to wink at Enid. As the pair of opposites left the quad behind, Wednesday directed Enid towards the back entrance of the school. She remained silent for some time, taking the steps in unison with the blonde.
“I wanted to extend an offer to you,” Wednesday decided, adjusting her uniform tie. “Given the history you have with your parents I don’t expect you to return to them over the summer. If I recall, you boarded here the entire year last year.”
“I did,” Enid nodded, wincing slightly at the painful memory.
“Would you like to spend the summer at my residence? My parents, in horrific fashion, would suffocate you in hospitality and my brother would be more than pleased to officially meet you,” Wednesday explained, pausing at the top of the stairs to face Enid. Part of her was terrified that the blonde would refuse, but the prospect of rejection was invigorating and so Wednesday half hoped that Enid would pass on the offer.
“As long as your family is okay with it,” Enid shrugged, “I would love to spend the summer with you. Break was awful last time. I’ve never been that lonely before in my life.”
“Good. Then I will send word to my parents to expect your arrival with me after the following month. Though I must warn you that whatever you bring with you has the prospect of being destroyed. I’m not the only one in my family who causes trouble. You have yet to meet my uncle,” Wednesday smiled, the expression genuine as she thought of the bald headed maniac she so desperately missed.
“The one that was in prison?” Enid asked, arching a brow.
“Precisely.”
— — —
Enid’s birthday came and went, and soon so did the painstaking last month of the school year. Wednesday had expected the time to drag on exponentially slow, but it didn’t much to her dismay. She liked to relish in the feeling of never ending misery and anticipation. Enid, on the other hand, had been excitedly counting down the days until a knock sounded on the dorm room door, and Wednesday’s parents stepped inside.
“Hello, Thing,” Wednesday greeted as the disembodied hand scampered over to her. He’d suffered an injury last semester that worried Wednesday enough to send him home. He appeared to have recovered quite well much to her liking.
“Thing!” Enid exclaimed, scooping him up in an instant and hugging him tightly. “You missed so much! There was this crazy party that happened in Ajax’s room. And then the new principle found out so as you would expect the party got busted. Come to find out-!”
Enid continued to ramble, filling Thing in on all the school gossip he’d missed. Much to his credit, Thing listened intently even offering up a few surprised gestures as Enid talked. Wednesday watched the duo for a moment, a small fluttering of bats wings settling in her chest. Almost like a blossom Black Dahlia had overtaken her heart.
“Little storm cloud, I cannot tell you how excited I am to welcome your pastel wolf into the family,” Gomez smiled, settling his hands on either of Wednesday’s shoulders.
“Ow,” Wednesday replied dryly, taking a step back from her father’s touch.
“Are you hurt, little viper? Let me see,” Gomez insisted, worry painting his features. Wednesday stood stock still contemplating whether or not she should let her father approach. After a brief silence she watched as he pulled back the collar of her shirt to reveal the now bruised bite mark Enid left behind.
“I’m fine,” Wednesday insisted, studying her father for any sign of disgust or disappointment. He wasn’t an idiot. He would know what such an injury meant.
“I see,” he smirked, sparing his daughter a wink. “Well, how about we get you girls settled into the car? I’ll send for Pugsley and Lurch. We will take care of your things.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I can carry my stuff,” Enid assured, her lecture to Thing coming to an abrupt end.
“I insist. You’re our guest. Tish, will you take these two back to the car and send the boys my way?”
“Of course,” Morticia nodded, motioning for Wednesday and Enid to follow. Placing Thing on her shoulder, Enid skipped out after Morticia with Wednesday close behind. The odd looking trio traversed the school with ease until they were spat outside. “What a wonderfully gloomy day.”
“It would be better if it rained,” Wednesday remarked, eyes settling on the large roiling clouds. “Then again, maybe not. Enid smells like a wet dog when soaked.”
“It’s not like I can help it,” Enid replied, eyeing the clouds wearily before her gaze settled on a tall stern looking man. If she hadn’t known the Addams family history by now, she would have been alarmed at how much he looked like a corpse.
“Lurch, this is my girlfriend Enid. Enid, this is Lurch. He doesn’t talk much so don’t expect anything,” Wednesday explained, gesturing at the silent corpse of a man.
“Hello. Nice to meet you. You’re a very handsome individual. The Addams aesthetic suits you,” Enid smiled, holding out her hand. Lurch regarded it with mild confusion before giving a stiff shake.
