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Enid got out of the taxi, retrieved her suitcase and bag, and for a few moments simply stood and stared at the gothic mansion before her as the vehicle drove away behind. Suddenly, she understood the driver’s concern and disbelief that this was the address she’d wanted to go to.
The rain was lashing down, her clothes already soaked through by the time she passed through the gates and began her short ascent to the mansion. No light came from the sinister-looking residence, which made her slow and cautious in her steps, because she was afforded no light from the sky either. The last she’d glanced at the digital clock in the taxi, it was long past midnight in New Jersey.
The panic rose in her gut again as she remembered, and she didn’t need her mother’s voice in her head to tell her how stupid she was because she had no trouble telling herself.
Despite having finally wolfed-out and returned home from Nevermore with a fresh spring in her step, she had been met with the usual disappointment from her mother. Underwhelmed, dismissive and snarky — perhaps her mother’s unchanged attitude shouldn’t have been a surprise, because wolfing-out once? Of course that wasn’t enough.
How stupid to have thought anything would really change.
Instead, it only got worse, and after a heated argument with her mother Enid found herself in her room packing her things. She’d decided. She’d had enough.
The moment she’d stepped outside, she realised what she’d done.
Nothing in the world could’ve persuaded Enid to turn around and go back inside, though — oh, the field day her mother would have with that. She had to go somewhere. There was only one place she could think of, and of course it was on the other side of the continent.
Each step she took towards the mansion was like remembering another stupid mistake, each one weighing her down more and more. All the times she could’ve — should’ve — called Wednesday in advance, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to do so for fear the girl would say no. Getting so flustered she’d completely forgotten about the time difference between their states, leading her to arrive at such a ridiculous hour after having got herself on a flight from San Francisco National Airport. The fact she’d been stupid enough to think that her mother’s attitude would ever really change and having let the argument happen in the first place.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Even though she was alone in the darkness, Enid was glad for the rain to hide her tears.
Wednesday’s eyes snapped open as the obnoxious ringing filled her bedroom.
She sat up in bed and immediately turned her head to look at the phone which buzzed, with its screen lit, on the table across the room. The ringing continued. For a moment, she could only frown at it from her bed. Nobody ever called her on the device, and she didn’t quite know what to make of the fact that someone was doing so in the middle of the night.
Eventually, she swung her body around and stood, walking to the table. She picked up the device, and seeing the name on the screen — Enid Sinclair — swiped with her thumb without another thought and held the phone to her ear. “Enid?”
“H– Hey, Wednesday…” A sniff. “I, um…”
“You’re crying,” Wednesday stated matter-of-factly. “What’s happened?”
A brief silence; perhaps Enid debating on whether or not to try and deny Wednesday’s statement, but really they both knew that she hadn’t done a good job of hiding the fact she was crying at all. “It’s complicated,” was all she could manage, rather meekly.
“It’s clearly important,” Wednesday countered, almost gently, “otherwise I doubt you’d be calling me in the middle of the night. Tell me. Although honestly I’m not sure what help I can offer from across the continent.”
“Well…” Enid tried to chuckle, but all that came out was something of a strained croak. She swallowed. The panic, which hadn’t settled at all, only intensified. “That’s the thing, um… Y– You have to promise you won’t be angry…”
Wednesday had taken to pacing back and forth across her bedroom, though abruptly stopped at the request. She didn’t like how that request made her feel. Something was so very clearly wrong — all she needed to know was that Enid was alright. “I won’t be angry, Enid,” she said after a moment, her words slow and soft. “I promise. Tell me what’s wrong.” Silence met her, and settled for a few seconds too many for Wednesday’s comfort. “Enid, are you oka—”
“I’m at your house,” Enid blurted out.
It took Wednesday a moment to register the words. Hastily, she crossed her room to the window, pulling the curtains aside to look out through the glass and see the unforgiving weather.
“Wednesday?”
Enid was met with only silence.
As she sat on the mansion’s front steps, knees pulled close to her chest, she rested her forehead in her left hand whilst shakily holding the phone with her right.
“Wednesday…?”
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Of course Wednesday would be angry. What had she been thinking? How completely and utterly—
The door of the mansion opened behind her, and before Enid could turn around she felt a hand grasping her arm, pulling her up and inside with haste. Exhausted, cold and soaked to the bone, her body had complied subconsciously — and finally standing, she turned to see Wednesday lifting her bags from the steps and bringing them inside, before closing the door.
The gothic girl turned to face the wolf, what looked to be a mix of surprise and concern in her eyes as she looked the blonde up and down.
“As much as I enjoy death, I’m not a fan of you trying to catch yours out in that weather,” Wednesday said.
Enid could only blink, her words lost. She wasn’t sure if that was Wednesday’s attempt at trying to lighten the mood.
“Come on.” Wednesday stepped forward and reached out — though her hand stopped just short of Enid’s arm. After a moment of silent deliberation, however, she rested her hand on Enid’s upper arm to guide her along. “Are you hurt?”
Enid managed the smallest shake of her head. “I— I’m fine.” She walked along with Wednesday, and after only a few steps glanced across at the shorter girl. “You’re…really not angry that I’m here…?”
With the slightest frown, Wednesday glanced back. “Of course not. I’m certain you have good reason, and I’ll listen to it once we’ve found some dry clothes for you to change into and have you warmed up.”