But don't be scared

 ˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚

𝔸𝕊 night fell upon Nevermore, the air was thick with the weight of secrets and the whisper of the unknown. A haunting melody cut through the silence—Wednesday sat on his balcony, cradling his black cello, the bow gliding across the strings as he played "Paint It, Black." The notes wove through the cool night air, tense yet elegant, filling the school grounds with their eerie resonance. He was lost in the music, his sharp gaze focused, fingers moving deftly, surrendering himself to the song.

In her room, Lilith sat by her window, listening to the melody as it seeped into her bones. A small smile played on her lips. Inspired, she reached for a fresh canvas, dipping her brush into deep, dark hues, her strokes mirroring the rhythm of the music. As Wednesday lost himself in the song, Lilith lost herself in the motion of her art, each swirl and line dictated by the rise and fall of the cello's voice.

Thing scuttled up onto the balcony, pausing only to turn the page of the sheet music on the stand. Wednesday barely acknowledged the gesture, his focus unwavering. The music swelled, reaching its climax before fading into silence. A sharp exhale left Wednesday's lips as he lowered his bow, his fingers still pressed against the strings.

Thing tapped against the wooden railing, forming a question. Wednesday's dark eyes flickered toward him, and he answered, voice low and contemplative, "No, I don't really feel better. There's something wrong about this place. And not just because it's a school." Before Thing could respond, the soft creak of a door opening caught Wednesday's attention. He turned his gaze to see Enid and Lilith stepping onto their shared balcony, bathed in the pale glow of the moon. Lilith's eyes shone with quiet admiration, a knowing smile playing on her lips. Enid, ever curious, broke the moment with her usual bluntness.

"How the hell did you get that oversized violin out the window?" she asked, arms crossed, eyebrows raised.

Wednesday's dark gaze lingered on Lilith for a beat before he responded coolly, "I had an extra hand."

Thing gave a jaunty wave.

Enid shuddered. "Whoa."

Lilith, however, leaned in with fascination. "Where's the rest of him?"

Wednesday's expression barely shifted, but there was a flicker of intrigue in his gaze. "It's one of the great Addams family mysteries."

Thing gave a dramatic little hop before scuttling away. Wednesday placed his cello back in its case just as a distant howl broke through the night. The full moon hung heavy in the sky, illuminating Enid's features with an ethereal glow.

Wednesday tilted his head slightly. "Why aren't you wolfing out?"

Enid sighed, hugging herself. "Because I can't."

Lilith, ever the quiet comfort, wrapped an arm around Enid's shoulders in silent reassurance. With a fluid gesture, she summoned vines from below, thick and sturdy, twisting up the side of the building to form a bridge. Enid hesitated for only a second before stepping across, Lilith following behind her. The vines slithered away once they were safely on Wednesday's balcony.

Enid walked to the edge and held up her hands, extending her claws slightly. "This is all I got. My mom says some wolves are late bloomers, but I've been to the best Lycanologists. I even had to fly to Milwaukee—would you believe it?"

Wednesday stepped closer, standing beside Lilith as she rubbed gentle circles on Enid's arm. He studied Enid with his usual intensity, curiosity evident in his dark eyes.

"Yeah," she continued, voice quieter now, "they say there's a chance I may never... you know."

Wednesday considered her words, his expression unreadable. "What happens then?"

Enid's shoulders slumped. "I'd become a lone wolf."

For a long moment, the three stood in silence, the wind carrying the distant sounds of the forest, the school, the night.

Wednesday, ever the anomaly, finally broke it. "Sounds perfect."

Enid groaned, but Lilith chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Not everyone likes being alone, Wednesday." He didn't respond, but his gaze lingered on them both for just a second longer before he turned away, the ghost of a smirk playing at his lips. "Are you kidding me? My life would be officially over. I'd be kicked out of my family pack with no prospect of finding a mate." Enid spoke before Wednesday replied, "I'm failing to see the problem here."

"I could die alone."

"We all die alone, Enid."

Lilith shot Wednesday a light glare before sighing, her voice softer but teasing. "You really suck at this. Cheering people up, I mean. I know it's not in your nature, but still." Wednesday met her gaze briefly before shifting his attention to Enid, who sat hunched over, her shoulders trembling. A single sniffle escaped her before she wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie.

