The Enchanted Lake
The next morning, bright sunlight came filtrating through the circular window in beautiful hues of pink, yellow and-
“Aaargh!” a voice woke Wednesday up.
“You didn’t have to wake me up in such a delightful manner, Sinclair.” sighed a relaxed Wednesday. “Although, I do appreciate the gesture.” she jested, but as soon as she noticed Enid’s painful expression on her face, worry crept up her heart.
“What happened? Are you okay?” the ravenette shot up from her black bed approaching Enid’s.
“Yeah, I just- mfgh!” the blonde bent in pain and explained. “It’s the full moon. It rises up tomorrow and my body… aches.” she pressed her eyes shut in a painful manner.
“Well, it is widely known that young werewolves experience terrible pain a day before transformation.” monotoned the shorter girl. “Their body prepares for the violent breaking of bones and stretching of muscles to support the abnormal shift to a human wolf.”
“Yeah, thanks for the clarification, Wednesday. Now I feel a lot better.” Enid let out a painful pant hugging herself for comfort.
The steady gaze of Wednesday softened. She opened her mouth to speak. “I know what we can do.”
Enid’s eyes found hers. “What?”
The ravenette took a deep breath. “During my latest visit to the library’s forbidden section-”
“Wait. There’s a forbidden section in the library?” asked Enid cutting off her sentence.
“Of course.” replied Wednesday.
“And why were you there?” asked Enid and rolled her eyes. “Actually, you know what? Of course you were there. I- aargh!” she clenched on her arms in pain.
Unintentionally, Wednesday lifted her hand to touch Enid’s, but stopped mid-air. She tried to cover it up by clasping her own hands together, but Enid reached out to her. The blonde’s hand touched Wednesday’s. Their eyes met. The ravenette felt startled.
“I- as I was saying…” as she spoke, Enid slowly observed their hands together. “During my latest visit to the library I found a book…” The blonde’s hand was slightly larger than the shorter girl’s. A small smile escaped Enid’s lips. “The book was called…” Enid’s fingers intertwined Wednesday’s. “It was called…” the ravenette’s voice trailed off and she glanced at Enid’s eyes. They seemed more relaxed now. The sunlight reached her blue irises making them brighter. And when Enid looked at her, her otherwise still heart… melted.
But Wednesday wouldn’t let anyone know that.
She blinked fast and released her hand from Enid’s breaking their moment. “The book was called ‘Nevermore Grounds’. And it contained a map of the school and its surroundings.”
“Oh.” said Enid already missing the touch of Wednesday. She tried focusing on the subject at hand. “And why was it in the forbidden section?”
“That’s the interesting part.” smirked the dark haired girl. “Nevermore is more of what we see. More of what the teachers have told us, of course. There’s magic beyond its walls. In the forest.”
Enid tilted her head to the side reminding Wednesday of a confused puppy. She shook the thought away and continued. “The map showed a hidden lake deep in Nevermore’s forest. Its enchanted waters are said to heal every physical wound as well as ease all physical pain.”
“So, what you’re saying is…” Enid grunted in pain once again. “You’re saying that this lake will help me with my pain.”
Wednesday nodded.
The blonde glanced at the irritated spots on Wednesday’s skin joining her eyebrows in worry. “Will it heal your wounds, too?”
“I’m equally as positive.” said Wednesday. “Although, this is a secondary matter-”
Enid waved her hand to interrupt her. “Let’s go.”
--- --- --- --- ---
The fallen sticks and leaves crunched beneath their feet.
Wednesday led the way confidently strolling through the forest, while Enid followed her, careful not to step on a spider or something. You can just never be too careful in these forests. she thought.
Without warning, the blonde growled in pain benting and holding her stomach.
“Are you okay?” asked Wednesday, her black eyes shining in worry.
“Yeah, I’ m- I’m okay.” voiced Enid in a struggling manner.
Wednesday nodded. “We’re almost there, Enid. You just endure the pain a moment longer.” she said and added: “Can you smell the water? We are in close proximity to the lake.”
Enid stuck her nose up and sniffed the air. “Yeah… It’s weird. I can smell the freshwater, the- the wet stones and are that…” she inhaled smiling. “wild flowers?”
Wednesday smirked. “Can you hear the water as well?” she asked.
Enid closed her eyes, focusing. A moment of silence passed and then, she smiled again. “Yeah, I can hear the water plashing slightly.” she opened her eyes and looked at Wednesday. “But how? I don’t see any lake.”
The ravenette didn’t answer. Instead, she halted in front of a large tree. Its branches were thick and reached high in the air just like all the other trees surrounding them. The only difference with them was that huge hollow in its trunk.
“To protect its magic, the enchanted lake is hidden.” explained the black haired girl. “No man can enter its waters without knowing its exact location. In addition, he must be considered noble of cause to swim in it. Likewise, if a non-human tries to find it and is ignoble, his attempts are to no avail, because then, he can neither smell or hear it in order to find it nor can he access it. That’s why only those who are righteous at heart and in honest need of its magic can enter the lake.”
“So, since I smelled and heard the lake, it means…” started Enid.
