Note:
I feel as though my lack of vocabulary greatly limits my ability to express my ideas in this fic as freely as I need. Like I am hindering myself from fully realizing its potential.
Weird.
That said, I love the big bacc.
—-
Dead of the night, dark and cold. The moon hung high in the night sky, full and whole, a pale eye looking upon the world. Beech trees covered all that the eye could see, except for one thing—the mansion on this lone hill.
A fairly new sedan parked outside the Gates mansion, its headlights turned off and its engines hummed, heard only when you listen. All four doors opened slowly, and a group of students came out.
Wednesday came out, a flashlight on her hand looking quite out of place with her snood on. Enid followed beside her, wearing one herself of unequally bright colors.
She leaned in almost whimpering. "Seriously, Wends? You wanna go in there?! No freakin way, this place is creepy AF!"
"I know." Wednesday replied, stepping forward with a lock-pick.
The crunch of leaves told the presence of two more people behind them. "You said this was a birthday party?" A frown adorned Xavier's face, confused even as he surveyed the locked gates.
"Woah," muttered Ajax, fumbling with his flashlight. "This is totally insane."
The sound of metal clanking against itself ended with a click. Wednesday pulled the chains off the gate, dropping the lock on the grass. "Celebrating my birthday while a killer runs free takes all my appetite for dinners or a party."
The gate opened slightly, the sound of a light wheeze of the hinge was covered by the breeze. Wednesday turned. "If you don't want to do this, go. For me, I'm going in the garage."
Xavier clicked his tongue, but followed regardless. Enid and Ajax looked at each other, gulping, and trailed after.
Wednesday treaded the familiar pathway of dead leaves and dry bushes. Her eyes were careful to survey every nook and cranny, and places where eyes might be. The window, upstairs, even the slight edges of cracks on the wall.
Soon, she reached the arch where she saw Mayor Walker walk out. Wednesday held the door knob, expecting it to give way. But espionage isn't exactly as easy as going through open doors.
After a grunt, Xavier volunteered to try. The door shook; he pulled it with his whole body, but it remained tight. "What is this thing made of?"
Enid stepped forward, handing her flashlight to Ajax. "Can I try?" She shook her hands first before holding the handle with both. She pulled—the door broke with a crack.
Ajax whistled, impressed. Enid snatched her flashlight back. "It's a werewolf thing."
The group went inside, dust and cobwebs welcoming them in. Wednesday flipped the light switch; it flickered, not fully turning on nor off. A hose hung on the wall, unused. The ceiling looked like a den of spiders. What caught their eyes, however, was the large thing covered.
Wednesday held the hem, turning it on itself to reveal the very same Cadillac she had seen the night before. Wide-eyed, she turned to the group. "This is the car that hit the mayor."
A collective gasp filled the air, the weight of her words sinking in. "…are you saying whoever owns this… hit Mayor Walker?" Ajax whispered, his voice barely rising over the creak of the mansion settling in the night.
Wednesday's gaze was firm. "Yes. Whoever, we're about to find out."
Enid tugged on Wednesday's sleeve. "W-We should leave. Please, let's call the cops or something. This is horror movie stuff!"
But Wednesday shook her head. "If we do that, we'd all get expelled."
Wednesday raised a hand, signaling for silence, and pointed to the door leading to the house. "Stay behind me," she whispered.
She pulled it open, the creak of the hinges reverberating slightly in the air. The tension was palpable; they felt watched. "We're not going to die here, right?" Xavier asked, muttering to himself.
"Depends." Wednesday whispered back.
The hallway was filled with picture frames hanging on the wall. The wallpaper was rotting, barely hanging onto itself. The majority of the doors were opened but were filled with nothing but dust.
Wednesday entered a room. A large desk sat in the middle, papers scattered here and there. An office, she thought. Hanging on the wall was a portrait, a family of four. The Gates themselves.
Ansel Gates looked even more psychotic here.
The group reached the family library, old books on the shelves, animal skulls on the walls. One touch of these papers could send it crumbling to dust. Wednesday stepped closer, analyzing.