"Why are you crying?" Wednesday asked, his tone as flat as ever.

Enid's head snapped up, her watery eyes blazing with frustration. "Because I'm upset! Haven't you ever cried, or are you above that too?" For a moment, there was silence. Wednesday's usual sharp retort never came. Instead, he turned his gaze downward, staring at the moonlit ground below. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter yet carried a weight neither girl had heard from him before.

"It was the week after Halloween. I was six years old. I took my pet scorpion, Nero, out for his afternoon stroll, and we were ambushed. They wondered what kind of freak would have a scorpion for a pet. Two of them held me down and made me watch... while the others ran Nero over until..." He paused, the words catching in his throat before he pushed on. "It was snowing when I buried what was left of him. I cried my little black heart out. But tears don't fix anything. So, I vowed to never do it again."

A distant howl cut through the night, but none of them reacted. The weight of Wednesday's story lingered in the air, pressing against their chests.

Enid sniffled again, her expression softening as she regarded him. "Your secret's safe with us." She gave him a half-smile. "I still think you're weird as shit, though."

Lilith chuckled, the tension easing ever so slightly, but Wednesday simply replied, "The feeling is incredibly mutual."

Enid grinned and wiped her eyes one last time before making her way across the balcony, stepping through Wednesday's room to return to hers. Now, only Lilith and Wednesday remained. The night was still, the distant howls fading into the background.

"Aw, you really do have a heart." Lilith chuckled, teasing lightly.

Wednesday didn't respond. His gaze had drifted, settling on the faint burn mark peeking from the collar of her shirt. Without hesitation, he asked, "Your burn mark. What happened?"

Lilith's smile faded in an instant. The teasing light in her eyes dimmed, replaced by something heavier—something guarded. She let out a dry chuckle, though there was no humour in it. "I guess it's my turn to tell a secret now." She shrugged, as if brushing it off. "I'll pass."

But before she could pull away, Wednesday reached out. His fingers wrapped gently around her hand, his thumb grazing over her knuckles in a slow, deliberate motion. A silent plea.

Lilith stilled at the unexpected warmth. She looked at him—at those dark, unblinking eyes that bore into hers with quiet insistence.

She sighed. "Fine."

She turned her head away, as if facing him while telling the story would make it unbearable. When she finally spoke, her voice was steady, but there was something fractured beneath it.

"It was at my old school," she started. "And... well, I wasn't exactly a popular person." A humourless chuckle escaped her lips before she continued. "Once a year, the students would play a cruel joke on someone. That year, they chose me. "I had done readings for them before, but they didn't like what I saw in their futures. So, as punishment, they waited until the night of the school dance." She inhaled sharply, as if the memory itself still burned. "They dragged me to a field, tied me to a post, and surrounded me. They laughed. They chanted."

Lilith's fingers twitched under Wednesday's grip, but he didn't let go. His hold on her hand remained steady, grounding.

"'Burn the witch,' they kept saying. Over and over again. Then they lit the fire beneath me."

Her voice grew quieter, but the weight of her words was deafening.

"At first, it was just a joke to them," she murmured. "Just to scare me. But fire doesn't listen." She slowly rolled up the sleeve of her right arm, revealing the burn scars trailing from her wrist up to her neck. Ugly, jagged reminders of that night.

"They ran when they realized it had gone too far," she said, her voice almost detached. "Cowards. They left me there."

A long silence stretched between them.

"When I got myself free, I went back to the school." She finally lifted her gaze, a small, almost chilling smile curving her lips. "I brought their readings to life that night. Every last one of them. Let's just say... it wasn't pleasant for them." Her fingers curled slightly, as if she could still feel the power she had unleashed. "And then I burned the building down."

Her smile faltered as she looked down at her lap, the weight of the past pressing on her shoulders.

Wednesday had not spoken a word. He hadn't interrupted, hadn't offered empty condolences. But his grip on her hand had tightened, ever so slightly—like an anchor. And then, with quiet precision, he lifted his other hand and traced his fingers over the raised edges of her scars. Not pitying. Not hesitant. Just... acknowledging.

Lilith shivered at the contact but didn't pull away. For a boy so cold, so seemingly detached from human emotion, Wednesday's actions spoke louder than words ever could.

 ˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚

By: SilverMist707