“You are goodness impersonated, as we all imagined. Congratulations.” deadpanned Wednesday.
“Ha. Ha.” Enid laughed dryly. Then, a crease appeared on her forehead. “What about you?”
“We’ll see.” Wednesday bit the inner side of her mouth and glanced at the tree. “The lake lies behind that cavity. Or, to be more exact, behind the cavity’s path. If the path appears when I step inside the hollow, then… I’m allowed to go, too.”
“Okay.” said Enid. “Let’s do this.”
“Wait.” said Wednesday and peeked inside the tree’s hole. Then, she put her hands inside taking something in her palms. It was a…
“Spider!” squeaked Enid stepping back.
“Don’t worry.” reassured her Wednesday. “I got it now. You’re safe to go.” she protected the little creature in her palms and took a step back to let Enid step inside.
The blonde gave her a smile and went inside the hollow. Her feet touched the ground. However, it wasn’t the grass of the forest, but a more granular material.
“There’s sand in here!” shouted Enid excitedly. “Oh, wait. It’s just soil.” she gasped. “And it echoes! Echo, echo, echo…” she laughed and looked at Wednesday.
The ravenette sighed and resisted an unwelcome smile. Then, she ducked releasing the spider on the ground and climbed through the hollow. She widened her eyes in surprise as her feet touched grainy soil. A path opened up in the darkness in front of her.
“I knew the lake would allow you to find it.” said Enid. “You may be this creepy, emotionless, weapon wielding, torture enthusiast-”
“Ah, what did I do to deserve such compliments, Enid?” bantered Wednesday.
Enid grimaced. “- but I know that deep down, you are one of the good guys.”
“Should I return the spider back to the tree?”
“No!”
“That’s what I thought.” said Wednesday.
Enid rolled her eyes in the darkness of the tree, when a sudden pain shocked her body.
“Aaargh!” she scrunched up her face.
“Follow the path, Enid.” said Wednesday in an encouraging manner.
The blonde nodded and took a few shaky steps forward. She and Wednesday needed to duck in the darkness as the path led them somewhere deeper and deeper, until…
“Wow!” Enid was in awe.
Light shone through a vast opening revealing a beautiful landscape. A clear blue lake glittered a few feet away from them, while lush trees casted shadows on the earthy path. Left and right, the soil gave its place to green grass, while a breeze made some wild flowers dance welcoming the girls here.
“It’s… not horrible.” stated Wednesday. “Although-”
“Come on, Wednesday! Just have fun!” exclaimed Enid. “You do know what fun is, right?”
“Watching bodies slowly being devoured by worms?”
“Ew, no- mfgh!” Enid grunted in pain.
“I believe it’s time to enter the lake’s waters. We’re burning daylight just standing here.” stated Wednesday.
Enid’s cheeks turned bright red. “Ugh, Wednesday? I didn’t bring any… swimsuits with me. You know, it’s a school year and-”
“No problem. I didn’t bring one either.” interrupted her the dark haired girl. “You do wear underwear, I assume?” Wednesday cocked an eyebrow.
Enid nearly chocked. “Ugh, yeah. I mean, yes. I-” she cleared her throat. “Yes.” she concluded.
“Good.” stated the dark haired girl and sat on a nearby rock. She started unlacing her shoes and Enid mimicked her taking her own shoes off. A few moments later, the blonde heard the rustling of clothes being taken off and the light “flap” of them hitting the ground. Both girls finished undressing at the same time and stood up, their noses almost brushing against each other. At the motion, Wednesday and Enid exchanged looks, while the latter let out a nervous laugh. And then…
That’s when she truly saw her.
Wednesday’s pale skin clashed with the blackness of her bra and underpants. Her underwear wasn’t something special or extravagant. Just plain black fabric hugging the shorter girl’s curves, but nevertheless in all the right ways. And in all their simplicity, Enid found them quite entrancing on Wednesday. She noticed the red spots marking her white skin where the paint had touched her, while her dark braids rested on her small chest. Her physique was petite and pocket-sized in contrast to her usual attitude. But for Enid she was breathtakingly beautiful.
A faint “wow” escaped Enid’s lips causing Wednesday to blink fast as if the sound had just broken her trance. The quiet astonishment on the ravenette’s face made Enid ask herself if Wednesday thought the same for her.
But how could she be? She looked ridiculous in her pink underwear… A werewolf in pink underwear! That’s laughable, that’s- the exact opposite of morbid! And her scars… oh, they were her biggest insecurity. Especially the ones that tore the skin just below her chest in claw marks leaving ugly pink traces behind.
Enid lowered her head and instinctively hugged herself to hide her scars.
“Hey.” a gentle voice sounded, while a cold hand lifted her chin up. Wednesday’s eyes were soft. “You don’t have to hide yourself from me, Enid. If one were to be ashamed… I’m afraid it’s me.” the ravenette lowered her eyes to the grass. “I owe you an apology. It seems my stitching was less than helpful that night.”
“No-” started Enid.
