12. Pilgrim World
episode three , friend or woe
WEDNESDAY ADDAMS was walking, looking for a certain sign language speaking girl when she came upon a sigh to see. It was Eugene, and the interesting thing is that he was being pushed around by Mayor Walker's son and his misogynistic, racist friends. "Howdy, Pilgrims." Wednesday appeared behind Mayor Walker's son. Before Josephine came being one of his friends, her mouth close to his ear. This made Wednesday feel something, like she was in a thundering cloud that strikes green and yellow.
"Let him go." Josephine signed to him and boy's eyes flashed a white-off green color.
"You want to end up in the stocks too?" Mayor Walker's kid looked at Wednesday, seemingly in noticing that his bigoted friend was reasoning Eugene from the stocks.
"Remember what happened the last time we did this dance?" Wednesday raised an eyebrow and one of the boys yelled 'get her'. Causing Wednesday to crack their bones. This scared the one who she hurt off. "Are you two still here?" She turned to Lucas and his dazed friend who had released Eugene.
"I can't get into more trouble with my dad." Lucas gave a guilty look before he dashed off.
"Let's get you cleaned up." Wednesday turned on her heel to look at Eugene. Josephine approached the two with a wet rag, Wednesday wasn't sure where Josephine got the rag but was (almost) thankful for it none-the-less.
"Nobody's ever stood up for me before." Eugune spoke softly to the girl, they almost reminded him of his moms.
"You said Hummers stick together." Josephine pushed back his bangs to feel his head, Eugene didn't have a fever. So the logical conclusion was he had eaten too much sweets.
"I know this might come as a shock, but I don't have any friends." Eugune felt a cold wet rag get placed on his head. Josephine had a wet towel (that once again, Wednesday doesn't know where he comes from) and was wiping his face to clean up his face while Wednesday cleaned up his shirt.
"You remind me of my brother, sans the desire to strangle him every waking moment." Wednesday cleaned him up before standing up. She snapped her fingers as they looked at Josephine and Eugune. Slowly, Wednesday's thoughts slipped from her goal. "Josephine would be a great mother one day." Wednesday thought to herself before snapping bout of her head.
"Now follow me. I need to know more about this Crackstone. We have a meeting house to break into." Wednesday turned on her heel before having Josephine— who was still dotting on Eugune, and the young Hummer to follow her to the meeting house "Give me your retainer." Wednesday stuck her hand out.
"What? Why? Your teeth are really good. Not as straight or white as Enid's, but..." Eugune's sentance trailed off towards the end.
"Hand it over!" Wednesday barked orders at Eugune as he gave a guilty look.
"What if Mistress Arlene catches us?" Josephine looked back and forth, worried for her two friends.
"Hive code, deny everything." Wednesday shook the chains basically rolling on her heels back and forth. Josephine gave a deep exhale before she grabbed her stick and waked it on the chain, making the lock fall off.
"What was that?" Eugune turned to Josephine who shrugged before turning to Wednesday. "That's not hive code! What's the big deal anyway? The fudge is definitely the best thing about this place." Eugune rambled as he watched Wednesday gripped Josephine's wrist and dragged her inside.
"Stop talking. Keep watch." Wednesday and Josephine passed a painting. "My grandmother once told me secrets are like zombies, they never truly die. I'm not sure what secret Crackstone is hiding, but I have a strange feeling the answers to my future lie in the past." Under the painting was a small letters that read, 'The Old Meeting House, 1625.' "Josie, this is the girl from my vision. She's even holding the same book. That black one she had outside Crackstone's crypt."
Josephine turned around and saw a case, made of glass. "Is this the book? It says Codex Umbrarum. That's Latin for 'Book of Shadows.'" Josephine slighter spelled the words 'Cortex Umbrarum because that was most certainly not English.
Wrdnesday opened the case and picked up the book. She turned it around after reading the back before she sighed. "Great. It's a fake. I don't know who Etsy is, but I doubt she was an outcast settler."
"Esty is an electronic website to buy things." Josephine turned to Wednesday as she heard the door open before she heard Eugune let out a grunt. Josephine whipped around.
"Just what the fudge are you doing in here, missy?" It was Mistress Arlene standing at the door, the sound of Eugene's quiet protests alerted Josephine, which made the brow eye'd girl worry.
"Mistress Arlene. How now?" Wednesday turned on her heel and stared at strawberry blonde in front of the door.
"How now, indeed." Mistress Arlene was sarcastic with her response. "I proclaimed the meeting house is under repair. I know thoust heard me." The woman folded her arms together.
"I told her the door was unlocked and you were dying to learn more about Crackstone." Eugune chimed in.
"Yes, and this display case was already open." Josephine quickly signed to Mistress Arlene gave a bigoted glare— why did people dislike that Josephine that doesn't speak. How was that their problem?
"That book's a replica." Wednesday's reliance was short, her mind only focusing on her mission at hand (only allowing herself to think about Crackstone and not the gorgeous girl next to her).
"You don't say. The original was stolen last month during the two o'clock witch trial." Mistress Arlene admitted to the girls and Eugune (even though Josephine claimed he was one of the girls).
"It was probably the only authentic thing you have in here, yet you still charge $29.95 a ticket?" Wednesday snarked.
"Hold thy tongue." Mistress Arlene snapped. "I'm reassigning you both. To fudge-churning duty."
"The original meeting house, the one in that painting, where is it?" Wednesday looked at Josephine through the corners of her eyes.
"How the hell should I know? I only moved here from Scottsdale in April." Mistress Arlene turned on her heel and walked out the building.
🦇
Josephine watched as Wednesday approached that asshole named Tyler Gladpin. They were in the weathervane and Tyler was making drinks for Wednesday and Josephine. Want the usual, yes with Josephine's drink. Mocha Frappuccino is it? We some help." Tyler nodded as he got to the drinks. "Do you know the original pilgrim meeting house, the one from the 1600s— is it still standing?"
"What's left is out in Cobham Woods, but it's pretty much a ruin. I once tried to convince Phia," Josephine growled at the nickname, "to go once."
"Show me." Wednesday demanded as Tyler chuckled, a strike of cold went through Josephine's body.
"There, but, look, it's kind of sketchy.Squatters and meth heads use that place as a crash pad. My dad has it cleared out every couple weeks. What's this about?" Tyler gave both girls their drinks.
"Nothing." Wednesday gave Tyler a raised eyebrow.
"You're becoming obsessed with this monster in the woods thing." Tyler smiled— the one he always gave Josephine. One that Josephine herself despised from the depths of hell.
"Would you rather I develop an obsession with horses and boy bands? Wednesday snarked before sighing. Wednesday turned on her heel, grabbing Josephine's hand softly.
"Hey, listen, the ruins are kind of tricky to find. I could take you this afternoon. My shift ends at 2:00." Tyler proposed as the two got to the door.
"Principal Weems would hang, draw and quarter me if I miss the big statue dedication. Moreover, I'd prefer to keep a low profile." Wednesday gave a quick witted response as they walked. Josephine started to feel dizzy.
Josephine felt her breath stagger and her heart beat pick up. She tried to speak but she could, her breath felt dry. Josie wanted to yell, she needed to tell Wednesday. She needed to tell her about the fact that everything was sipping. The world seemed to twist and turn. Josephine felt like everything was falling, she watched as Wednesday walked over to her. Wednesday's arm wrapped around her neck. "Wendi, I..." Josephine felt her eyes flutter and her eyes fall slowly. "I..." Josephine could barely manage to sign anything and slowly everything came to a stop. And then there was a wave.