Chapter Text
Bzz, bzzz, bzz
God, it was driving her insane.
Wednesday craned her head to the side, pressing her pale cheek into the crappy, thin motel pillow, peering at the window littered in dirt across the room. The moonlight spilt through the panes, bright and illuminating, attracting the attention of a rather loud mosquito. It had been flying into the glass for the last hour, buzzing again, and again, and again, and it hit the window every time in an attempt to get outside, to the source of the light.
It wanted to find its sun. It's escape.
Wednesday rolled her eyes, making note of the time the clock hanging on the wall, ticking softly, displayed.
2:21am.
Barely a wink of sleep had graced Wednesday’s body for the last few days, and yet she seemed to be fine running purely on quad-shot espressos. The same couldn’t be said for her Uncle Fester, however, who was sleeping like an infant in the twin bed across from hers, snoring in his slumber.
‘Too much,' she thought. The ticking clock, the buzzing mosquito, the snoring body, the cheap bed, the stench of mediocrity; she needed some fresh air. In all honesty, she wondered if she’d sleep better outside, in the sticky nighttime heat of July, rather than in the stuffy motel room - thankfully, she had the choice.
A wolf, cold and alone in the dark, doesn’t.
She peeled the thin, crinkly, brown duvet off her body and let her bare feet onto the cold wooden floor, the texture splintering against her heels. She glanced over at Thing, resting almost lifelessly on the bland desk in the corner of the room; no chance to be woken up by her ghostlike movements. Opening the drawer of the nightstand, a last-minute decision, she took out a small cardboard box and a lighter, something she’d nicked from a gas station on the way. Making swift strides to the door leading to the outside balcony connecting all the pillbox-sized motel rooms, she left her shoes and jumper behind, allowing her to stand in the cold in just her shorts and vest. From the second she opened and shut the door behind her, the cold air spat in her face uncaringly, wind leaving her mouth dry and lips chapped, her exposed and vulnerable skin no match for the weather only a wolf’s coat could resist. She rested her elbows on the metal railing, orange and rusted with age, overlooking the various other room numbers on the other side of the complex, across the poorly maintained garden between them. She chose to focus her attention on the sky, the stars, the moon instead. It was a waning gibbous, the phase of it being full one night away. It looked hungry, so pale in the sky, maybe that’s why the wolves only feasted on it when it was whole. She was hungry; there was a hole in her stomach, pooling and growing with every passing day. No food could fix something that was always growing. Instead, she opened the cardboard box she had taken, plucking a cigarette and holding it gently between her fingers, then lighting it and pressing it to her lips. It wasn’t food, it wasn’t water, it wouldn’t combat the pit inside her or the wind attacking her bare neck and collar. It was only smoke, gentle and grey, swimming its way through her teeth and down her throat, clawing at her empty lungs as though something so weightless could fill a feeling so heavy and empty.
When the sun would rise, she, Fester, and Thing would leave Stanstead. The three of them were so sure this time that this was where all the leads had pointed to, where the werewolf she was searching for would be. But there was no wolf. No creature as grand as the one who’d dug her out of her early grave expecting such a small promise in return - ‘find me, come after me, take me’, those big blue eyes had said, so familiar in the body of something so different.
An eye for an eye, a promise for her saviour, her Messiah. She would find her rainbow after her ark had crossed over the flood. Tomorrow’s destination was Québec. She had only decided it was the next stop once she’d realised this one wasn’t right. It was intuition, the wolf couldn’t resist a place so loud and bright and colourful, everything the creature once was, and everything Wednesday never would be.
The smoke filling her lungs had reached its maximum; there was no space left to fill. She pressed the cigarette butt into the railing, throwing it into a plant pot after. It’s not like it was taken care of or watered anyway. Morning would be a new day, a new chance. Her luck of finding the creature was slim, but it would be none if she stopped trying completely. She re-entered the motel room, walking over to her bed and slipping underneath the covers yet again, uncaring of the stench the dusty duvet had when brought close to her face. After all, she could only focus on the bitter taste of ash in her mouth. It was proof she’d filled the empty void in her body with something, albeit temporarily. The only thing permanent enough for her hunger was on the run, far away. Wednesday was selfish, thinking only about the stability she lacked rather than everything the wolf was lacking. Wednesday could handle discomfort; her once-roommate couldn’t, so why did it feel like Wednesday was so close to reaching her limit so soon? Wednesday deserves discomfort, punishment for her selfish thoughts. Her saviour didn’t - she would never, no matter the sin. But there was no sin, there was no punishment, there was only a promise. One she knew she had to follow through with, or else a part of her would have died where the wolf had dug her up to keep her alive.
