Hold me closer Shadowmancer [On Hold]

Chapter 1: Woe's investigations & a whisp of Shadow

Dead of Night; in the middle of the woods.

Sometime after Wednesday Addams reported Rowan's attack, the ambient sounds of people and dogs searching for the monster, or Rowan's missing body are heard as Jericho's deputy approaches sheriff Galpin.

Deputy: "We've been searching for hours, Sheriff. The dogs need a break. Think we missed something?" The Sheriff responds immediately "I say we double back, sweep Collet Creek, and then call it a night."

"Okay." The deputy responds tiredly.

The next morning; Nevermore academy.

A bright morning with blue skies, Wednesday, Sheriff Galpin, and Principal Weems have just entered the main building from the grounds of Nevermore.

"How could you miss a dead body?" Wednesday asked incredulously." " 'Cause it wasn't there." Sheriff Galpin replied. "No footprints, no blood, no sign of a struggle. Nothing, nada. My search party looked all night." He finished with an edge of agitation. "Well, your search party must have left their seeing-eye dogs at home." Wednesday retorted. "I saw that monster kill Rowan right in front of me." Wednesday said somberly. "Get a good look at this monster thing?" the sheriff asked as they were making their way up the stairs to Principle Weems office. "It didn't stick around for a chat." Wednesday responded sarcastically.

"Maybe it was one of your classmates." The sheriff suggested. "Sheriff, I find that question offensive." Principal Weems interjected. "I don't care, 'cause I got three other dead bodies in the morgue. Hikers just ripped apart in the woods." The sheriff says, revealing that he believes that those murders were committed by the same suspect. "The mayor said those were bear attacks." Principal Weems says, slightly confused. "Well, the mayor and I disagree on that." Sheriff Galpin replies. "So you automatically assume a Nevermore student is the murderer, even though there's no evidence a crime was even committed?" Principal Weems asks. "I'm sorry. I forgot, you only teach the good outcasts here, right?" the sheriff says, condescendingly. Principal Weems sighs, before the trio then enter her office.

She continues the conversation, saying "My guess is Rowan ran away. State troopers have put out an alert, and I've contacted his family, but they haven't heard from him either." "Dead people are notoriously bad at returning calls." Wednesday says, only somewhat jokingly. "What were you doing out in the woods with him, Ms. Addams?" The sheriff inquires. "I heard a noise in the forest and went to go investigate. That's when I stumbled upon the attack." Wednesday says, lying through her teeth. "Then what happened?" Sheriff Galpin asked next. "Then I ran into Bianca Barclay, and I told her to go for help. Next thing I remember, I was awaking in my dorm." "And just to be clear, this monster wasn't a bear or some other wild animal?" Sheriff Galpin clarified. "I've hibernated with grizzlies. I know the difference." Wednesday said.

Principal Weems stands up from her chair. "Thank you, Sheriff. I think Miss Addams is done now." Wednesday speaks up. "Actually, I would like to speak to Sheriff Galpin. Alone." Sheriff Galpin turns and looks at Wednesday, surprised. "I'm not sure I can allow that." Principal Weems says. Sheriff Galpin interjects. "I'm sure I could take her to the station and get a formal statement." Sheriff Galpin pauses, thinking. "Yeah, let's go." He decides, halfway getting up from his chair. "Fine." Principal Weems concedes, albeit begrudgingly. "You have five minutes, and everything is off the record. Play nice... or I will call the mayor."

Principal Weems leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Immediately Wednesday starts talking. "Someone is trying to cover up Rowan's murder. That's the only reason to scrub the crime scene." "Is that your professional opinion as the daughter of a murderer?" The Sheriff asks condescendingly. "My father's twice the man you are, and the only thing he murders is the occasional opera in the shower." Wednesday responds. "It's been a long night. I'm tired of your games." "I'm not playing games. I'm telling the truth." Wednesday says. "You want to reject my claims but you can't." "Why is that?" The sheriff asks. "Because you and I both know there's a monster out there." Wednesday pauses for a moment. "And Rowan is his latest victim."

"Sheriff?" the deputy says, standing on the threshold of the room. "What?" he asks. "You're gonna want to see this." Stepping aside, and opening the other door, she reveals to Wednesday and the Sheriff that none other than Rowan is standing on the other side of the now fully open double doors. With a look of confusion on her face, wednesday thinks to herself:

Wednesday: Edgar Allan Poe said, "Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see." Clearly Nevermore's most famous alumni picked that up here. No wonder he became a drug madman.

Later; Principal Weems' office.

After Sheriff Galpin left Nevermore's grounds, and Wednesday left to go to her court-ordered therapy session, Principal Weems returned to her office.

As Principal Weems sat down at her desk, she picked up a note that she had left in the middle of the largest available space on her desk. It was a bright yellow sticky note that had been folded over onto itself. As she opened it to check its contents, a great grin became affixed to her face. That's right, she thought, He's supposed to arrive tomorrow. "It'll be good to have one of theirs back at nevermore, these halls haven't seen any of their talents in at least a century." she finished her thought aloud. But As she was putting the sticky note down, her mind came back to Wednesday Addams. That girl just kept poking her nose where it ought not be. And then, she had a horrible thought, and for a moment, her face donned a mask of true fear. What if Wednesday brought the boy over to her side. Why, with how much she snoops around now, it would be far worse if she were to convince a Shadowmancer to help her. changing back to an expression of indifference, she reached over to the left side of her desk.

Principal Weems picked up the Shadowmancers file, where at the top of the document she saw his name, age, and a picture of him in his uniform. 

It read:

Yenneric Albert Umbran

Age: 17