Wednesday

Chapter 5: When I Rise

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Wednesday inhaled groggily, as he awoke from his unconscious state. He slowly took in his surroundings, and noticed that he was in Crackstone's Crypt, and his hands were cuffed and he was hanging from a hook that connected to the ceiling.

Candles were lit all around the crypt, and the light from the blood moon shone in from the ceiling. He looked in front of him and saw Tyler slowly approaching him, and he seethed with anger.

"Kind of a dejà vu thing we got going on, huh?" He mocked.

"Except I won't cry and whine like a child." Wednesday retorted.

"Tyler, go wait by the boat." Laurel ordered.

"Yes. Listen to your master and be a good little Hyde." Wednesday taunted.

Tyler sighed in frustration but left, bumping into Wednesday as he did so.

"I have to admit...that shape-shifting stunt with Weems almost worked. But as my father always said, 'If you want to outsmart an outcast, you gotta out-think 'em.'" She laughed.

Laurel had all the body parts she had taken surrounding Crackstone's coffin. They were sitting in jars of liquid and she was placing electrical devices on top of them.

"You know, we have roots that go all the way back to Joseph Crackstone." Laurel bragged.

"So you come from a line of psychotic killers too."

"Joseph Crackstone was a visionary, dedicated to protecting normies from outcasts until his life was cut short by your ancestor, Gabriel Addams." She snapped. "And then to add insult to injury, they stole his land to build that abomination of a school!"

Wednesday silently watched as she continued to work.

"But, throughout the centuries, my family has remained committed to Crackstone's mission. My brother died serving that cause. I decided to take a different approach. The supernatural."

Wednesday looked around at all the body parts that had been collected and realized what her plan was.

"Tyler's been collecting these body parts to resurrect Crackstone."

Laurel nodded. "The one man who nearly succeeded in eradicating the outcasts."

"You can't wake the dead." Wednesday told her. "Believe me, I've tried."

Laurel turned to him, holding up a black book. "I believe your ancestor Gabriel Addams would disagree."

Wednesday's eyes widened. "Gabriel's Book of Shadows. You're the one that stole the original from Pilgrim World."

"It wasn't enough for Gabriel to kill Crackstone. He had to curse his soul too."

"What does all of this have to do with me?" Wednesday asked.

"My dear Wednesday, you are the key. Your arrival at Nevermore set the chubby wheels of my plan in motion. Gabriel sealed Crackstone in his sarcophagus with a blood lock. Only one of his direct descendants can open it."

Wednesday thought back to his first meeting with Gabriel at the Poe Cup, when he called him the key.

"A living descendant on the night of a blood moon. So...I bided my time, and I made you feel special until you were ready to be sacrificed."

Laurel smiled sinisterly.

...

In the back of a police car, Xavier was struggling against his restraints.

"Damn it." He swore.

"Quiet!" Sheriff Galpin snapped. He had just gotten a call. "Santiago, what's up?"

"Sir, we got a situation. Eugene Ottinger' Amin just called, frantic. Something's going on at Nevermore."

"Get a couple cars over there, ASAP." He ordered.

"That's just it, I can't. The tires on all the squad cars have been slashed. Every damn one."

"Alright, I'm on my way." The sheriff made a quick U-turn and started speeding back to Nevermore.

...

Laurel grunted as she dragged Wednesday's body towards Crackstone's sarcophagus. She grabbed a knife and cut Wednesday's palm, making him wince, and stuck it to the lock which was shaped like circle and had a picture of a ship and Joseph Crackstone's name on it.

The lock glowed a bright red, and burned Wednesday's had. He grunted in pain, and managed to pry his hand off the lock, and tumble into the floor.

Laurel smiled smugly, and dragged him away from the coffin and shoved him against the wall. She then grabbed the Book of Shadows and opened it to a page and started chanting an incantation in Latin.

While Laurel was busy chanting, Wednesday reached his hand into his shoe, and pulled out a hidden switch blade. He then began to pick the lock on his handcuffs.

Laurel finished the incantation and waited with baited breath as thunder began to boom, and the body parts all began to glow. Symbols were illuminated on the ground around his coffin, and lightening sparked from the lock, and spread to each of the electrical devices on the jars of the body parts.

Black smoke leaked from the sarcophagus and swirled around and around. When it cleared, Joseph Crackstone was standing there, looking very zombie-like, holding his cane.

Laurel smiled proudly and stared at Crackstone  in awe.

"I am of your blood." She announced to him. "I have summons you to rid the world of outcasts once and for all!"

Crackstone stared at her and held out his hand that had a ring on it. Laurel rushed forward and kissed it.

"My vengeance will be swift and true." Crackstone said, with a gravelly voice.

Wednesday managed to pick the lock on his handcuffs, and he stood up. "As will mine."

Joseph Crackstone turned to him and pointed his staff at Wednesday. Magic flowed through it, and it pinned Wednesday to his spot.

"Gabriel Addams. You haunt me still. You will suffer the same fate you bequeathed me. As will your beloved."

Joseph Crackstone took out a knife and stabbed Wednesday in the stomach.

"Now burn in the eternal fires of hell. Where you belong." Crackstone hissed, as he twisted the blade.

Joseph Crackstone and Laurel walked past him as Wednesday fell back and slid down the wall.

"Sweet dreams Wednesday!" Laurel called as she and Crackstone exited the crypt, leaving Wednesday to die.

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