10. Puzzle Pieces
episode three , friend or woe
JOSEPHINE SAT with her hands tied with rope— cutting off her circulation, her a bag over her head. Josie had no idea whether she was going to live or die. The bag over her head and made her breath heavy; she knew Wednesday would get her into some kind of shit like this.
Their bags were listed off their heads and (not so fresh) air was filled into their lungs.
"Who dareth breach our inner sanctum?" A strong voice broke both Wednesday and Josephine out of their thoughts. Wednesday had a permanent scowl on her face; and Josephine just wanted to see her face continued with the scowl.
"You can take of the mask off, Bianca." Wednesday's monotone voice echoed in the room, and Josephine smiled. Even if the raven haired girl's voice held no emotion, it still brought joy to Josephine. "Wait, I preferred it with you on." Wednesday's snarky remark was followed by an almost sinister smirk.
"How did you get down here?" One of the members, Xavier Thorpe looked at the two of them. His eyes were fixed on Josephine; why did he like her so much.
"Rowan showed me." Wednesday looked at him and out do the corner of her eye, she saw Josephine break free of the ropes. Her hands had been tied and there had been no way for her to communicate; because they all know that Josephine doesn't speak. "Left pocket." Xavier went to get the picture out of Wednesday'a pocket; he saw an image. Two girls one seemed to be holding a sword with two braids— this one had obviously been Wednesday. And the other girl? Xavier couldn't seem to figure out what she was doing, she was reaching her arms out beside her mouth as if she was trying to amplify something. "I tracked the watermark to the Poe statue. Then I solved the riddle."
"Wait, there's a riddle?" Kent's black eye blended into the light. "I thought we just snapped twice."
"Well, aren't you the brightest in the bunch?" Wednesday was in a mood today, clearly. She was 'snarkier' than normal, it was clear that she was having a bad day (or worse than she normally would use the term 'bad' for).
"The Nightshades are an elite social club." Bianca turned to Wednesday. "Emphasis on elite."
"We have roof parties, campouts, the occasional midnight skinny-dip. And Yoko's an amateur mixologist." Divian proudly spoke about her girlfriend.
"She makes a killer virgin mojito. It can get pretty wild." Ajax, a 'Gorgan' told their two captors.
"Wow. Do you guys even have a bedtime?" Wednesday looked at them, then there was this long silence. "Last I heard, the Nightshades had been disbanded." Wednesday looked at Josephine (who looked bored out of her mind, she couldn't sign otherwise they'd know she untied herself).
"Yeah, the group kind of lost its charter 30 years ago after some normie kid died." Xavier was the one to speak this time and every time he spoke, Wednesday wanted to punch him in the face— and she wasn't sure as to why.
"But we have a lot of wealthy alumni, so Weems looks the other way as long as nobody makes any waves." Yoko spoke for the first time that night, Josephine gave a her a glare of disappointment. Yoko shook, she had disappointed her ex-roommate. But who is she to care what Yoko does in her free time?
"Someone like Rowan?" Wednesday was always eager to get information, but her little amount of hope for her question to be answered, was brought down by the Bianca's light scoff.
"We booted that loser last semester. Question is, what are we gonna do with them, specifically Wednesday. Only members are allowed in this library." Bianca never failed to make Josephine and Wednesday uncomfortable.
"I say we invite them to pledge." Josephine was getting really annoyed with Xavier's comments at this point; and she just wanted him to shut up. Kent was the first one to make a noise after that, he let out a breathy 'What?'. "Wednesday's legacy, and Josephine's uncle is loaded." Xavier clarified but he heard Bianca scoff and roll her eyes.
"After the crap she pulled in the Poe Cup, there's no way in hell. We talk about not making waves? She's a tsunami." Bianca screamed, like she was the red queen from Alice in wonderland. Josephine was sure that Bianca was in fact, turning red.
"Just because I beat you at your own game? Let me save you the trouble." Wednesday looked at Xavier with a harsh glare and then at Bianca. "We are not interested in joining."
"You're seriously turning us down?" Diviana and Yoko practically spoke in unison. Sometimes Josephine thought that they used the same braincell.
"Can you believe it?" Wednesday snarked four what seemed like the kaz-illionth time that evening.
"Untie her." Bianca ordered as Wednesday stood up, holding the rope. Josephine quickly followed and let the rope fall to the floor.
"I freed myself five minutes ago and Josephine? She freed herself ten minutes ago. Impressive." Wednesday grabbed Josephine's hand.
"I don't think this is an 'elite' club if Kent is in it." Josephine signed in Kent's face, who gave an offended look. He stepped in front of both Wednesday and Josephine.
"Do you want a matching black eye?" Wednesday intimated before she continued, "It's amateurs like you who give kidnapping a bad name."
🦇
Wednesday once again sat at her type write; monologuing her thoughts. "There were so many threads to my investigation, I could weave a burial shroud. I still have no idea how Rowan mysteriously rose from the dead. Or why that monster is prowling the woods. But right now, nothing intrigues me more than this book. If I'm going to be responsible for Nevermore's demise, the question is, why am I sharing this apocalypse with a pilgrim?" Wednesday stopped her thoughts with a question and then looked at Josephine, who was writing something down. "What are you writing?"
"Just something." Josephine sighed to her friend.