Wednesday's Week

Mourning the Due Woes

By the morning, the pain had subsided from stabbing to aching. I shifted on the nurse cot and winced. No amount of stretching on a torture rack would alieve  this.

The Nevermore nurse came up to me. She was a very short woman who kept to herself and only spoke to diagnose you and make you eat something. She handed me some pills, "You are okay to go now. Come back if the pain isn't going away or you feel anything new." And with that, I put on my own clothes and left.

Thing had disappeared. Probably off to Enid.

There would be no school today or competition. We would hold a memorial for the siren with the other schools and then they would depart.

The early morning sun rays stretched across the lonely stairs as I climbed them. Everyone would be slow this morning. Slow to put on their black mourning clothes. Slow to leave their warm rooms. Slow to meet the realities of the day.

My own realities knocked against my skull. I had a hidden Hyde on the school campus. The same one responsible for murdering people and a student. I didn't know what I wanted to do with him or what I should. There was still someone out there trying to kill students, or maybe just me.

The day didn't seem to care that it was supposed to be sad. The sun shone brightly and the birds chirped. I finally reached Ophelia hall and I hovered beside my door. It wouldn't be just Enid and I in there.

I didn't have to open the door. Thing did from the inside. They were all sitting on Enid's bed, dressed in black and looking somber. "His name was Corel and he wanted to help rehabilitate injured sea animals," Enid sniffled as she read about the deceased siren.

"And who says he isn't?" I asked as I moved to the dresser and reached for my brush. My hair was a mess.

Enid wiped her nose, "Not everyone can come back from the dead and be a ghost."

"You don't even know what death is, Enid. All we see is a decaying body." I brushed out my hair and then rebraided it. "Maybe it's just a doorway." Everyone is entitled to their own view of death. I personally believe in justified reincarnation.

I put on my simple black dress and pulled up my socks, "Let's go ladies." Yoko adjusted her arm sling and followed me. The rest fell in line.

Thing crawled into my backpack. His fingernails were painted black.

This wasn't a true funeral. The body wouldn't be laid to rest in the school's graveyard, but they were still putting up a headstone. The four schools gathered around and filled the whole little cemetery.

Eugene and Enid stood on either side of me, passing each other tissues. It was Professor Argyle who rolled up and gave the speech. "Corel was a strong and brave student at Salt's Cry. And when we release his sea foam back to the ocean, he will join the ever coming waves that shape our world."

The ceremony finished and the other schools boarded their buses. Xavier stepped beside me, "We won by a single point because you captured the beast."

"Bittersweet victory is the best kind," I replied.

He turned to me and put his hands together, "Tyler can't be here. He needs to go. Or else-"

"Or else?" I raised an eyebrow. "The next words out of your mouth better not be a threat, Xavier. Don't wage war with me."

He took a deep inhale. "Not everyone is against you! Sometimes people are trying to protect you from yourself." He stomped off.

Eugene passed me, shoulder checking me without even a small mumbled apology. He kept his eyes to the ground. I stepped in front of him, "Disclose what is bothering you." It's much better to get to the point then waste time guessing.

He frowned up at me. Eugene was mad. At me. I never knew he could be mad at me. "You are breaking hive code! You are keeping the very monster that almost killed me with my bees! I'm scared to visit my own bees in my own bee shed!"

"I didn't realize this would anger you so," I apologized. "I'll move him immediately."

Eugene's frown faded, "why don't you just send him back?" And he walked off too.

I couldn't go to Tyler without suspicion at the moment. I had to return to my dorm. Enid was helping the other girls move back into their dorm room. I stood at the window.

A section of the woods was burned down. It hadn't reached very far, but it had gotten to one side of the crypt. The venomous fire caused by the scorpion had picked and chosen different trees and a few living ones stood in the rubble.

A dark melodious song emanated from my desk. I turned to face the crystal ball. I had put a cloth over it so no one could spy on me. My parents were calling me. I pulled back the cloth.

My parents' faces appeared, "Wednesday, are you there?" My mother spoke frantically.

"Yes, stop fretting," I answered.

My father got closer, "My little two edged dagger, are you safe?"

"We will pick you up immediately-" my mother interrupted.

I put my hand up, "If I can't handle a little kidnapping or attempt at my life, I'll never prove myself to live in the real world."

"You have that school wrapped around your finger." My father responded proudly. "Top grades and top investigative work!"

My mother clasped her hands together, "You are putting our time at Nevermore to shame."

They were both silent for a moment and not kissing. Something was wrong. "I assume you've been in contact with Aunt Ophelia enough to know I was safe. Why did you really call?"

They looked at each other, "Pugsly has run away."

I rolled my eyes. "He's done so four times. Two less then me. Did you check his places?"

They held each other's hands, "He's been gone four days. No clues or riddles like you. We've scoured every inch of home. Even Uncle Fester can't find his scent."

Amateur parenting. Who didn't have a gps chip in their child these days? My father met my eyes, "You will tell us if he makes contact with you, right?" Unlike my father, I have a perfect poker face.

"I'll contact you immediately," I lied. "I have to go now." I swirled the Crystal ball until they disappeared and put the cloth back over it. Their equal obsession over each other sometimes resulted in a lack of attention to their children. But where they fell short, I never would.

From my desk, I pulled out a small black box with a screen on it. I chipped Pugsly. I looked at the small screen and the coordinates it was blinking at me. Pugsly was at the school.

My brother was in the bee shack.