A new day, she knew it was coming. Sunlight filtered through the shutters, and movement could be heard as her companions woke, too. She stared at the ceiling, the plaster cracked and stained with damp. Nevertheless, it was a roof over her head.
“I can hear your breathing, dear niece. Shall we prepare ourselves for the embarkation of our next journey?” Fester spoke into the silent room, rising from his bed. Wednesday didn’t respond; she only looked to him and nodded wordlessly. She got up and plucked her toothbrush from her backpack on the floor, then walked to the bathroom. She rinsed and brushed and couldn’t keep herself from biting on the plastic bristles. They scratched into her gums, drawing blood apparent as she spat into the sink. It dripped down into the drain, stark red against white porcelain. She cupped her hand under the tap, then brought the water to her mouth and swirling it around before spitting it back out. Was there any point in her morning ritual if no paste or water could make her feel clean? The red fluid was coming from the gaps between her teeth, but she could only focus on the blood she couldn’t wash away from her cold hands, the ones which had committed so many unworthy actions. She scrubbed them raw, too, until her knuckles were as sore as her mouth and thoughts.
After packing away the small amount of belongings they’d brought with them, she, Fester, and Thing gave their room key back to the receptionist before heading out onto the street where they'd parked Fester’s motorcycle. Before getting into her seat alongside Fester, ready to drive off, she took one last look at the run-down motel across the road. Seriously, what was she thinking? How could a spirit such as her roommates come to a city so drab and beige? The wolf may be on the run, but that doesn’t mean she’d hide in a place no one would see her. She just needed to be in a place where only the right people wouldn’t notice her, where they wouldn’t think to look for her. Where only Wednesday would think to look for her.
They took off on the motorcycle, and the wind biting at her bare face was this time accompanied by fleeting sunlight flickering through the treeline as the sun rose to the top of the sky. An hour would pass, then the next. The rest of the world was waking up, cars and traffic blocked their way, people were going to work, or maybe to the same place she was. She wondered how many people on the roads were searching for something the same way she was.
They stopped in Sherbrooke for breakfast, or at least Fester did. He got a sandwich from a convenience store, and she bought a pack of Marlboro Gold. They sat outside to eat, and Fester took a bite from his sandwich, crumbs littering his lap. He smiled at her when she placed the cigarette to her lips.
“A worthy breakfast indeed. Nothing like the taste of nicotine just after dawn, your father would be proud.” Wednesday couldn’t agree less. In the past, she thought meals were better eaten alone. Memory struck of sitting across from her roommate in the quad as they split the last muffin they could grab from the cafeteria between them. She hated baked goods, yet it tasted so delicious when the other half was between the canines of the girl in front of her. That’s how worthy a breakfast could be.
Another hour of driving. They’d only stopped to go to the bathroom and to get water. In her mind, Wednesday couldn’t help but worry slightly. Their belongings were so minimal, they were travelling light for efficiency, but what if, no, when she finds the wolf, and when she does get her to turn back into a girl, what will she have to offer her? Poor girl, she’ll have to be bare and naked whilst Wednesday searched for a solution. She’d already spent so much time exposed in the woods; she should be met with utmost comfort when she’s found.
An idea was brought to her attention, courtesy of Thing. She had no phone, no devices, only paper maps and Fester’s navigation (sometimes unreliable). Thing said to do some research, it’s the best way to prepare. Fester parked his motorcycle in Kingsey Falls outside the library; the computers inside were free to use there. She knew what she was looking for, but she didn’t have a name. Inside the library, people of all ages studied and drank coffee and went about their lives; none of them knew about the raging war inside Wednesday’s mind that she brought with her into the space. Books and novels and papers littered the shelves and walls; she had always found them most trustworthy. But today, she was using the internet, mankind’s creation, which her roommate once so proudly called her vice. Well, maybe putting herself in her social media-crazed friend’s shoes would bring her closer to finding her.
