The Adventures of Monday Addams and Wednesday Addams

Chapter 66-The Safe

My novel started out as a twisted fiction, but somehow reality has turned it into my own personal looking glass. My visit to the Gates mansion has left me with so many questions. If Laurel Gates died 20 years ago, then who's sleeping in her bedroom? Why do they have photos of me and Monday? And what is their connection to this Hyde? Whoever it is, they're clearly willing to kill for their secret. Goody predicted this quest for answers would become a lonely pursuit. Of course, Goody's nowhere to be found when I need her. The dead can be just as annoying and unreliable as the living.

"Hi." Monday said as Enid walked into the dorm.

"Sorry, I figured you were still at Mayor Walker's wake." Enid paused "As soon as the dirt hits the coffin, I'm out. I can't seem to find my bottle of silver moon nail polish." Enid said. "Do you mind if I look around? Yoko's hosting a mani-pedi party for her crew."

"This is the third time in 24 hours you've forgotten something." Wednesday said annoyed.

"So, how is everything going?" Enid asked.

"Solitude suits us. With no annoying distractions, I'm almost finished with my novel and Monday's nearly finished the illustrations" Wednesday explained emotionless.

"Was I an annoying distraction?" Enid asked hurt.

"You definitely had some annoying habits." Wednesday said.

"Such as?" Enid asked.

"You giggle when you text, which is a 24/7 addiction." Wednesday started.

"At least it's not a migraine-inducing typewriter hammering into my head." Enid argued.

"When your not grinding your canines, you growl in your sleep." Wednesday commented back.

"As opposed to late night cello solos?" Enid countered.

The two kept at it.

"You over-commit to activities, then complain about them."

"I'd take that over your obsession with all things creepy."

"You could gas an entire village with the amount of perfume you spritz. That's just off the top of my head."

"Guess I'm lucky with the new bestie that doesn't try to find ways to endanger literally everybody she comes into contact with. In fact, Yoko and I are so in sync that she's begging me to be her new roomie. Permanently."

"Don't let me hold you back."

"Enjoy your solitude, Wednesday."

"It's not solitude if you're still here." Enid stormed out and slammed the door.

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The Addams girls snapped twice to get into the Nightshade library.

"Uncle Fester?" Monday called.

"Who's Uncle Fester?" Xavier asked as the girls turned towards the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" Wednesday asked.

"Since I'm an actual Nightshade, I don't have to explain myself. What's your excuse for creeping around in the middle of the night?"

"Research." Monday answered quickly.

"On the monster? I'll save you some time. There's nothing in here matching that thing."

"Isn't that convenient?" Monday said bitterly.

"You know what your problem is?" Xavier said not sure why she was so annoyed at him.

"I would love to hear your piercing insight." Monday argued.

"You don't know who your real friends are. I've been on your side since day one. I literally saved your life. I believed your theories when nobody else did. And what do I get in return? Just nothing but suspicion and lies." Monday felt guilty now because she knew he was right.

Everything going on right now had made her so stressed out all the time. Everything with the monster the quarrel between Enid and Wednesday and how she can't chose a side.

Wednesday was not going to let him speak to her sister like that "Fine. You want honesty? Here it is. Every time the monster's attacked, you've been right there. Starting with Rowan at the Harvest Festival. Then on Outreach Day, you arrived just minutes after the monster disappeared, yet you say you didn't see it."

"I didn't realize proximity was a crime." Xavier said.

Monday rolled her eyes as Monday continued "Then there's your drawing obsession. You have drawn the monster dozens of times, yet you've never seen it. Or so you claim. You even drew where it lived. Then when Eugene went to investigate, you tried to kill him so he wouldn't spill your secret."

Monday looked at Wednesday "You think he would hurt Eugene?"

"Let's not forget his oh-so-convenient appearance after Tyler had been attacked at the Gates mansion." Wednesday added finally.

"If I am the monster, then why haven't I killed Monday or you?" Xavier asked.

"Because for some reason I cannot fathom or indulge, you seem to like her."

"What's to like?" Xavier said storming out. Monday wanted to go after him but stayed where she was .

"How long have you been lurking?" Monday asked Uncle Fester embarrassed.

"Long enough to feel the tension between you two. Yowza! Seriously, you could cut it with an executioner's axe."

Monday blushed but stopped when the three heard a rapid scrabbling.

"I'd recognize the patter of those fingertips anywhere." Fester said slowly "Hello, Thing."

Thing tapped the ground in a fast annoyed pattern.

"You can't still be mad about the Kalamazoo job. It wasn't my fault." Thing lunged at Fester and began to choke him.

Fester gurgled "You said you could crack that safe in 30 seconds. Five minutes later, we were still there. You're all thumbs." Fester pulled Thing of forcefully.

"Enough." Wednesday instructed. "Let him go. Show me the diary."

Fester pointed to a portrait on the wall "Here we are. Iggy was Faulkner's right hand. Trained a generation of Nightshades. And behind Iggy Itt..." Fester gestured to the safe.

"Do I have time for a snooze, or can you crack this quickly?" Thing was insulted by Festers comment and began to crack the safe it didn't open. Fester yawned "This is turning into a replay of Kalamazoo." He said.

Then the safe gave resounding click. They were in.