“This is my brother Pugsley. I suspect the both of you will get along. He is soft and emotional like you.” Wednesday’s dry drawl alerted Enid to a younger looking boy that resembled his father, Gomez. His expression was soft and he appeared to have more life in his face than any of his family members.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Pugsley grinned, opening his arms up for a hug at the same time as Enid.
“Oh my gosh! You’re a hugger?!” Enid squeaked, her voice coming out as a happy whine. If she had a tail in that moment, Wednesday was certain it’d be wagging back and forth frantically. “Finally!”
Wednesday watched as her brother and girlfriend hugged one another for an extended amount of time. It would have made her uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of a never ending hug, but she was pleased to see her suspicions were correct. Pugsley and Enid would get along famously.
“Now that greetings are finished, you boys go help upstairs with the luggage,” Morticia instructed as Pugsley reluctantly pulled away from the hug. Lurch followed the youngest Addams with large heavy strides and Enid got the impression that he was stronger than he looked.
“I’m going to claim my spot before Pugsley gets back. Otherwise, I will remove him from my spot, strap him to the roof of the car. I’d like to see how many bugs he has in his teeth when we get home,” Wednesday decided, opening the car door and slipping inside. Enid stifled a laugh at the mental image of poor Pugsley stuck to the roof of the car before joining Wednesday.
It didn’t take long for their luggage to be brought down, and soon the Addams were on their way home. Wednesday remained silent most of the drive, electing to ignore her parents’ questions and inability to act normal in each other’s company. At some point, Wednesday fell asleep, her head settling on Enid’s shoulder as the car moved smoothly over a well paced road.
To keep the smaller girl from jostling around too much, Enid held her in place with a one armed hug. She didn’t mind the questions Gomez and Morticia were asking. In fact, it was refreshing to have adult figures genuinely interested in her school life and hobbies. Compared to the pestering questions she received at home, this was foreign territory.
“So, what’s it like being a werewolf? Wednesday doesn’t talk about that portion of your relationship,” Morticia began, watching Enid in a way similar to Wednesday only there was more visible compassion to her stare.
“Honestly? It complicates things at times, but Wednesday is really good about being blunt. It’s kind of nice. It keeps us from beating around the bush. It forces honesty,” Enid explained, her blue eyed gaze settling on a sleeping Wednesday. If the blonde wasn’t holding the smaller girl in place she would have thought Wednesday was dead. The rise and fall of the Addams’ chest was unrecognizable from an outside perspective.
“That’s good. Honesty is an important part of all relationships. I’ll admit, I was nervous when she first mentioned her romantic associations with you. Wednesday is not your typical girl if you hadn’t noticed. Her compliments are insults and her love is hateful at times. She can be a handful.”
“That’s why I have two hands,” Enid beamed, her answer enthusiastic and sincere. Gomez and Morticia shared some sort of look that Enid couldn’t read, but she assumed it was a good one. They seemed satisfied with her answers so far and soon the blonde found herself relaxed enough to join Wednesday in sleep.
Neither of them stirred for several hours until the car came to an abrupt halt. Lurching forward, Enid fell into Morticia. A small whine stumbled past her lips as her head collided with the older woman’s knee. Wednesday on the other hand slid expertly onto the floor like a wooden statue. A small smile played at her lips.
“I love when Lurch lurches,” she sighed, sparing Enid a glance.
“Awe, poor pup,” Morticia worried, settling a soothing hand on the side of Enid’s head. “I suppose we should have warned you, darling. My sincerest apologies.”
“Can we do it again?” Wednesday asked, sitting up unphased by the car’s violent motion.
“Perhaps once you’ve settle in little viper,” Gomez encouraged, gesturing to the door. With a look of contempt, Wednesday exited the vehicle, made her way around to Enid’s side and helped the blonde out.
“Is that why he’s called Lurch?” Enid whispered, hoping the mute man wouldn’t hear her and get offended.
“No, but it adds to his charm,” Wednesday replied, looking at the renowned Addams’ family driver. “ Decent job Lurch. You nearly threw me into father’s lap this time. You’re getting better but your foot isn’t heavy enough on the breaks. Pretend you’re stomping in the skill of a mouse. Then you’ll appease me.”
Lurch gave a grunt in response, taking Wednesday’s criticism to heart as he opened the trunk and collected a majority of the luggage. Gomez carried the rest while Pugsley managed to escape his previous duties.
“I need to check on my chickens!” Pugsley announced, racing off towards the front door.
“Chickens?” Wednesday asked, turning to her mother for an explanation.
“He missed you dearly while you were away. We let him select a pet. He chose a plethora of black feathered chickens. Beautiful creatures I must say,” Morticia informed, her expression falling ever so slightly. “But it appears we have a wolf problem.”