Some of the books were… clean. New, even, like it had just been bought. Signs of using this part of the house. "Someone's definitely been here…" Xavier whispered beside her, looking at the same couple of books.
"We Have Always Lived in the Castle." Wednesday read, "how oddly fitting." She pulled it out, and then another, and then another.
Enid approached, confused. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for levers." She got to the very end of the row. One wooden pillar looked cleaner than the other. An idea entered her mind. Her fingers pressed the wooden surface—click.
A low rumble echoed through the library as the far wall trembled slightly. Dust cascaded from the ceiling, and a hidden section of the bookshelf swung inward, revealing a hidden altar behind the shelves.
A portrait, melted candles, and words written on the wall.
Ajax gulped loudly. "Holy crap… that's Joseph Crackstone."
The image of the pilgrim was as engraved to the minds of the people of Jericho as the alphabet is.
Enid whimpered. "Who doesn't have a spooky built-in altar in their family library?"
"Weird," Xavier frowned, "He's their ancestor, but… this seems more like a religious altar."
Wednesday stepped into the opening without hesitation, surveying the room. The candles were off, some old, some… she pinched the tip— "It's warm."
Enid hugged herself, whispering, "I really, really hate this. Like… ten out of ten hate this."
Wednesday crouched close to the altar, her eyes scanning every inch of it. The wax trails, the soot stains, and the words written on the wall— Fire Will Rain When I Rise.
Ajax's voice broke the silence. "So, uh… we all agree this is like, full-on cult stuff, right?"
"Cult, family ritual, murder plotting—take your pick," Wednesday said flatly. "All right, here's the plan. Me and Enid take upstairs, you two check the rest here."
"We will?" Enid whimpered, hesitant.
Xavier leaned in. "Are you crazy? We're splitting?!"
Wednesday didn't bother to reply before pulling Enid with her.
Enid clutched Wednesday's arm as they ascended the creaky staircase, every step groaning like it carried the weight of centuries. With the state of the house, it probably did.
"Wends, this is the part where people die in movies," Enid whispered.
"That is fiction. This is real life," Wednesday muttered, scanning the hallway. "You go left, I go right."
"We're splitting up here too?" Enid asked with pleading eyes, her voice cracking from fear. "Please! This is literally how every best friend dies in a horror movie."
"Enid, the faster you search, the sooner we can leave." Wednesday replied, walking to her side.
Enid muttered curses under her breath, wondering why she didn't expect something like this from Wednesday. "Why am I even here?"
It didn't take long before they reunited again. Enid called for Wednesday's name, exploring a room stopped in time. A bed neatly organized, like it was recently cleaned.
"No dust or cobwebs…" Enid pointed out.
It was a girl's room, a flower vase lay alive on the nightstand, and a plushie on the middle of the bed. Enid leaned closer to a music box, flashing her light. "L.G." She read the metal engraving on the side.
"Laurel Gates…" Wednesday deduced.
"Looks like somebody moved back into their old room." Enid quipped.
"It's not possible." Wednesday replied. "She died 25 years ago drowning overseas… unless—"
The sound of shattering wood stopped the words from her mouth, then glass, then the guttural growl of that familiar creature she'd encountered a handful of times. "What the fuck!?" Ajax's voice was heard from where they stood.
Wednesday and Enid hurried, the latter murmuring to herself in fear. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…"
They reached the bottom of the stairs just in time to see Xavier clutching his arm, his flashlight flickering across the floor. He and Ajax were backed against a broken cabinet, glass shards around them, their eyes wide with terror.
In front of them was the silhouette of an enormous creature. A hunched back, its spine growing out of its skin. It dragged its claws on the ground, blood dripping from the wound it inflicted on Xavier.
"Stay back! Stay back!" Ajax shouted, swinging a broken leg of a chair. Enid instinctively held Wednesday's arm as she screamed at the top of her lungs, catching the monster's attention.
Wednesday's gaze sharpened. "Tyler," she hissed.
