All For Not

Page 80

"Uncle Fester?" I looked to my side, at the person in question before looking back at the two teens in the middle of the room as Xavier walked towards Wednesday, confusing her as Fester and I stayed hidden, "what are you doing here?"

"Since I'm an actual Nightshade, I don't have to explain myself. What's your excuse for creeping around in the middle of the night?" Xavier had a scowl on his face as Wednesday answered, "Research."

"On the monster? I'll save you some time, there's nothing in here matching that thing." She queried her head at his words, speaking with accusation in her tone, "isn't that convenient?" He frowned, stepping closer to my sister, "you know what your problem is?" She was very sarcastic tonight, "I would love to hear your piercing insight."

"You don't know who your real friends are, I've been on your side since day one. I literally saved your life, I believed your theories when nobody else did and what do I get in return? Just nothing but suspicion and lies."

"Fine. You want honesty?" He nodded exasperatedly, flopping his hands down onto his sides, "here it is. Every time the monster's attacked, you've been right there. Starting with Rowan at the Harvest Festival. Then on Outreach Day, you arrived just minutes after the monster disappeared, yet you say you didn't see it."

"I didn't realize proximity was a crime, and the harvest festival? At least I have an alibi no one saw you at all, I was with your sister the whole night, even principal Weems saw us together..." Uncle Fester turned to me, a cheshire grin on his face as he lifted his hands preparing to spark the air before I pushed them down, ignoring him, "then there's your drawing obsession, you have drawn the monster dozens of times, yet you've never seen it or so you claim. You even drew where it lived, then when Eugene went to investigate, you tried to kill him so he wouldn't spill your secret."

"You think I would hurt Eugene?" Xavier seemed shocked at the accusation, disturbed at the thought of hurting the other boy as she continued talking, "let's not forget your oh-so-convenient appearance after Tyler had been attacked at the Gates mansion."

"If I am the monster, then why haven't I killed you?" I frowned at all of this, becoming increasingly annoyed with having to stay in the shadows and watch, "because for some reason I cannot fathom or indulge, you seem to like me." My eye twitched, and I watched him walk past her, leaving, "what's to like?"

We waited till he was completely gone, Wednesday turning her back to us to watch him leave, The stone doorway closes above and we drop down from the ceiling shadows, "How long have you been lurking?"

"Long enough to feel the tension between you two. Yowza! Seriously, you could cut it with an executioner's axe." I ignored his words to watch as she turned around to face us, "What are you doing here?"

"Well I-" She interrupted him quickly, "not you, her."

"Oh, I figured it's been a while since we've trapezed through the shadows...Nothing like a good mission to make sure she's all healthy again." She frowned heavily as I smirked almost aggressively, "it's not like I can use thermometers after all, sister..."

Rapid scrabbling of thumps appear from behind us, "I'd recognize the patter of those fingertips anywhere. Hello, Thing." Fester turns in a jump, laughing excitedly as he smiles at Thing who starts angrily tapping, "you can't still be mad about the Kalamazoo job. It wasn't my fault." Thing practically leaps through the air, grabbing Fester by the throat and strangling him.

Fester gurgles and speaks as much as he can through the grip on his pipes, "you said you could crack that safe in 30 seconds, five minutes later, we were still there, you're all thumbs". My smile starts to grow wide at the display, each of us having fun, except Wednesday of course, "Enough."

We each pause, turning to look at her, "let him go. Show me the diary." They moved quickly, Fester looking at the picture of cousin Itt's ancestor, "here we are. Iggy was Faulkner's right hand. Trained a generation of Nightshades. And behind Iggy Itt..."

We watched as he pulled the picture from the wall, unveiling the safe inside the wall, a built-in hidden nook, "do I have time for a snooze, or can you crack this quickly?" he turned as Thin jumped for the safe, looking back as if to glare before fixing his fingers to the turning dial, working it slowly.

"This is turning into a replay of Kalamazoo." The safe opens thanks to Thing and Fester grumbles.

"All right, now move out of the way..."