She opened Google on one of the computers and typed in search of the different nature parks, forests, and reserves in Québec. She took a notepad and pen from her trench coat’s pocket, hastily scribbling down a few of the names she found. She continued typing in different prompts and searching for all the hidden paths and routes a werewolf would be able to take to this city unnoticed. And then, something in the newsfeed tab caught her eye - ‘Strange creature making appearance in the Laurentian Mountains,’ the headline read. She clicked on the link and read quietly through the article. There were sightings of abnormally large shelters being built, huge footprints and claw marks in trees, and masses of moose carcasses being left in the woods, half-eaten. Park rangers had tested for any kind of animal to match the footprints, but the only similarity they could find was with ones spotted near the Canadian border. The area was known for its rivers and snowy peaks and wildlife; it was charming beyond compare, and the perfect place to hide in plain sight against the moose-filled woods. There were freshwater fjords to drink from and prey to hunt on; if Wednesday was a werewolf, well, still a werewolf, one on the run, it would be a fitting destination indeed. ‘Oh, you’ve outdone yourself, my dearest loba.’
She closed down the browser before a voice behind her spoke.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The manly voice said. Wednesday turned to face him, looking at the ‘Librarian’ tag on his shirt’s breast pocket before his face. “The forests in Québec, they are one of a kind, wouldn’t you agree?” He asked again, eyeing the names written on her notepad. She shut it fast and stuffed it back into her pocket. His hair was brown and ragged, his skin tanned and wrinkled, he was likely in his late thirties, and Wednesday wasn’t quite sure what possessed him to think she was his perfect candidate for small talk during his shift.
“Yes, I find myself intrigued,” she admitted. His mouth twisted into a gentle smile, but his teeth, now on display, were yellowed and chipped. Maybe he was a smoker. Nothing like her, though.
“And are you going there sometime soon, maybe?” He queried, likely expecting her to say yes.
“I do have a duty to fulfil there, yes,” Wednesday monotonously noted. She hoped her tone would give him the hint to conclude the conversation, so she could be on her way to her uncle waiting outside, but no.
“A duty? Do you have something to do there? Something you’re in need of, or looking for?” He commented, eyes flicking down to the pile of books he was holding. What a bore he was.
“We are all looking for something, are we not?” She replied, rolling her eyes. She didn’t like this man; he was nosy, not that he had any reason to be. After all, librarians have access to all the answers in the world in the pages they maintain.
“Well, if you’re looking for a specific book to…help you out, I can assist you?” He seemed hopeful, too hopeful. Maybe he was just another one of those old men who find the bodies of teenage girls the pure peak of attraction and sexuality. His eyes did seem to linger on her chest before flitting back up to her eyes.
“What I would like to find, right now, is the exit, actually. Good day to you.” Not wanting to entertain him any longer, she pushed past him and made her way to the sliding doors, not bothering to look back in her departure. She spotted her uncle leaning against his bike, and he shot her a smile as she approached.
“Got everything you wanted?” He asked.
“Perhaps more than I bargained for. Let’s go, shall we?” She hastily jumped into her seat, and her uncle revved the engine. In due time, they’d be at their destination, and Wednesday truly hoped it would be their last.
They drove through the city, past all the bakeries and banks and mothers pushing strollers. They pulled onto the country roads beside the green grassy fields and cows grazing. The sun was blazing, having reached its peak in the sky, and its heat was warming her skin. She could imagine the wolf running down these paths during the dead of night, biting blackberries from the bushes and sneaking up on the hares prancing down the pavement. As they distanced themselves further from civilisation, eventually a treeline came into view, alongside road signs pointing left in the direction of the visitors' and hikers' carparks and the campsites. They turned right, aiming for another few miles before stopping in a more deserted area. Her heart was pounding; she was about to enter the lion’s cage. She picked at the dry skin around her nails, then at the hairs caught in the helmet buckle under her chin. She was not nervous, or fearful, or uncomfortable. The only thing left in her, that was allowed to be left in her, was hope. What a strange thing for Wednesday Addams to be filled with. She much preferred the smoke in her lungs.
