Darkness at the Heart of My Love || Wenclair

Chapter 8: A New Mystery

I look at her with confusion. "W-What do you mean there's nothing on them?" I look at her even more confused. "I can clearly see the notes on the page, the only thing it's missing is the title." I point to the pages which I can see that have writing and notes on it. Morticia stares at me, more worried than mad. "Enid dear... These have been blank on the shelf for centuries. We never got rid of it because it was a family heirloom. Something that has been passed for decades. One of our Ancestors left it. But it was blank when we found it." She looks at me concerned but hands me the pages back. Could you possibly play it again?"

I look at her and take the pages. "S-sure I can" I say nervously and walk back over and place it on the stand. As I start to raise my violin the music disappears. I jump back a little and shake my head out of confusion. "Enid?" I hear Mrs Addams say. "It's... It's gone..." As I say those words, a title shows up on the page, which reads: A song, Only for a Lover. I look at Mrs Addams "The notes are gone... But it has a title." I pause. "It says: A Song, Only for a Lover".

Mrs Addams stares at me, then smiles. "Ah, I knew there was a reason we have kept that for all these years." She says smiling and comes over to me. "You are able to read and play it, however, the only one who is allowed to hear it is your lover, whoever that may be." She looks at the pages. "They are still blank for me. Did anything happen when you played it, because I didn't hear anything when you were playing?" She says. "I... Well.." I pause, remembering what I saw. 'I...It felt like there was an orchestra playing with me, then I saw a black rose, and I smelt the outside fresh air." I stop, not wanting to say I also smelt Wednesday. "Then I smelt a familiar scent but one I couldn't make out" I lie, knowing exactly who I smelt. "Interesting." She says as she begins to walk around the room. I stand awkwardly, watching her move around the room, gliding smoothly across the floor, not sure what to do. "Enid, feel free to keep those pages. I will do some more digging into who may have written them. In the meantime, if you have any visions while you play that piece, please feel free to come talk to me about them." She smiles softly and leaves the room. As the doors shut I look back at the sheet music. All the notes are there, and so is the title. I look for a composer but I can't find one, maybe it's also hidden. I decide not to practice anymore, seeing as it's almost time for breakfast. I pack up my violin and grab the sheet music, carefully so as to not crease them. I head back to my room and put everything away, placing the pages in a folder in my backpack. I wonder why only I can see the notes... I think to myself as I head down for breakfast.

After getting lost in a couple halls, I finally found the dining room. As I walk in, only Morticia and Gomez are sitting at the table. "Where's Wednesday?" I say as I sit down, a little uncomfortable that I am alone now with her parents. "I don't know, last I heard she was going to her room to work on her novel." Gomez says, not too concerned about Wednesday being missing from breakfast. Then again, this is Wednesday Addams we're talking about. She could be working on her novel, committing a murder, or grave digging. Or honestly all three at the same time.

"Enid has found something interesting while in the music hall" Morticia speaks up, breaking the awkward silence. I immediately feel my cheeks going red and I look down to try and hide my face. "Oh? What did the rainbow to our storm cloud find?" I blush even more at that sentence. Did...Did they think Wednesday and I were anything more than friends? Or are they saying we are friends? "Do you remember those old pages, the very old ones that we never got rid of, the blank ones, darling?" Gomez pauses and thinks for a moment before his eyes light up a little. "Ah! The ones that we were gifted, randomly in the mail?" He says, intrigued. "Precisely" Morticia says.

"Yes. We received a packet in the mail, addressed to this house. But the return address was missing and the name on it was one we were unaware of. I think I may still have it." Gomez says as he stands up and leaves the room. I am still looking down at my full plate, my cheeks still bright red as a tomato from not understanding what Mr. Addams meant by "I am the rainbow to their storm cloud." After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, the feeling of Morticia staring at me, wanting to ask why I am just looking down and red in the face, Mr Addams returns and places the packet on the center of the table.

It's an old brown envelope. The return address ripped off and the label read:

The Addams Family Mansion, ATTN:          S. Addams.

"There's an odd spacing between the ATTN:, the S. and the Addams last name. As if someone's first name was supposed to be there" I point out, knowing they can read and see it but at the same time, I finally get to have a little puzzle of my own to solve! A lot less complicated than Wednesday and the Hyde situation, but I am interested in why I am able to read the sheet music while others can't. Seeing as this is my first time to the Addams' family house?- castle?- mansion?

I stare at the envelope, wondering who it could be addressed to. "May I keep this? I have the sheet music and maybe I can find some hints for something as to who sent it or who it's for!" I say excitedly. I can see why Wednesday likes to try and solve mysteries. "Sounds good to me," Gomez says. I thank him and finish up breakfast and grab the envelope and run up to my room.

I enter my room and sit at the little desk and hold the envelope in my hands but before I can examine it Thing crawls onto my desk.

"Oh! Hello Thing!" I say as I slide the envelope into my bag with the sheet music. I pay attention closely as Thing signs, making sure I can understand what he's saying. "Wednesday needs some help in the Cemetery"

"Oh, I'll be right there then! Let me just grab my sweater and if you wouldn't mind leading me that would be great!" I say excitedly as I quickly grab my sweater and follow Thing down the hall. I follow Thing closely, not really wanting to get lost, especially if Wednesday needs my help. She rarely ever asks for it. Thing leads me down a long, dimly lit hallway and finally to a door that leads to the outside. I open the door and smell the fresh air, the smells of decaying flowers... I pause, thinking back to the dream I had when I was playing my violin earlier. I shake that memory from my head as I feel Thing tugging on my pant leg. I smile and follow him as he leads me to the cemetery. I usually am grossed out by stepping foot into graveyards, the only time I can usually handle it is when I go to a funeral, but that's just because I am usually too emotional to care. I continue to follow him until I come to a hole in the ground. I stare at the perfect rectangular hole and I look down to see Wednesday standing there shovel in hand.

"You okay Wednesday? Thing said you needed help!" I say slightly concerned. "Well. I was caught up in thought and didn't realize how deep I actually dug it. I could just dig my way out, but then it wouldn't be perfect." She says admiring her work with those dark brown eyes of hers. "I told Thing I didn't need or want help. I would gladly lay here and wait for someone to bury me alive." I smile as I look down at her as I sit on my knees at the edge of the hole and lean over to offer her my hand. "Here Wens! Take my hand and I'll help you up" She reluctantly thinks about taking my hand, turning her head away from me slightly. Is...Is she blushing? Is she blushing because she has to or wants to hold my hand?!  No... She's probably just embarrassed by receiving help from me... Those thoughts are quickly erased when a cold hand grabs mine, and I immediately help Wednesday as she climbs out of the hole. She stands up and I start to stand up as well, brushing the dirt of my jeans.

"You didn't need to help me Enid. I could've gotten out myself." Wednesday says, barely looking at me, her gaze soft. "It's okay! That's what friends are for!" I say happily. "Why don't you go inside Enid, my mother is in the greenhouse, she wants to see you. I'll clean up out here" She says, her voice is even softening too. Normally, I would offer to help, but I love plants and have been itching to see the greenhouse since I arrived. I give Wednesday a quick side hug and skip off to find the greenhouse.

"Not. A. Word." Wednesday says to Thing, Enid finally out of view.