Visions
The first thing she processed was the heat. It was like she was being roasted alive in a human-sized kiln. But Wednesday wasn’t standing in a kiln, the heat wasn’t coming from burning coals at her feet.
Its scorching intensity was coming from Caspian.
He stood in a crumbing quad, a ring of burning blue flames in front of him. She could hear distant screams. A slow triumphant smile broke across his face.
Wednesday was abruptly pulled away.
They were now in a dark place, unidentified bodies scattered around. Caspian was bloodied, staring at incapacitated Wednesday. Her vision self was as horrified as she’s ever recalled being.
He turned abruptly.
’Crucio!’
A howl.
Then a flash of green light as Wednesday suddenly feels herself free falling.
She lands. It’s the same dark room as before. Bianca, her, Enid, Ajax, and Xavier. They all look like they just came out of the trenches of war. What happened to them?
Her vision blurs.
‘Caspian stop…Stop!’ It was her voice? She sounded panicked.
Another shift.
It was a view from the hall. He was in a room, standing over a mortified nurse. The blinds drew back.
A flash again, Caspian was being tackled, tumbling as he was pinned down on a grimy floor.
Another flash.
Her visions strain but she makes out…Tyler? He was naked and had cuts all over and in his human form. His curled-up body was twitching uncontrollably, staring up in a terror at Caspian. Caspian, whose eyes Wednesday spent so much time studying, was now wild with anger.
She tried to reach out a hand but she was jerked away, blasted with more blinding light.
Caspian was on the ground, resting on his heels. He was shaking violently, his eyes bloodshot in what she can only describe as murderous intent. He was staring at something.
A gun.
‘Hey Caspian just-just…don’t…calm down'
‘Just put it down Caspian, YOU’RE SCARING EVERYONE!’
A single, echoing shot.
Her mind seized.
‘Oh my god…What…what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything I swear!”
Wednesday awoke with a gasp, her vision suddenly filled with the starry night sky.
“She just froze like she’s been bloody pertifie- Oh Oh! wait she’s back, she’s back-give her some space… ”
She shot up, going dizzy for a moment before steadying herself.
Wednesday glanced around, scanning over various concerned faces before she found him.
“Woah Addam’s are you ok?” Caspian took a step forward.
Wednesday took a step back.
She felt cold and rigid like she was just doused with liquid nitrogen but without the cool tingling after effect. Her nostrils burned from the frigid January air as they worked overtime for her rapid beating heart.She looked into his worried gaze. So alive, so transparent.
Then her mind flashed back to him standing over a cowering Tyler.
She took another step back.
“Wenya!”
Wednesday's eyes widened. She ran through the little group that formed around her.
“Enid?” She yelled.
“I’m here!” Enid came stumbling towards her with Bianca in tow. “I’m so happy you decided to com-”
“We’re leaving.”
“But, you just got here! I think there are some more drinks left right Bianc-”
“Now Enid.” She gripped her hand firmly, almost white-knuckling it.
“You alrigh-”
“Fine.” She didn’t wait to see Bianca’s reaction as she spun around.
She dragged a protesting Enid through the party. Wednesday kept her hard gaze locked onto the tree line.
All she had to do was get back to safety. Get them home.
“Wenya, why are we leaving!” Wednesday ignored Enid’s whines as she glanced around wildly. There were deep in the forest at this point, but she had to make sure they weren't followed. Her breathing has subsided considerably, but it just made her mind more clear. The visions more clear.
The decimated burning quad.
The dark place.
The various dispatched bodies and the twitching Tyler.
The green light.
Caspian was there for all of it.
She swallows thickly. What happens in the future? Why was Enid or Xavier there? Or Tyler or any of them for that matter? What does Caspian have to do with any of it?
“Can we just stop for a moment?”
Wednesday let out a shallow breath, she willed herself to focus on one thing at a time.
She decided to focus on the sounds first. The voices she heard.
‘STOP…Stop it now!’
‘Hey Caspian just-just…don’t…calm down’
‘Just put it down Caspian, YOU’RE SCARING EVERYONE!’
‘Oh my god…What…what did you just do?”
They were of her, Xavier, Caspian, and Bianca. Caspian yelled something, what was it again?
“Wenya-Ow! You’re hurting me.”
Wednesday immediately loosened her grip.
“Why are we leaving so soon? I didn’t even get to say good to my friends…Not Yoko, not Bianca, Not Caspian-”
“Caspian is not your friend!” Wednesday spun around, clutching Enid’s shoulders desperately. She stared into Enid’s glazed eyes, willing her thoughts to transfer directly into her head.
“What do you mean?" Enid drawled.
Wednesday’s heart rate spiked, making her see stars. She forced them away. Now was not a time to panic. “He’s dangerous Enid. Stay away from Caspian Lee.”
She gripped Enid’s hand again, a little more carefully this time as she marched them back to Ophelia Hall. Her mind was on the verge of overload, but one question was a constant in her head.
What did Caspian do?
Wednesday didn’t register they were back until they were suddenly blasted with the warm heat of their dorm.
She lead Enid to her bed and just as expected, the girl was lights out the second her head hit the pillow.
Wednesday carefully took off Enid’s jacket and tucked her in. She moved a bucket to the side of her head, just in case the werewolf in her couldn’t keep down whatever god-awful poison she ingested tonight.
Wednesday flinched when Thing appeared beside her, tapping worriedly.
“She’s alright Thing, I’ll prepare the hangover cures for tomorrow.” She threw open their little confectionery cabinet which was mostly filled with Enid’s favourite late-night snacks, jerky and mango juice. Wednesday went straight for the only item to her name, an oozing blood red conation.
“In the meantime, I need you to prepare plan B for the earliest possible execution.”
Thing sat up in surprised silence before he tapped away behind her.
“It’s for Caspian Lee.” She unscrewed the lid. “He’s become my number one priority.”
There was silence, then she heard the hand scurry off without a reply.
Wednesday carefully measured out a helping of the mixture, hesitating before scooping herself a glass. She sipped on the vile potion as she prepared the various vitamin supplements, snacks, and bread for her roommate.
When it was done, Wednesday got ready for bed, feeling like she was simply going through the motions. They may have left the party but her mind was still exactly at that moment she touched Caspian’s hand.
How ironic that her first attempt at friendship was with what she can only imagine was a cold-blooded deranged murder.
She apparently did have a type after all.