“Yes.” interjected Wednesday. “Yes. It was mediocre and it scarred. I have stitched up many wounds in the past. However, I can’t say what I did wrong-”
“You did nothing wrong, Wednesday.” said Enid in a soft voice. “A Hyde is a magical creature. Maybe its claws are- arrgh!” she scrunched up her face in pain.
“Let’s get in the water.” urged Wednesday and extended her hand for Enid to grab.
The blonde nodded and took her hand in hers.
The two girls walked on the earthy path to the lake. They touched the cold water and took one, two, three steps among rocks, until the lake deepened suddenly.
“Aah, it’s cold!” declaired Enid moving her limbs awkwardly so as to swim. Her movements reminded Wednesday of a dog swimming.
She smirked.
“What?” asked Enid.
“Nothing.” responded Wednesday flatly and swam gracefully forward.
After a few seconds, Enid got used to the temperature and felt… relieved. More light. Painless.
“It worked!” she laughed splashing water here and there as she moved her limbs. She looked at the shorter girl and gasped. “Wednesday, your hands!”
The black haired girl came to a halt, moving her legs so as to keep herself in the surface and glanced at her hands. The red spots had disappeared. She raised her eyebrows and inspected the parts where the rest of her wounds were. All had healed leaving clear skin behind.
“Interesting.” she said and looked at Enid. The blonde seemed happy and relaxed as she swam clumsily. A smile threatened to break Wednesday’s expressionless features, so she turned around in an attempt to hide it.
Without a warning, a burst of cold water splashed the back of the ravenette’s head. She turned around with a frown.
“And here I thought Death’s cold embrace finally found me, pleading strongly.”
“Always so morbid.” smiled Enid and swam closer to Wednesday. She stopped in front of her. The sun made the water droplets on her pale skin twinkle, while a gold ray found its way in her dark eyes making them shine brown.
Enid smiled. Her blue eyes danced from Wednesday’s dark ones to her full lips…
What am I doing? thought the blonde as she caught herself staring. To hide her panic, she dived in the cold waters.
“Enid!” the werewolf heard the muffled sound of Wednesday’s voice underwater. Then, she heard a splash as the shorter girl dived into the lake.
The world was serene.
A silence overtook them. The blue conveyed them. A few rays of sunlight came filtrating through the enchanted waters shimmering the girls’ bodies.
Enid watched Wednesday’s pale body in front of hers. Her black underwear seemed even darker in that liquid world. She met her abysmal eyes and instantly lost herself… The blonde blinked to retrieve her mind and swam back to the surface.
She caught a breath loudly and almost immediately, Wednesday broke through the surface as well.
“Enid.” the ravenette panted. “What are you doing?”
I was looking for my heart, but then I realized I had already lost it in you. thought Enid, but said out loud: “What was I doing? I was… just trying to get you in the water. To- to heal the wounds on your face. Yep.” she said and her bra strap slipped off her shoulder.
“You should know by now that I can handle the pain, Enid.” said Wednesday and lifted the pink strap over the blonde’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I know- I just, uh…” stammered Enid. “Oh, look at the time! The light is yellowish, so we should leave now before the sun sets. I don’t want to walk in the forest at night, so…” she trailed off and swam awkwardly back to the shore.
Wednesday’s eyebrows drew together in a confused manner, but she skillfully swam to the shore catching up with Enid.
“Watch out. The rocks are slippery.” the ravenette warned flatly as her feet touched the lake’s bottom at the shore.
“I know, Wednesday. I’m not some kind of-” Enid slipped on a rock in the water, but Wednesday caught her before she fell.
“You caught me.” said Enid.
“I’ll always catch you when you fall.” reassured her Wednesday.
“One time you didn’t.” said Enid.
“When?”
Enid looked Wednesday in the eyes. “When I fell in love with you.”
The ravenette’s eyebrows shot up. She searched for words. “I guess, that’s because we fell together.” she said and slowly closed the distance between them.
Lips touched lips. Heart met heart. The world melted around them…
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“Enid?” a voice drew her back to reality.
The blonde turned back to see Wednesday and sighed. Another fantasy. she thought and her heart ached as she asked “What?”
Wednesday hesitated. “Is something wrong?”
“Pff, no.” said Enid. “Why would something be wrong?” she smiled nervously.
“You just said ‘I’m not some kind of…’ and you never finished that sentence. And-” Wednesday bit the inner side of her mouth. “You have that look.”
“What look?” asked Enid feeling heat shoot up her cheeks.
“The same look you had yesterday. When your fangs lengthened.” noted Wednesday.
“Uh…” Enid didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know Wednesday had noticed it. “It’s… it’s…”
The ravenette waited. Water dripped off her braids. Her wet black underwear hugged her body.
“It’s nothing.” concluded Enid. “I just… The full moon rises up tomorrow and I- I tend to… half-transform. That’s all.”
“Is that all?” repeated Wednesday, her eyes searching Enid’s.
No, that’s not all. I want cuddles, I want kisses, I want more than kisses… I want love. From you! I want you to love me. thought Enid with her heart aching more than her body had a few hours ago. However, she plastered a smile on her face and said out loud: “Yeah, that’s all.”