Chapter Text
Wednesday awakens to find herself dangling from the ceiling like a forgotten marionette. Some kind of manacles cuff her wrists keeping her at a painful height. Her arms and shoulders ache in a familiar way. What was the phrase Enid said the other day? Not her first rodeo. Unblinking brown eyes adjust to the poorly lit room. Mostly empty except for a small table nearby with various torture implements laid out on a velvet cloth. Much like the set Wednesday got on her 6th birthday. She turns her efforts to testing the manacles. Perhaps if she folds her thumb down as Fester taught her, she could ease one hand out with minimal skin loss.
“You'll find your hands are quite firmly cuffed.” Wednesday ceases to struggle at the sound of the voice. A man approaches from the darkened corner. No doubt having watched for her to awaken. He was quite tall, pale as long dead flesh, and had the signature smirk only arrogant fools let crease their mouths.
“My associates made sure to remove the lock picking tools from within your pigtails. And I assure you they did nothing else lest you be inclined to remove their fingers.”
“Alright you have my attention obviously against my will. Also you have the regrettable politeness of all villains giving a speech to the protagonist. Just release me. I’ll call this entertainment and we may go our separate ways.”
The man in shaded glasses let loose a rumbling laugh. Such confidence was in this young female. No wonder his master sought to use her.. Services. From his front left pocket he produced a pastel pink handkerchief and used it to wipe his mouth. Wednesday startled at the sight. Good. She recognized the previous owner of the cloth.
“I retract my last statement. Obviously something was done to my roommate. Each and every one of you will be eviscerated. The speed of which depends on the harm given my gi.. My friend” Wednesday stuttered on that last part. Obviously the anger and worry was affecting her faculties. Probably why they revealed the item of Enid’s. Clever interrogation technique she had to admit.
“Your friend is fine. No harm as of yet. A mere warning of silver bullets had her sniveling with tears.” He put away the pink cloth back in the front pocket of his tailored suit. Clearing his throat while maintaining eye contact, he continued. “She asked about you. I told her she would see you soon enough. That is if you agree to perform a task for us”
Wednesday gave what could only be described as the best Kubrik stare. Head tilted down, eyes forward, a mirthless stretch of lips in a thin line. “Bring Enid here so that I may perceive her lack of wounds. Only then will I consider your other terms.”
The man in the well tailored suit laughs softly. He raises a hand and snaps twice. The heavy iron door behind him creaks open.
Four hours earlier…
The carnival was a sight and sound cacophony of awesomeness! Heh. Cacophony. Wednesday was rubbing off on her with the old ass words, for real. People were all hustle and bustle. Parents tugging their kids away from booth games as lil eyes gazed at plushies to win. Enid wanted a plushie too, damnit! Maybe Willa would show off that trained athlete skill and win her a prize. Nah who was she kidding. Weds would just sniff in that way of hers and say something about how that was beneath both of them. Cotton candy waffed over from the front stand but man those turkey legs looked noms. Indecisive. Maybe she should ask the gothie if she was hungry.
Or maybe not! Her eyes caught one of her favorite carnival starters. A sky ship ride! People strapped into some fake pirate ship, skelemans waving as it wooshed back and forth. People were screaming bloody murder and some laughing like hysterically and shit. Totally her speed of scary. The safe, not out in the woods, no blood kind. Willa had to be convinced post haste.
“Weeednesday…” Enid liked to stretch out the E sound to really get her roomies attention. It was like those accent marks in language class. It meant ‘important. Listen here’.
“Enid must you butcher my name like the treatment Julius Caesar received?” Wednesday returned. It sounded harsh but Enid knew that was just banter. LIke Willa’s version of a shoulder punch and tease.
“I needed you to turn around and look here. Glaring at the crowd of people makes them get out of the way, yes. But I want us to go in this direction now. Towards the midway part.” Enid snatched up Wednesday’s hand and gave her a squeeze. Then of course let go. Five second rule had a different meaning to them. It was the length of time she could be affectionate with Willa before dagger eyes.
Wednesday turned immediately at the first contact of Enid’s hand. But the disdainful eyes softened at the sight of the giddy almost bouncing pillar of color beside her. Enid had chosen to wear red tights, a shimmering long sleeve gold top, and puffy white boots with accents of the two other mentioned colors. Upon her wrists Enid had plastic bangles of every color in the rainbow and then some. From her shoulder hung that pink handbag with a thousand buttons randomly pined. Truly vomitous. So why did it lighten Wednesday’s mood to gaze upon?
Enid noticed the change in Wednesday’s eyes. Cool, cool. Attention on me and no murder face. Time to shift Willa’s line of sight to the ride.