The monster approached them, its eyes harboring malice— hunger— desire. A butcher in front of flesh. She could hear his breathing from where she stood, his steps making thuds as he gets closer.
Wednesday subtly pushed Enid away, the wolf held on, but her trembling betrayed her will. She circled around the monster to Ajax and Xavier.
She glanced at them, to Enid, a silent message for them to leave. The girl shook her head, refusing to leave her. Ajax pulled her wrist but she did not budge.
Her gaze fell on Tyler again.
"Did you miss me?" Wednesday flatly said. Tyler growled, still except for his chest.
Wednesday's hands, one holding a flashlight; the other, slithering behind her back covered by her bag.
"I know who your friend is." She whispered almost mockingly. "Do you want me to say it?" Tyler barred his teeth menacingly, primal and animalistic.
Wednesday gripped the handle of what she's looking for. She leaned closer to Tyler, unafraid. "It's…—"
But the creature lunged, claws swiping through the air, splinters of broken furniture scattering as it refused to let Wednesday finish. She ducked, but her legs were springs .
Wednesday pulled a dagger sheathed on her waist. She sprung up, flesh meets metal with a squelch as the blade bore into Tyler's lower jaw.
She rolled to the side, the beam of her flashlight streaking across the walls and catching the glint of Tyler's eyes—feral, unrecognisable, in pain as blood poured out.
"Move!" she barked, grabbing Xavier by the collar and yanking him toward the hallway. Enid and Ajax scrambled after her, footsteps pounding against the creaking floorboards.
They hurried, running blindly into the labyrinth of halls. Tyler's guttural roar trailed like a predator. Wednesday found an open door at the very end of an unchecked hall.
"Here!" She yelled, dragging Xavier in with Enid and Ajax as she closed the door. It was a staircase leading down. The three stood gobsmacked, staring.
Wednesday descended after.
At the bottom, the air turned damp and icy, the smell of blood and flesh filling their lungs. "This is the basement…" one of them whispered.
The pendant light flickered as Tyler's thunderous footsteps made echoes above. There was a surgery bed in the middle with a large bloodied knife on it, chemicals on a tray, and shelves filled with jars of body parts.
"This is the missing body parts of the victims." Wednesday said, eyeing the preserved limbs and organs. "The what?!" Xavier hissed in pain.
A sudden slam made Tyler's presence known. Enid darted to the windowsill, pushing it open before climbing up. Ajax followed, and then Xavier with their assistance.
"Wednesday, come on!" Enid urged.
She hesitated, grasping at the camera on her bag. Before she could take it out, Tyler came barreling down the stairs. Wednesday made it out in time, pulled by Ajax and Enid.
They spilled out into the chilled night air, hearts pounding like drums. The wind whipped at their faces, carrying the scent of damp leaves and decay. Behind them, the guttural roar of Tyler reverberated from the mansion, echoing through the trees.
"Run!" Wednesday commanded, already sprinting towards the gate.
Enid's legs felt like lead, but terror fueled her pace. Ajax fumbled with the keys as they reached the car, hands trembling too hard to fit them into the lock. Xavier clutched his injured arm, biting back a groan.
Wednesday tried the pull the gate open but found it locked, chained again just as it had been when they got here. She gritted her teeth, leaning her bag on her knees as she looked for the lock-pick.
"Wednesday, what are you doing?!" Enid yelled in panic. "It's locked. Someone locked it when we came in." Wednesday replied without looking up.
Enid tried to pull it, her shoes digging into the dirt but it only made the chain rattle. Behind them, they once again heard the sound of splintering wood. Heavy footsteps hit the dirt, crows scattered disturbed. The forest itself turned restless as the monster approached.
The wolf tried harder, and harder, and harder— Enid's claws unconsciously came out as she pulled with her whole body.
Wednesday can't find her lock-pick. She didn't carry any clip. Helplessness surged forth like a looming tide. They can't escape. The monster is coming. The world silenced for her and all sounds stopped reaching her ears.
