All For Not - Wednesday

Page 54

Days had passed quickly and time with it went by even quicker making me lose my mind slowly but surely. Wednesday snapping at me for looking at her this morning was not a preferred encounter, in fact it left us quite agitated with each other making the situation rather unimpressive.

"Sorry." My head turned to the left at the sound of the door opening, "I didn't mean to interrupt your..." She was quick to try and close it but by then all of the candles flickered out and Wednesday stood from the circle, "uh, do I even want to know?"

"I was reaching into the black maw of death to contact a relative." Enid looked towards me and I gave her a nod, looking back at my book to try and ignore the situation, the lingering smoke poking at me enticingly, "feels very on-brand for you. You have a relative named Goody?"

"She was one of the original outcasts. Been attempting to summon her, but she seems to be ignoring my entreaties." I could scoff at her words if I was petty enough, if you're to contact the deceased you always leave offerings, something she is not in tune with.

"Oh, you thought about using one of my scented candles? The aroma of steak tartare is to die for." My brows furrowed at the comment, it wasn't a lie in the slightest, the candle had quite a delicious aroma indeed and the flame wasn't too bad either, the smoke however left a different kind of soot that I never particularly liked like burning bleached cotton.

My hair shook to the side at the sound of paper sliding on the floor, my head twisting, turned to see something halfway beneath the door as rushed footsteps took off down the corridor, "maybe Goody answered you after all."

"I doubt she communicates in magazine cutouts." Standing from my seat I set down my book, taking long strides across the floor to reach them. My shoes stomped across the floor making their heads turn to me, Wednesday turning away first to grab her bag, "are we gonna go?"

"I'm going alone," my brows knitted together at her words, "wait, how about we come with you," I frowned at Enid's offer, turning to sit back down but then my hand was grabbed and I was drug along, out of our room and out of the school just so I could be dragged into the woods with a scowl permanently etched into my face.

Enid flinched, her claws stretching out from her fingers suddenly, "you insisted on coming along. I was fine on my own."

"Seems like our wannabe dееp thrоat is already here." my brow raised as we approached the opened mausoleum, "ew. What died?" I took a deep inhale and sighed in a form of relief at the smell, "smells like childhood."

"Come on." Enid whimpered, whispering as she peeked around us repeatedly, "second thoughts. Why don't I just stay out here? You know, as a lookout." I grabbed her shoulder pushing her before me so we could enter as soon as she whimpered once again, "Enid?"

Wednesday turned to us as we walked inside, her flashlight shining on our faces, Enid shying away as I looked into the brightness to glare at my sister. Suddenly we all whipped our heads to the darker surroundings at the sound of a cough echoing through the space, "whoever you are, show yourself."

"Try anything and you'll lose limbs." I stepped closer to Enid's front but she began to smile brightly and moved forward to circle Wednesday as more people appeared, "Surprise!"

I frowned as laughter ensued along with awfully out of tune singing, " Happy birthday to you - Happy birthday to you - Happy birthday, dear Wednesday - Happy birthday to you..."

Thing appeared with a hat on his stump, a pointed, purple shining one much to my displeasure, "I should have known you were behind this." He looked ashamed of himself but still less disheartened than he usually was with the way Wednesday speaks to him, "what part of 'no party under the penalty of death' do you not understand?"

"I thought my cake design was pretty inspired." My face relaxed back into my glower at the sight of everything, and everyone who was here, "the pink balloon was my little touch." Enid was however very happy, "why don't you make a wish?"

"Wait, it's Latin. Fire will rain... when I rise." I frowned, watching as Thing crawled up to where Wednesday skirted off too, ignoring the whole surprise party for her, "that's not really a wish." I sighed, completely past the point of being ready to leave, but not doing so yet, "the first part of that was burned onto Nevermore's lawn. It can't be a coincidence."

"Wait, we're never eating that cake, are we?" I eyed the gorgon as he stood with a frowning, confused face, "not if you wait on her."

We watched as she fell backwards from touching the wall, "Wednesday?!" I sighed, pointedly speaking to the group, "don't touch her, it won't help."

They looked between me and Wednesday, each of them confused and worried, "If you had bothered to ask, however thoughtful, you would all know that she prefers muffins with blueberries, she hasn't eaten cake in three years."

Enid scoffed looking over at her five fingered companion who sat sheepishly looking around with his wrist, "Thing said she loved cake," I disagreed, "Thing, prefers making cake over muffins, he most likely thought he would be making it. Don't feel bad about the misinformation, eat the cake or it will go to waste, it's never a guarantee she'll eat either dishes."

I turned and looked back at Enid, "do not invite me out again to such an occasion, unless death is a probable incident."

"Then you must inform me at all costs," she whimpered as I started walking, "wait you're already leaving?" I grunted moving towards the door, "what do we do with Wednesday?"

"Don't touch her, she's busy..."

"But I was hoping you'd tell me what you want for your birthday? After all this," she gestured to her surroundings with a grimace before whimpering, I sighed in aggravation as I spoke to her, "do not bother with such frivolous tasks Enid..."

Her huff of annoyance did nothing to deter me as I turned back to her, intent on stopping her ideas, Xaviers words however making all of my motions stop in their tracks, "oh wait, don't tell us. Let me guess, you also hate birthdays," I paused at his tone.

Taking a small step forward at the sudden aggressiveness, I spoke in monotone glaring at him as he returned the action, "if you have an issue with me as of late, then speak your mind, lest it rot and fester amongst the cobwebs."

"Wait, does anyone even know when her birthday is?" I eyed the gorgon and they all looked at me, Xavier starting to fume, "no, but Thing does... Unless, Morella tells us, please it'll be super fun," I frowned at the wolf once more with a heavy sigh from my nostrils, Thing suddenly saddened and quiet at the mention, "why would I tell you such a pointless thing?"

"It's not pointless it's your birthday," Kents soft voice had me peering at him for a moment before Enid blurted out her private thought's, "and because I'm your best friend, so I'm inclined to know about important events pertaining to you! So, come on! Spill it."

"I'm afraid you have somehow lost me, what does the day of my birth have to do with our relations with each other?"

I paused at the look on her face, she was more than likely grossed out, "well don't put it like that, that makes our friendship sound creepy," Xavier spoke up quickly with his brows furrowed in confusion, "why are you being so stubborn? If you don't like your birthday just say so."

His attitude as of late was prickling my feathers trying to pull them from my skin, "it's not something to celebrate," I narrowed my eyes at him before twisting on my heel to leave, "it's a day of mourning."

"Besides you are twelve and a half days too late," I left, walking from the mausoleum with a relaxed expression and no tenseness in my shoulders for once in the short while it had been since receiving that journal.