“Look up there! See those people getting spun upside down?” The question was timed perfectly before the screams filled the air.
“What is that… contraption? And why do they sound as though they suffer under the ministrations of a practiced torturer?” Wednesday was honestly intrigued. A boat on a swinging pendulum with the tearful cries of the people. A sound and sight that got her blood pumping.
“Um I don’t know the official proper name. But it is a sky ship ride. People are loosely strapped in then spun around so there is the thrill of almost dying.” Enid set herself to sell this in Wednesday terms. “You’ll fucking love it, I swear. Just think. All that screaming. Someone could fly free and smash into the pavement” Oh gawd I hope not. “And there I will be beside you. Also absolutely terrified for my life. Your favorite, right?” OH she hopes this works. Obviously Yes, Enid would be terrified. But not like REAL terrified. Only sorta kinda.
“... that does sound appealing. And the line for this event seems short. Let us march with haste to be the next ones dangling in poorly maintained straps.” Wednesday was the one to snatch Enid’s hand this time. Cold fingers clutching warm ones. And she wasn’t letting go! Like Enid counted past six before letting a squeal escape her lips. Wednesday Addams was pulling her along behind like one of those kids Enid saw earlier. Yoko would probably mouth ‘simp’ at her seeing the expression of joy on Enid’s face.
The two girls got in line. It was indeed a short interval of time as Wednesday predicted. One after the other those ahead of them were height checked, hand stamp confirmed, and given pass to climb aboard the fake ship. Wednesday had balked at having some foul blue color stuck upon her hand. Enid had quickly asked the gate keepers if they could inflict a black dye instead, because Wednesday was allergic to the blue. Wednesday paid for both of their entries in gratitude for the thoughtfulness. Which was out of character for her. She should have used that happenstance as excuse to leave.
“Oh. I’m sorry. You are just shy of the height requirement, hun. I can’t let you get on” The proprietor of the ride was using a stick and ruler system. Wednesday had to stand next to the height indicator marked in inches and a flat piece of wood was aligned perpendicular to some red dot.
“If this arbitrary system merely requires me to touch my head to the stick, I could just rip your feet off and stand upon them. That would increase my height sufficiently.” Wednesday stared at the horrified expression of the stick wielder. Jericho people had more backbone than this out of towner, apparently.
“Hey look here. My mistake. I was holding it at an angle. Go right ahead”
Enid let loose a sigh. Chalk that up as one more poor victim of the Wednesday Death Threat, patent pending. It got them passed on super quick though. Wednesday got situated at the end of a row nearest the side of the boat. Good. Nobody would be next to her except for Enid. That’s the way both of them wanted it, though probably for totally different reasons. Giddy feelings started back up as Wednesday commenced putting on her protective bets after slapping away a carnie’s hands. Always independent was her little gothie. Her? Stop that Enid. She had no claim to Wednesday. Not like that trail of thinking would lead. The carnie was finishing Enid’s clips and belts, asking if it was too tight. “Not as much as my heart”
Wednesday heard Enid’s words. Her vibrant companion was already experiencing some manner of fear. This boded well for their entertainment. The contraption wasn’t even moving nor was it overfilled with patrons to make the gears creak. But it would be. Perhaps she should intervene before Enid suffered too soon. Reaching across the small gap between them, Wednesday once again grabbed Enids hand. “Where is that confidence, Sinclair? I thought you enjoyed this manner of fun. Don’t disappoint me by crying before the ship even starts it’s ascent”
Enid felt her heart shift into adrenaline overdrive. Holy Moon Wednesday was holding her hand again. And it felt warmer this time? LIke what is going on? If this ended up being a dream she woke from, Ole Mr Sandman was going to get a kick to the dick. “I’m not scared! This isn’t my first rodeo, cowgirl. My dad used to take us to this fair in Pleasanton. It was where he grew up. Me and my cousin Victra always started the fair with this kinda ride. Then we’d cram cotton candy down our throats and do it again. Ha, this one time she yacked hard core over some old guy as we spun up. Oh gawd that was grossest and the funniest thing ever”
There ya go Enid. Masterful stream of words. Cover up those feelings. No panic here, no siree. Lovely family anecdotes to keep Wednesday in the dark. She loves it in the dark. Yep. Probably rolls in the darkness like a pig in mud. OHMYGAWD why am I picturing her rolling around in mud?? Stop it brain, stop it right now!
The ship chose that time to end their conversation. WIth a minor jolt, the group of passengers were hoisted up higher. Time for take off. Strangely Wednesday kept holding Enid’s hand. It was somehow forgotten as Wednesday’s attention became focused on the others. She recognized Kent a few rows down. He was excitedly talking to some vampire girl beside him. What was with that family becoming enamored with fangs? The ascent completed, the ship took no time to start rocking back and forth. Oh Enid did not mention this as part of the event. If there was anything that gave pause to Wednesday, any real weakness that made her grimace, it was motion sickness. She should have realized this was a possibility. Curse her mother’s vile genetic contributions.