She glanced at her companion's faces. Time seemed to freeze as Wednesday's eyes locked with Enid's. The werewolf's claws trembled against the chain, her pupils dilated with fear. Ajax's harsh breaths and Xavier's pained grunts were drowned out by the pounding of her own heart.
Then, the roar came. Louder. Closer. The kind that makes the ground vibrate and your chest ache. Her eyes landed on him, his hulking body, monstrous claws. An abomination coming to rip them apart.
The quote, "Your life flashing before your eyes" came to mind. Wednesday could not believe herself, pondering such irrelevant thoughts when death is there, knocking on her door.
Wednesday thought of Enid, Ajax, and Xavier. Wednesday thought of Mayor Walker. She thought of her family, of the prophecies, and of the victims of these ritualistic murders.
What difference has she truly made?
Wednesday couldn't quite come up with an answer.
She had done so much yet achieved nothing. There will be nothing left, no one to pursue the truth when she's gone. This has been all for naught. The monster is coming, and their deaths is on her—
Snap.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Wednesday felt her body catapulted back. Someone pulled her. She rolled, landing on her back before someone, Enid, hoisted her up.
The world moved again. The sound reached her ears. "Get your shit together, Wednesday!" Enid yelled to her face. What happened? She asked herself. Wednesday looked back, towards the gate— that brief snap.
Wednesday's eyes landed on a tall, familiar stature. His black coat bellowed, his black hair with strands of white. He held the metal bars tightly as the monster struggled to get through.
The door of the car opened and Thing popped-out of the driver's seat. Ajax turned the keys, the engine thrumming once before fully turning-on.
"Get in!" He yelled, closing his door. Xavier stumbled into the front seat while Wednesday and Enid stood rooted to the ground.
Tyler bodied the gate, his shoulders hitting the hunk of metal like a sledgehammer. Adam grunted every time, but his fingers kept its vice around the gate.
Xavier poked his head out of the window. "What are you two waiting for?!"
"I-it's… it's Adam.. we can't leave him here!" Enid yelled back.
Then, he turned, his eyes, visible even in dark. "Go! I can hold him!" His voice was a mixture of grunts and a roar, a rasp of roughness strained, he didn't sound like the Adam she knew.
"Take Wednesday, Enid!" He repeated, followed by the creak of metal hinges failing. "Enid, I said go!" The finality of his tone left no room for her hesitation. Enid dragged the silent Wednesday with her arm into the car.
The car roared to life, and Ajax floored the accelerator. Gravel and leaves spat out from under the tyres as they lurched forward.
Behind them, the deep growl of Tyler's rage reverberated through the trees, followed by the screech of twisting metal. The gate had given way.
Wednesday sat stiff, her eyes on the rear window. She could see the faint figure of Adam by the ruined gate, his back turned to them as he faced Tyler once more
"Stop." Wednesday said, but the car continued to move forward, into the darkness of the forest.
"Stop."
"What?!" Ajax barked, his voice trembling.
"Stop the car!"
The tires squeaked with the sudden break, Wednesday dashed out without a second thought. "Wednesday, wait!" Enid shouted.
Moonlight gave way, guiding her back. She could feel the cold air biting her face, her boots crunching leaves and stone. Her sprint didn't take long, she arrived at the gate once more.
Confusion, disbelief, countless indescribably feeling mixed inside her. She blacked out, at the most crucial point of everything— her mind gave to death.
"I'll do it my way."
Her words felt like a sharpened knife carving wounds on her pride. She had been so arrogant yet she needed him to save her, again. When he did, she left him.
What welcomed her, however, is nothing. Wednesday's eyes laid bear not on the sight of a fight nor the broken gate giving way that they all saw from the mirror.
It was simply… the Gates mansion.
There.
A chained gate perfectly fine, untouched.
"…how?"
Had she gone insane?
Wednesday stepped closer, but her foot stopped just as she did. Her eyes landed on the ground— a piece of something white glimmering under the moon, blood splattered on its surface.
His mask.
Adam's mask.
—-