"You recognize the place?" I said eagerly to Eugene while I held really close the drawing in front of hid face.
He stumbled back to the wall of the shack, his hands against the wood while her stammered trying to find his voice.
"I- I mean I kinda saw a cave with a s-similar pattern!" He responded fast while looking away of the drawing.
"Huh." Wednesday hummed while she sat on a nearby wooden chair, not being involved in the case of my interrogation towards bee boy.
"Should we see?" I asked to Wednesday while finally pulling away from Eugene, who finally seemed to finally find his breath.
"Show us where it is." Wednesday said.
And like that we three started dwelving into the forest,silence filling the air, only the brushing leaves and tree branches filling the emptyness inside our heads, but surely it had to end somehow.
"So guys, are you going to the Rave'N?" Eugene asked looking up at Wednesday and me.
I tilted my head confused while I pointed at myself.
"What's a Rave'N?"
"A dance where everyone gets to show away their desire for attention in a tight crowd where everyone pushes into each other." Wednesday responded sarcastically,still looking only at the path, not even an ounce of attention.
"So a party, but aren't those supposed to you know, going with a couple?" I asked to Eugene.
"..." He didn't say nothing but stared at Wednesday and then at me, his intention clear.
"Ah-"
"Don't." Wednesday cut my realization sound with a sharp tone, this time stopping her wondering eyes towards mine.
"We're not going to be paired inside a teenager mix of mindless drinking and dancing into eachother for no reason at all." Wednesday said stopping any sense of retort, but the fact that she said 'we' hinting me that there's a crack on the ice wall that her mind has.
"Unless we can use it to cut suspects." I said to Wednesday, a silver tongue that only activates whenever I'm with her cautiously moving again.
"What are you two talking about?" Eugene asked confused while he only watches the pair exchange thoughts.
"Think of it Wednesday, what if we go into to party, then go into the woods to 'investigate' and we'll maybe we get something, but the real reason would be to notice who follows or dissappear of the party once we go." I said already making a plan, plan that suspiciously seemed to only benefit the idea of going out with her, either into the woods or into a dance.
"And who can have eyes that see inside the party." Wednesday said looking at Eugene, but quickly as a burst of energy the idea faded away by further thoughts.
"But I'm not going..." Eugene responded shyly.
"And Enid would be too occupied finding a hiding spot to kiss the gorgon." Wednesday responded brushing off that idea too.
"What!?" Eugene asked surprised,maybe annoyed about finding out his crush is with someone else, but neither Wednesday or me cared about his uncorresponded feelings.
"Hmmm who could help us..." I thought with a hand on my chin.
Wait.
On my chin.
A hand.
A hand on my chin.
"My ma- I mean! My hand!" I said getting my hand inside Wednesday backpack and pulling out a half sleeping half startled Thing.
"He can!" I said holding Thing up in the air like if he was a lion cub.
"Well, we have it sorted it out." Wednesday responded with a flat tone, the idea of going with me wasn't repulsive remotely, she already admitted that between all the people in Nevermore, Dante and Enid were really annoying, yet she found herself dragged into complying with them.
"Yeah now I only need to find a clothing that would make me look amazingly hot and still ready to fight a monster in the woods..." I joked, my voice only coming in short spans thanks to the hand trying to choke me, effectively ineffective.
"Let him go Thing, I'm sure it's useless, cut his throat and he'll find a way to talk using only his lungs and neck contractions." Wednesday said looking at the poor hand who only seemed disappointed in not being able to cause any damage.
"Guys we're close." Eugene raised his voice, making everyone get their eyes/wrist off eachother to finally look in front of themselves,the cavern with a circular motion going in deep circles down and down like some sort of optical illusion.
Wednesday got the drawing from her pocket raising it to the cavern, the shape matching exactly how it looked.
"Yes, this is our place." Wednesday said taking steps fowards from the group.
"Eugene keep an eye out for anyone coming, scream in panic and I'll have the cocky meatshield jump to save you." Wednesday said before dwelving down the cavern.
"Yeah what the woman said..." I said patting Eugene in back twice before going into the darkness, Thing going from my elbow to his back, staying just on his shoulder.
"Yeah don't worry about me guys..." Eugene whispered while I disappeared inside the cavern.
"I have the feeling this is the place they'd kiss..." Eugene whispered towards Thing who just made an agreement nod with his index finger.