“Wolf problem?” Enid asked, arching a brow.
“Somehow they keep getting into the coup and tearing up the miserable things. Pugsley has been beside himself because of it,” Morticia sighed, shaking her head solemnly.
“He could recycle the bones. I’d love a new necklace of flight bones. They are light and hollow. Easy to wear. Maybe I can dig up a few of their corpses. I’m sure he buried them somewhere,” Wednesday pondered, tapping her chin in thought.
“It might do more good to solve the problem. At least for your brother’s sake. Then he’ll more willingly give up their graves,” Morticia winked.
“I could take a look,” Enid offered. “Wolf stuff is kind of my thing.”
“That would be appreciated darling,” Morticia smiled, resting a hand on Enid’s cheek. Her hands were cold but not nearly as cold as Wednesday’s. And while Enid had a special sort of warmth flutter in her heart when Wednesday did similar gestures, this was different. The blonde hadn’t felt a mother’s affection in years. It stirred something in her that nearly made her cry. At the very least it brought tears to her eyes that Morticia noticed. “Don’t cry, little pup. I’ve seen what you’ve been through. I know.”
“Mother! The coup is broken again!” Pugsley cried out, expertly ruining the moment. He stood in the front door looking more distraught than Wednesday had ever seen him before. It was the first thing to bring her pure joy since she’s woken up.
“The corpses will be fresh. We should hurry,” the brunette encouraged, grabbing Enid by the hand and racing off towards the expansive back yard of Addams’ manor. As they rushed through the open parlor, Enid took in what little she could. The ceilings were tall with stone architecture and not a single bit of color in sight. Swooping chandeliers adorned the ceiling and candelabras decorated the walls. The place looked positively medieval, which explained why the Addams’ lived there.
As grey and black stone turned into a wide expansive yard full of strange looking statues (that Enid had a sneaking suspicion were produced by Stoners) she immediately picked up on the scent of death. Without being in sight of the chicken coup she knew that one of Puglsey’s prized pets had fallen victim to whatever predator roamed the Romanian Outback.
“Before I look, how bad is it?” Enid asked, closing her eyes as Wednesday let go of her hand to investigate.
“Positively gory. Entrails and all,” Wednesday replied, the hint of a smile in her voice. “You should prepare yourself.”
“Right,” Enid nodded, taking a few deep breathes. She did her best to muster up some courage before prying her eyes open and turning the corner of the coup. Just as Wednesday described, the scene was gory with bird entrails splayed out in the grass. It made Enid’s stomach churn but she managed to keep herself together. “How many bodies do you count?”
“Five….and a half,” Wednesday remarked, unphased by the growing stench of decay. “A single entrance point here. Likely a lone wolf. A pack would have done worse. Pugsley should have identified that. I’ll have to chastise him later for his shoddy detective work.”
“It’s a big hole though,” Enid argued, looking at the splintered wood. The edges were frayed with bite marks. Frowning, she collected some of the larger splinters and held them up attempting to piece them together like a puzzle. After a bit of work she outlined a bite mark twice the size of a normal wolf.
“Werewolf,” Wednesday noted. “That explains it. Smart enough to work around my brother’s petty traps. Stupid enough to come onto our property when I’m home.”
“There’s time to prepare. The next full moon won’t be for a couple weeks. Just…try not to kill them,” Enid encouraged, but Wednesday was too busy examining chicken corpses.
“I will refrain only because you asked. Otherwise, I would skin them for the sake of my brother,” Wednesday decided, promptly standing up after collecting a few bird bones and shoving them into her pockets. Turning to look at the woods framing the yard, Wednesday decided that enough had been done for the time being. She had plenty of time to prepare. “We should head back inside and report the news.”
“Another mystery already,” Enid sighed. “Can’t say I’m not surprised.”
“We both know you love a good mystery, Sinclair. After all, you have encyclopedic knowledge on the Nancy Drew series. Your most recent hyperfixation, for once, is fascinating,” the brunette encouraged, taking Enid by the hand.
As the two made their way across the yard a breeze carried the stench of decay after them. But something else lingered on it that gave Enid pause. Stopping dead in her tracks, the blonde tilted her head to the side. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed at the wind.
“What is it?” Wednesday asked, a bit of worry framing her features.
“Nothing,” Enid frowned, “I just thought I smelled something familiar. It’s gone now.”
“Are you certain?” Wednesday pressed.
“Yeah,” Enid nodded though a slight bit of doubt crept into the back of her mind. “I’m certain.”