By this time, the sun was making its descent, which meant her search would have to be rather fast-paced. There was a lot of ground to cover, but she knew what she was looking for. As they parked next to a ditch, Wednesday took another look at her notebook and the locations of which the ‘strange creature’s’ sightings were. She glanced at the map Thing was holding. Their position was optimal. She and Fester unbuckled their seatbelts and helmets and got out of the vehicle, with Thing clutching himself to her shoulder.
“She’s here, I can feel it,” She stated coolly.
“I have no doubt, my little deathtrap! Your intuition is enviable,” Fester responded cheerfully. They walked forward, hopping over the ditch and approaching the beginning of the scattered trees before they began to cluster together in darkness. This area of land was free to roam on, which meant it wasn’t being patrolled by police or hunting dogs or farmers. It was quiet, the most noise coming from the birds chirping. She recognised the tree types, this area of forest being mentioned in the article she read. She trekked ahead, her uncle following behind, and as she disappeared further into the woods, the treetops above her began to thicken and cast darker shadows over the ground. She was thankful she wore appropriate shoes, stepping on mud and fungi and clovers carelessly, and batting away the shrubbery and branches at eye level with ease. The woods weren’t pristine; there was evidence of animal faeces and ant nests, there were fallen-over trees with rotten bases and invasive rhododendrons and ivy circulating their thick roots across parts of the soil, not giving room for anything else to grow. But in context, it was normal. It was expected. She wanted something supernatural. Not a sign from God, rather a hint from Gaia.
The sun dipped below the sky, and the light turned orange. She looked around in her new warmth, looking for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.
“Maybe we should leave a trail? She might see it if she comes here,” Fester suggested. She could admit that it was a good idea. She took her pocket knife from its sheath inside her coat, and walked over to a large spruce tree in the centre of a clearing. She carefully etched the markings into the bark - ‘I’m looking for you. - W.A.’
It would do the trick; the wolf would notice it.
“Should we go North, further up the mountain?” She asked her uncle. He knew it was more of a demand than a question.
He nodded, and they left the clearing to walk up the sloped ground.
Dark evening fell upon the forest, and the bald-headed man began to look at his niece with worry. She was dedicated and getting reckless.
“Wednesday, we can continue searching tomorrow. You need rest, we’ve been up since very early in the morning-”
“No,” she cut off. “I’m fine, let’s keep going.” She didn’t look back at him when she answered. Instead, at the mention of the word ‘rest’, her knees buckled a little. Maybe the lack of sleep really was catching up to her. Her uncle appeared at her side and guided her down to sit on the grass.
“Wednesday, you have every capability of finding your friend. I know it’s important to you, but right now you must prioritise your own body’s needs. What would she say if she found you all withered and decayed, an attitude nothing like the girl she knows? You must meet her when you are familiar.” She knew he was right, that it would be embarrassing to appear so pallid and tired in front of the mighty creature that had endured the cruel wilderness. She rose, allowing her uncle to take her cold hand in his and guide her steps. She paused, taking one last look at her surroundings like a checkpoint. She took deep breaths in and out, feeling the full effects of her hunger for food and sleep now, and the dry quench of thirst clawed at her throat. Thing seemed to read her mind and gestured for Uncle Fester to get a flask of water out of his bag. Wordlessly, he handed it to her, and she drank greedily, letting the cool liquid wet her lips and drip down her chin. When she was done, she gave the bottle back and leaned against the tree behind her, letting her skull fall back and rest against the bark.
She blinked, and in a sudden state, the breath of life was stolen from her body, and she gasped for any air she could steal. Her eyes rolled back, and her torso wrenched forward.
She opened her eyes, now kneeling on all fours, mud dirtying her palms and trousers. Letting herself catch her breath, she glanced upwards, knowing there would be no Thing or Fester there to comfort her. The sky was pitch black, the fireflies were flitting around the nearby stream, and the sound of snarling cut through the silent air like a knife.
Her eye caught movement through the trees, swift and sharp, and all of her body’s pleas for rest were forgotten as she broke into a run down the hill, following the animal.
The creature was here, she had come here, she had touched the very tree she was leaning against.
Wednesday leapt over the uneven ground, bashing away low branches from her face as best as she could, trying her best to keep an eye on the fur-covered blur moving too fast to stalk.