"Wednesday?" I asked while my irises quickly retracted into themselves, letting me watch with much more detail inside.
"Look at this." Wednesday said making me just jump down, the sound of some ribs breaking echoing inside the place while Wednesday had something in front of my face.
"It's a claw from the monster, and solid evidence that I'm not paranoid." She said as I grabbed the thing.
I stared at it while I pased my thumb over it, even when my analysis didn't find anything clearly important, a mixture of keratin all around, and a bit of bone inside, which surely meant that when it came it it was painful.
"Hmmm..." Wednesday made me look up with a small sound, making me notice in the wall, chains which were for wrists, and claw marks around the whole place.
"What did you get from the claw?" Wednesday asked.
"Well keratin certainly has traceable DNA, it doesn't match Xavier and neither anyone I've analyzed so far, but I can notice a hint between normie and whatever the monster outcast species is..." I said holding the claw to my face.
"So it can only be someone mixed, who has shown signs of being able to transform at will." Wednesday said, but I wasn't sure of the last one.
"I don't think it's by will..." I said touching the shackles.
"It looks like whoever the monster is tried keeping itself trapped but failed at the task..."
"It's not stupid to assume the person may become irrational when transformed, but that wouldn't match the precision of the victims losing exactly only one part." She responded to me with a counter theory, but now it just seemed that both were correct and incorrect.
"Maybe they were induced..." I said, my mind catching glimpses that I didn't want to go.
"Force in what matter?"
"Forced to transform. Pushed them over the edge until they couldn't hold it, then use the monster bloodlust to kill without even needing to be there..."
Wednesday looked at me surprised, the whole idea making sense, a creature that only appears when pushed to an edge like a response to trauma, and then someone harvest what they want from the victim.
"That would mean that the removal of body parts isn't just a killer trademark but something for a bigger scheme." Wednesday said complementing my idea.
"Exacly..." I whispered while putting the claw inside Wednesday backpack, somehow this whole interaction felt really good, her analitic side when not pushed into a rush working really well.
"Let's get along with the Rave'N, that leads us with either the shapeshifter is the person controlling the monster or is working with the person who does..." Wednesday said making up her mind about the party.
She turned around seeing my grinding face like an idiot and the only that left her mouth was a disinterested huff before her feet kept going to the exit.
"How does someone like you end up so cheerful..." She whispered before going out to the exit.
...
...
...
"You think so?" I said watching at the black dress inside the antique shop, Thing excitedly telling me how he also gave Morticia her dress for the Rave'N, and how this was almost traditional, and now it was turn for Wednesday.
"Strangely it seems like her size..." I already knew it was, my power of analysis may have intentionally slipped more than one time to br faster in any case of needing to heal her, subsequently knowing things like even the size of her lungs(left one is smaller, and her heart isn't actually black).
Thing asked me if I had the money in me while making a gesture sliding his thumb over the index and middle finger.
"Of course I do! You think I just landed all the charity in the world to get my personalized uniform?" I said entering the shop.
And 5 minutes later left with a box.
"Promise me to give it to her." I said raising the box in my left hand.
He only raised in pinky finger, and after we locked together I gave him the box, which he started pushing.
'I was going to drop him closer but okay...'
...
...
...
"Don't I look terrifying..." I whispered to the mirror, admiring the work of rushing through shops finding every piece of clothing I needed to pull this one, and even harder to then have it my size, but miraculously I did.
I stared at myself, the full on yharham hunter's set from bloodborne in front of me, on me, only downside that I couldn't find the cap, but I don't think they're allowed into the party.
"Yeah dude so great now stop looking so happy about yourself and hurry because it's like 10 minutes before we got to go..." Ajax said tying his shoes laces, his hushed voice not able to bring me out of my self admiration.
"And it was said clearly to everyone white is the matching color for the place, why even black?"
"White is like water, it's there, it's important but so bland I wouldn't care if it's gone..."
"It's the only reason we li-!" Ajax cut himself realizing he's speaking to the only creature that doesn't need water.
"Ok Ajax pull yourself up, the confidence boost this shit gives me is amazing..." I said pulling him the shoulder as I opened the door.
We started going on the hall, both of us ready to go for our pairs in the Rave'N, and halfway through, the unaware gorgon and the so self-indulged inmortal realized something.