That hand gripping Enid’s hand went tighter. Which might have hurt a nonwerewolf with such a death grip. Oh shit? Was Wednesday Friday Addams experiencing actual fear? Like oh no man this might be too much? Enid looked at Weds face more intently. What do you know. Those deep brown eyes had the wideness to them. She’d seen this that time in the abandoned house when Hydler bitch boy had been terrorizing them. Willa was upset. Enid ran a thumb over Wednesday’s hand to try to ground her. Soft circle motions over skin like a little massage she would do for Thing. It worked like a charm. Wednesday jerked to turn back to Enid and the whites of her eyes got smaller. Wait did she look paler now? Da fuuuck?
“I may have made a mistake” was all Wednesday got out before they were swung upside down and the screams drowned out everything else. The beautiful riot of other people’s suffering actually helped calm Wednesday’s stomach. It still had a churn but nothing like the previous moment. Such relief. If she had ‘yacked hard core’ as Enid’s cousin, there would be no living down that humiliation. She would just pack her bags and go back packing in the himalayas hoping that frostbite took her. Fingers threaded in the left hand she had gripped in Enid’s right. Enid was screaming too, a rather strange mix of high pitch with the faint echo of a howl. Claws protruded and grazed the flesh of Wednesday’s hand. This slight pain calmed her revolting inners even more. Instead it was being replaced by a spreading warmth that reached her face to flood it with heat. Must be from the sensation of being upside down. Of course.
They were on the ride for a good few spins. Screams galore and thankfully Enid’s prediction of death didn’t happen. The two girls had maintained hand contact the whole time, too. She was bursting at the seems, vibrating like a chihuahua does. The carnies were taking care of the people at the front while Wednesday carefully unclipped them both. Such a clever girl. Nothing mechanical was ever a mystery to her. It intimidated Enid sometimes, other times just made her glad to have Willa around. Like when their bathroom door lock broke. Wednesday pulled out tools and had the fucker clicking right in like two minutes. “Sooooo Did you have F U N or what?”
“I admit I had trepidation that it was going to be a bore. But once we were revolving and the blood curdling hysteria happened all around us, it was properly horrid” Wednesday gave her usual subdued response. Enid saw right past that. For one, Wednesday had kept a corner smirk on while unclipping them. Secondly, she was doing that hum she did when a physical project was almost complete. It was low. But those werewolf ears picked it up every time. Released, the pair of them made their way to the exit as most of the crowd was still held fast. “I would even venture to do it again later, before we leave back to the dorms”
“Yay! Oooo maybe we could hit another ride too. Like the gravitron! Stuck in a big ole spinning flying saucer. It goes sooo fast you are thrown against the wall and feel your body crush like Momma Earth stepped on it herself. Oo oooo or the Tilt ‘o Whirl! Its like this one, but you are in smaller.. Wednesday are you even listening to me?” Enid got distracted by her tirade, spinning in glee she hadn’t noticed Wednesday stop. Willa was holding onto some headband with sparkles and antenna like an insect. Wait.. she saw this earlier. Um.. but where.
“This looks like Eugene’s. Who else would wear such a gaudy.. “ Wednesday had picked up the sparkling thing upon the ground because she was absolutely sure of the owner. Eugene and some other younger child had chatted with them at the front gate. Her Hummer Society friend was wearing this exact bee antenna device. And he wondered why the girls paid him no heed.
Then the Vision took hold. Wednesday was struck stiff, looking into a vast nothingness as it always started. The yelling of Enid only a faint sound as the scene manifested before her eyes. The woods, familiar and almost hated by this point. There was obviously Eugenes point of view from the height, looking at some well dressed man gripping his arm harshly. Being yanked along to a shed on the edge of a farm. Thrown in with his face hitting the bench, falling down to a dirty floor. His hand touched forehead and there was bright blood upon the fingers when they came back in view. Words could be heard yelling outside the shed. “Follow the trail and wait by the woods.”
It was over as quickly as it started. Unpredictable and useless things! Eugene was in danger and here she was on the ground with Enid clutching her. “Wednesday! Oh gawd are you okay? What happened? Did you see something again?”
“Get off of me and quit being a dramatic puppy. Eugene is in danger!” Wednesday brushed off her companion. She felt a tinge of regret but now was not the time to expose those feelings. The smaller boy was being brutalized and she was not having it! She started looking for the direction of the nearby wood. She knew exactly what trail was mentioned by that miscreant. Wednesday intended to accost whatever fool was found there and pull off choice bits until the location of Eugene was revealed.