Past the rocks and quarries, the fields of clovers and dandelions, over the thick roots and tree trunks, eventually, the wolf came to a halt. Moonlight flickered onto the beast as it stood in the centre of the familiar clearing. Wednesday approached it with caution, despite knowing it couldn’t actually see her. As she got closer, she could see its form in full view. It stood tall, far greater than the wolf that had saved her from the Hyde, or the one she had glanced at after digging her up before running into the distance. Its fur was thicker and matted, its muscles were bulky in its skin, and scars littered its whole body from its ears to its paws. The one thing so unforgettable, however, was its eyes. They were blue like the ocean’s waters, like the summer sky, like the only colour, aside from black, that Wednesday could call home. Those eyes were the window to the soul she’d fight until her death to restore.
She faced what the wolf was looking at - the tree she’d marked earlier. The message had been received.
It had been received, now. Right now.
‘God, what are you doing? Wake up!’
Her eyes shot open, and she was met with her uncle leaning over her, grinning wildly.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, my dear! You were out for quite some time. What did you see?”
“She was here, she’s at the clearing. We need to go, now,” She bellowed, jumping up from the ground, fully rejecting the dizziness her head insisted upon feeling. Her uncle, only a few paces behind her, matched her speed as she ran through the trees. He reminded her not to trip, but how could she when she had already memorised the route earlier? She knew exactly where she was going, exactly what she would find, exactly what she would say, and-
Skrrrrt, skrrrrrr
She stopped in her tracks, holding her breath and grounding her feet. Her uncle paused further behind her.
There she was, glorious and sabre-toothed.
The wolf was right there, just past the trees in front of her. It was looking at the one she’d carved the message into, scratching at it loudly, the sound echoing through the night.
Her feet moved before her mind did, still clouded by disbelief. A couple of steps forward, she entered the clearing.
“Enid,” She whispered, voice barely a decibel above the whistling of the wind that rustled the trees.
But she heard, of course she heard. She always does. An eye peered at her from the side, then the huge body of fur turned to follow. The creature whined, its eyes big and bold and utterly pathetic, taking in the small girl in front of her like a last meal.
“I’m here,” She coaxed. She stared down the animal, unsure of whether it could understand her words.
I’ve found you, I’ve come after you, I’m here to take you, she hoped her own eyes could convey.
The wolf prowled forward, towards Wednesday. She felt no fear.
That’s it, come closer. You understand me, you always do.
It bared its teeth at her. Maybe it was showing off or smiling. Either way, Wednesday was in awe of the sharp weapons littering its jaw. She returned the favour and smiled in return, baring her own teeth.
“I’ve come for you, Enid. All I need you to do now is come back to me. Can you do that?” She asked, glancing up at the full moon in the sky. The wolf’s eyes darkened, and its head dropped in uncertainty.
Of course, how was she supposed to come back to her when she’d gone so long without her own body, her own thoughts, her own life? There was nothing for the wolf to come back to.
“Come back to me,” She breathed. “Do you remember the first day we met, Enid? I entered your life, you crashed into mine. You were everything I was not, you had everything I hated. Now, you have nothing. Don’t you want it back? You can have it, your friends, your family, your multitude of extracurriculars. It’s within arm's reach.” The wolf shook its head meekly.
“Do you not want it back?” Again, the wolf shook its head.
“You’re being very unclear with me right now, Enid. Tell me, what is it you want?” She asked.
The wolf lifted its paw, and gestured at Wednesday.
She smirked.
“You want me? Enid, but you can have more than that. Why do you want something you don’t need? You survived before me, before I came into your life. You’ve survived without me, alone in these woods. You don’t have to want me.” The wolf snarled, its eyes turning glassy.
“You don’t have to want me, because you already have me. Oh, Enid, don’t you know? You have all of me. Why are you seeking me out when that’s all I’ve been doing these passing weeks? Why are you waiting for me when I am already here? Why are you begging for me as I’m here, in front of you, pleading for your return? Return to me, come back to me, and then you will have me as I have you.” It wasn’t a confession if it was never a secret. The wolf bore its blue eyes into Wednesday’s black ones. It knew what had been said, it knew why it had been said, and it knew what it meant.
What it meant was that the wolf needed to become a girl again. It needed it more than anything else in the world.