"Who first?" Both said to eachother.
"I mean it'd be weird if I don't show up first no?" Ajax said.
"Hmm yeah probably Enid would go crazy watching Wednesday leave before her." I said with a hand on my chin.
"Ok I'm first then..."
...
...
...
"Enid." Ajax said, his voice cut by straight jump he recieved from Enid, even while holding back, the affection was a hurtful one while Ajax could only halfway return the hug.
I only peeked from the corner of the hall,not wanting to be an interruption while they greeted one to the other with joyful voices.
Only after they started walking away from the door was when Enid noticed me.
I gave her a small smirk while she looked down at my entire attire, somehow she didn't look as surprised as I wanted her to be.
"Something wrong, Enid?" I said finally straightening up to look at them.
"I'm honestly more surprised about you getting Wednesday out of her self-made pit of loneliness..." she said closing by to me and closing enough to whisper on my ear.
"Don't get me wrong you look good Dante." She said walking towards me.
"Don't mess up after being so lucky..." she whispered on my ear, and as soon as she was back next to Ajax she just made a yelp of excitement and they both left.
"My luck...?"
"I mean I know I'm lucky but..." My voice trailed off as soon as I got the meaning of what she said.
"I must take a breather then..." I said watching nervously at the door, the feeling so strange, it was nothing I felt before and I was sure I'd never, and now I'm quivering like a boy in his first date, but I was exactly that.
Somehow with Wednesday I only feel like a boy, not inmortal, neither an experiment or even a gifted kid, with her I could let go so many hints about my past and she somehow, even with her love for mysteries and solving things, never pushed, trusting me to tell her with time.
I finally stopped thinking and got a long breath which didn't do anything to calm my mind, and as I closed by towards the door my pulse kept going higher and higher.
To the point I punched myself in the sternum, the punch finally lowering my heart rate at bit and calming me down while my bones fixed.
This time I was totally ready, who thought this would be harder than going a killing spread of over 2000 people.
Knock knock knock
The door knob moved and the sound of the lock opening made me take a last breath before I saw her.
There she was, her hair fixed perfect, the floor-lenght frilly black dress looking amazing on her, somehow she was looking better than before, and that was for someone who instantly says yes to whatever she ask.
"I'm sorry..." I instantly muttered realizing I stared for a good 30 seconds from toes to her head again and again in a short span that felt like days.
"I must say, at least you found a good taste." She said looking at my attire, her eyes lingering specially on the coat over my whole body.
'God she knows she looks so good and still acts like she doesn't to feel the ego trip...' the thoughts keep flooding my mind while watching her tiny smile creeping as soon as I looked again at her.
"I'm not commenting..."
"Who said anything about commenting, also your combination of Victorian style and black leather work really well on you." She said softly, but I knew damn well she was teasing me.
"Ok yeah you look really good, you already knew that already, but still..." I raised my hands picturing her like some sort of artwork.
"Now you're just objectifying me."
"Normally one says thank you..." I said towards her while Thing slipped out of the dorm and finally Wednesday closed the door.
She kept silence over my comment, it was obvious I couldn't expect normal from her and neither she could from me.
"Ugh let me start over..." I said looking down embarrassed.
"For over 15 years of my life I thought everything was pointless, meaningless pain I started looking like a chore rather than any sort of emotion, and now I feel extremely lucky for being here, in front of you, and going with you to a dance where we'll probably ju-"
"Shhhh..."
"I don't need to know how you feel, you've shown me how you do pretty much these time." Wednesday said as her eyes pierced mine intently.
I only gulped nervously and somehow that was enough for her to push me out of the way as she took a step foward in the hall.
...
...
...
"So?" I asked to Wednesday as she tasted the drink.
"Not quite the taste I was expecting, it doesn't leave the aftermath I've been used to with mezcal..." she said like an expert swinging around the cup in her hand.
"And you?"
"It's just bland..." I said quite used to the feeling, I've already tried or best said forced to try all alcohol, drugs and stuff only a true native of a culture would drink, only some poisons leaving some numbness.
"I prefer snake venom over everything, some I tasted one time was a mix of sweet and bitter, by how strange the combination sounds."
Wednesday only hummed, certain that someone like me would've tried something like that.
"Do you want to dance to kill the time before we go?" I asked towards her, starting to get ready for the massive no.
