You Have Never Scared Me

The Secret of Thorpe

 "Oh my fucking god," I said. Enid looked at me, concerned, before I went on and she realized that it was about Xavier's dad. The color was draining steadily from his face, his eyes wide as the moon, and he had frozen, one hand clenched on the list and turning paler and the other balled into a fist on the arm of his chair, his mind obviously rushing so much he didn't realize that his knuckles were turning white and he was trembling.

 "Xavier," said Kent, moving closer to his friend to comfort him. "Okay. Wednesday, rattle off the list of things we know about this man, and we'll see if it fits what Xavier knows about his dad. It will be okay. We can stand up to him." Xavier nodded. 

 "Middle-aged man. Tall. Long coat, top hat. Sounds slightly creaky, an edge to his voice, but otherwise sounds... exactly like you. That's why it sounded familiar! Okay. Lots of money, and a want for more land. Brooding about building another mansion. Thinks you're a disappointment and wants to disown you to replace you with someone he can use for more land. A powerful Seer." That was all I could remember, but it was enough.

 "That's him," said Xavier. The color was pouring back into his face-very red. "Oh I am so damn mad. He always said I was a disappointment, and he was always greedy like that. But he was also a powerful Seer, and always talked about how it could drive you insane. I told you this. I also told you that he thought I was a problem he needed to manage... oh my fucking god is right." 

 "Recap so I can understand," Enid said. I instinctively obeyed her.

 "Vincent Thorpe, Xavier's father, is a skilled Seer. He wants more land, and fast, so he can build more mansions with all his richness. He decided to work with Rowan, and he says he will disown you and take Rowan in instead if Rowan helps him. He wants Rowan to use his telekinesis to spy. And Rowan is helping him because he saved Rowan after the Hyde got him in my vision. So he agreed to help, and uses his power to get pictures of me and haunt me, and Thorpe is using them to get in my head and try to lure me away from here so they can attack and take the land. But if I can control my feelings I can control my sea, so I need to figure out how to block out the visions."

 "All right. Then we all need to stop doing other things and spend every day in here, and research as much as we can. At least two hours a day, and we have to figure out how a Seer can block her visions," said Bianca. She said something else, too, after this, but unfortunately I didn't hear that part. This was mostly because my head snapped up again, my arms bound to my sides, as I straightened like a board and fell literally flat on my face. 

 I saw a sunset, and the two figures silhouetted against it. "Rowan. Your help has been very good. You are sure of what you saw?" said Thorpe. "Of what you heard?" Rowan nodded. "We finally have the weapon we needed, the last piece of the puzzle," Thorpe said gleefully. "I will show her a false vision of her friends in danger to spark her. She will run off to protect them, and leave Nevermore for us! Excellent. And the only way she can ever be at peace again is if she find the love who can calm her feelings. And no one will ever love Wednesday Addams. All right. I shall induce this torture to her while hidden safely in the crypt. You have been useful, Rowan... we are much alike. Xavier's mother is dead, so is yours. Your father was a hiker killed by the Hyde the day Addams arrived at Nevermore. I shall take you in. We will kill her... together." 

 "I do owe you," Rowan responded. "You saved me after the Hyde got me. Although I wish I had just finished her off then... however. Thank you for reviving me. Even if it was to use me later, it meant that I still lived-and served a noble purpose. I will be your son. I will be Rowan Thorpe."

 I woke up on one of the low reading tables. Enid was crouched beside me, cupping my face, the tips of her fingers in my hair. She looked... incredibly worried for me. I never blinked, of course, so she didn't know whether I was awake or not; I reached up and laid my hands over hers to let her know I was awake. She sighed in relief and stepped back, knowing I needed space. I sat up; everyone was watching me nervously.