Its body jerked and snapped, growling in pain. It would be worth it in due time. Its shoulders shrank, its canines retracted, and its fur fell out. Matted knots of clotted blood and hair dropped to the ground and were replaced with creamy human skin underneath. Its snout was reduced to a more feminine structure, a more familiar face. The claws that had killed ruthlessly turned to thin fingers, quivering in shock. The big blue eyes, used to communicate and hunt and observe, turned small and tired, but not uncertain. The werewolf, which had stood tall and mighty mere moments ago, was now hunched over on the ground, human and female, naked and cold. Wednesday approached the figure, already taking off her trench coat. She swung it around the shoulders of the girl, who took it and wrapped it around her hastily.
“It smells like you,” Enid whispered. A beat of silence passed between them, their knees touching as they kneeled in front of each other, staring into each other’s eyes. Wednesday nodded. Enid opened her mouth again, with hesitation, to speak.
“You came to find me,” She murmured, fidgeting with one of the buttons on the coat.
“You returned to me,” Wednesday replied. Enid smiled softly, nodding.
“I did. I did it for you, Wednesday. You have me," She added.
“You have me, Enid,” Wednesday responded.
“Take me.” Enid leaned forward and rested her forehead against Wednesday’s shoulder. Wednesday looked up at the sky as she threaded a hand through Enid’s golden hair. The stars were bright, the moon was brighter. A blessed night, indeed. Her shoulder was wet; Enid’s silent tears were staining her jumper.
“I’ll take you, let us go, together,” Wednesday insinuated. Enid lifted her head and sat up straight, facing her roommate fully.
“Promise you’ll take me with you, wherever you go,” She requested. Wednesday nodded in response. A thought seemed to pass over Enid’s eyes.
“I want to go away, away from all this madness. Somewhere no one knows us, no one will find us, no one will hunt us down. I don’t want to go alone this time, I want to go with you, just you,” Enid breathed, eyes filled with seriousness. Wednesday allowed herself to ponder what she meant, but deep down, she knew what the request was. She considered their responsibilities, their families, their friends. When she’d left Nevermore, she’d promised Yoko that she’d contact her when she found Enid, and Yoko had said she’d contact Enid’s parents after that. Enid didn’t want contact from them; she wanted solitude.
Enid knew exactly what Wednesday was thinking.
“I don’t want to tell my dad or my mum just yet, let them think I’m still an… animal, for now.”
“My parents always support a getaway, and I trust my uncle and Thing will not reveal our whereabouts,” She stated. Enid looked up behind Wednesday and spotted Fester and Thing standing against one of the trees. She waved at them shyly, they waved back. She focused her attention back on Wednesday. She knew the weight of her request and how insane it was going to sound, but she didn’t care anymore. She had lost so much in the time she was away, yet she was in no rush to get it all back. There was only one thing she wanted, the girl sat in front of her, whom she wanted to keep all to herself. It was selfish and greedy and silly, but it wasn’t cruel if Wednesday had said she was hers.
“Run away with me,” Enid whispered.
Wednesday had agreed before she’d even said yes.
She placed her hand in Enid’s and stood, lifting the girl up with her. She let go and swiftly took a few strides over to where her uncle was standing. Enid followed.
“Uncle Fester, I express my deepest gratitude for your assistance in my search for Enid. However, as you can see, she has been found.”
“A heart-wrenching display indeed, dearest niece! How proud of you, I am!”
“I would greatly appreciate it if, as one final act of service, you drove Enid and me into the town centre. From there, I believe she and I will be making our own journey forward.”
“Of course! Anything for you and the mighty werewolf at your side!” He exclaimed.
Enid chuckled, waving to Thing again before adding to the conversation.
“Truly, Mr Addams, thank you for everything,” She expressed in gratitude.
“Ah, don’t mention it, I can see how much you mean to my niece. And please, call me Fester! Now, shall we leave these damned woods? I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be here any longer.” Enid shook her head before the group of them began to make their way out of the forest.
Wednesday took one last look at the tree where her message was, glad she’d never have to return or search for the wolf again.
She took the cardboard box of cigarettes in her back pocket and tossed it into the soil with force, leaving it behind in the clearing. No smoke would have to fill up the spaces inside of her now that she had felt the warm air coming from the breath of the being that made her whole.