“Woah! Shit! Okay lets go, point me in the right direction. Your trusty blood hound will pick up the scent” Enid was on her feet instantly. No way was she going to let Wednesday zip off alone. Not on her watch. Not since.. Nope. Bad thought, down. Time to stay in the moment and be focused. This wasn’t about their same old argument and her being a worry wart. Someone else was in trouble.
“I can handle this Enid. You stay here and enjoy the rest of the night. I’ll bring back Eugene and the two of you can devour sugar coated sugar balls, or whatever nonsense you two do” She lightly appreciated the offer of the wolf. And she might actually be of use. But no. One person in danger at a time. There was only one Wednesday Addams. She could not be in two places at once keeping both of them alive. No matter if one of them was a formidable werewolf girl with rainbow claws strong enough to slice a bus.
“No fucking way, roommie! I’m going with you, like it or not. You are super fast but not outrun werewolf fast” Enid huffed and let loose a little growl as punctuation. The pair was already zooming through the crowd. Wednesday booking it towards the woods and Enid like half a step behind her. The crowd once again parted before the death gaze of Wednesday Addams. Most of them were familiar enough with her to move upon sight of the goth girl in the pitch black hoodie. Death and danger seemed to hover around her like storm clouds on a mountain. “Remember the freaky fish people? And that stalker you had? Oh, and when Divina was possessed by the Genie? We’re a hecking team. We show up, bad guys fail”
Wednesday could not stop the accursed smile from reaching her cheeks. At least Enid was out of direct sight to keep the act of emotion secret. It only further encouraged the riff raff to get out of their way as well. A smiling Wednesday Addams was an event to send shivers down any spine. And smile she did because of Enid. Those were truths. Enid had become a respectable ally since the .. Tyler incident. She practiced fighting with Wednesday and Bianca seemingly on the daily. They had formed a JiuJitsu club among the friend group after the first semester. Wednesday was loath to admit it, but the Nightingales crew were a good influence on Enid. “Ifrit. It was an Ifrit that possessed Divina, not a genie. Genies are the Hollywood bastardization of real supernatural beings”
“Oh My Gawd now is not the time for occulty lessons, Willa! We have to get to Eugene. So what did you see? Is he like in the woods?” Enid kept up with Wednesday leading her through the woods past the carnival. At least Weds had stopped trying to brush her off again. This happened sometimes still. Or Wednesday would just sneak off alone then come back asking if Enid could 'set aside her mindless blog for something quite important’ That had become code for ‘I need a werewolf, shit is hitting the fan’.
“Not exactly. But there is a trail on the other side of the woods used by his kidnappers. One or more of them are coming back along it. I intend to intercept them at the woodline” Wednesday decided to stop trying to drive off the multicolored wolf girl. Enid had that tone of her voice that she had put her foot down. But going for stealth would be difficult with her … partner clad in shiny gold reflecting in the moonlight. She came to a halt, forcing the wolf girl to skid to a stop. Irk. Those white boots were going to be filthy. The complaints would be high later tonight. “Here. Take my hoodie. If you are to accompany me, at least have the decency to not stick out like an arrow protruding from my side.”
Wednesday unceremoniously pulled the hoodie up to remove over her head. While it was obscuring the gothie’s vision, Enid took a long look at what was underneath. Wednesday had chosen to wear a tank top of the same pitch black color. It clung to her like a second skin. Probably sweat from all of the running and maybe from the ride? Enid once again experienced some panic. Damn Yoko for making her realize these things. Her reverie was interrupted by said hoodie hitting her face. “Hurry up and quit getting that eternal fog to your brain. I am once again reminded why I am the senior of this partnership. Only I seem capable of making the snap decisions that don’t involve upsizing a happy meal”
Enid said nothing in response to that barb. She only wiggled the hoodie over her upper half and commenced to run after Wednesday again. Willa had not even waited for her to finish tugging on the hoodie before bolting off again. Which is fair. Like both of them knew Enid’s speed was NASCAR fast. But it seemed they only needed like five more minutes of trail blazing before coming to a clearing with a dirt path. Wednesday held up her hand then motioned for Enid to go towards a tree? Oh yeah. Climb that, I’ll be down here. They did that before when they got the drop on her stalker. Who knew it was going to be THAT person. Shit not Enid. Didn’t think them capable of making animated gifs.
So the two girls waited that early fall night. Just another dynamic duo adventure to stop some bad people from bad things. Neither of them expecting this was the beginning of one of their biggest life events. Something that was going to strain their friendship and almost break Wednesday to pieces on the inside…