"Make it count." She said as she went inside the crown, and quickly made me follow her.
We started, the dazzling ice floor somehow wasn't a problem for us to move, the lighting could be less for Wednesday taste and my feet started to follow her lead in the dance.
She moved strangely, her very own lead as she ignored the music and kept her own pace, me, as the lover of art as I'm also learned the performative art of dancing, and quickly adapted to her erratic style following around her like a colibri flying around a beautiful flower swinging freely.
She moved foward towards me and without needed to even exchange looks she was tossed under my left arm, her back arching completely on my arm until her hand touching the ground in a perfect curve, then as quickly as it happened was as swiftly as it stopped.
Once again she danced along with me, my feet in front of hers most of the time, and then again and again I went around her and complemented her dance, like she was trying to dance free and my arms kept bringing her to the same point, but everytime it happened it only started again with a different move, a different step and a different approach.
We found ourselves entranced by the very own dance we were supposed to skip and straight up go out to the woods, but one kept the other in the same place.
My arms always reaching for her, taking her by the arms, waist or shoulders, either way I brought her back everytime, everytime she deliberate got herself at reach for my hands.
One last time she swung next to me under my left arm, her eyes following mine as I moved along, pushing over her as she arched back , avoiding my move and then swinging over to my right, my hand grabbing her as she did the same.
Passing in a circular motion with me until I pulled my arm back, the motion pushing her over to my chest, where we stayed, staring at each other eyes, both perplexed, both surprised, and both lost in the other eyes.
I finally got to see her, her slightly open lips, shades darker thanks to the lipsticks she was wearing, her eyes shinning under the light which was pointing right over us like the center of an important play in the theater, like the climax of a film where the two characters finally recounter after a lifetime of events.
A stunned breath left my mouth once I pulled myself together, my left hand was still around her hip, but neither of us complained as we stood in front of the other.
"I didn't expect you to know how to dance." Wednesday said trying to reclaim her uncaring nature, but her features showed to everyone how she really was also out of breath, too lost in the dance to even remember they both have to already be watching a dark cave.
"I like all arts, that includes performative arts, but I never had a partner to practice... but thankfully you took the lead." I said giving her a smile, my heart finally calmed down after all this time, this was exactly the spot I wanted to be, right in front of her.
"Kiss her!" I heard a loud yell towards us which made me instantly look up and notice.
The entire crowd was either around or staring at us, every girl and boy stopped dancing long ago to watch the free performance from the pair, and the one who yelled standing in the front lines, not one more than the gorgon standing right next to Enid who was trying to shut his mouth with her hand, ineffectively.
"I'm sorry for him..." I whispered to Wednesday who seemed also surprised by all the crowd surrounding us, even for her taste that dance was mostly a good taste of freedom from everyone's eyes, but she was being watched all along.
The feeling, the feeling of knowing the reason she didn't notice being right in front of her, his arm around her hip where she didn't find any need to pull away but just relax, that feeling stirring her insides.
"Let's go now, I believe we gave enough for performance for the night to mindless hyve." Wednesday said and we pushed through the crowd of people staring at us, thankfully the table which was being used by Enid and Ajax empty.
We approached the table and that was the only moment my hand finally left her hip, and then we sat down, staring at eachother eye to eye.
"It's unbearable..." Wednesday said in a low tone I almost didn't catch.
"What?"
"These -"
"YO YO YO Almost eleven o'clock please haul over the dance floor before the Rave'N says Nevermore!" The DJ interrupted Wednesday, and the lights turned off and the dance floor finally stopped having gapping mouths and more people doing what could be called dance.
"These what?" I asked again to Wednesday, not wanting to be left without answer.
"These..." she seemed lost, the whole idea of saying what she was going to say losing all of her courage, her black heart closing again, a lot faster than it took to open.
"These people." She said as something dropped on her head.
"Hmm?" I looked up to the ceiling,noticing what was a pipe system which seemed like in case of fire, but there was no alarm, and certainly that wasn't water.
And it all started pouring, the liquid being scarlet red and shinning bright even with the poor lighting the place offered, and everyone started screaming.
Both Wednesday and I looked at the other, she licking the liquid from her finger as I brushed my tongue over my lip, both tasting it and getting to the same conclusion.
"Not real."
"Red paint."