Wednesday is Back
Ajax made a sound somewhere between a strangled yell and a breathless curse, stumbling back.
Yoko’s entire body went rigid, her brain refusing to process what she was seeing.
Bianca, hands still covering her mouth, let out a gasping noise that barely counted as words. "What the actual—"
But Enid ?
Enid just grinned like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"WEDNESDAY! You’re finally back!" Then, tugging at the piece of fabric wrapped around the dirt-covered girl’s neck, she added, "And just so you know, that’s a special funeral snood I made for the occasion."
Wednesday stretched her arms over her head like she’d just woken up from a long nap, wincing slightly before rolling her shoulders. "Yeah, yeah. Geez. That took longer than I expected."
Bianca’s hands shook. "What took longer? YOU WERE DEAD."
Wednesday paused, glancing down at herself, then at the grave she’d just crawled out of. "Oh. Right. That."
Yoko nearly choked. "That?!"
Ajax still hadn’t moved, standing frozen in wide-eyed horror. "This isn’t real."
Wednesday tilted her head at him. "You say that like it’s gonna change anything." She dusted dirt off her hoodie—completely unconcerned about the fact that it was still stained with her own blood—then smirked. "God, I liked this hoodie, but it just became my favorite."
Enid threw her arms around her, nearly tackling her back into the hole she’d just crawled out of. "I knew you’d come back!"
Wednesday barely had time to react before Enid buried her face in her shoulder, gripping onto her like she was afraid she might disappear again.
Wednesday blinked, startled, before letting out a low chuckle, her hands hesitating before settling against Enid’s back.
"Of course I did," she murmured, voice softer now. "I pinky swore."
Enid pulled back slightly, their faces inches apart, her hands still resting on Wednesday’s sides. "See? I told you guys." Her voice was smug, but her eyes —her eyes—were something else entirely.
Wednesday noticed.
Her smirk softened, just a little. "Yeah, you did."
Yoko, Ajax, and Bianca were still too stunned to respond.
Wednesday turned toward them, stretching lazily. "Gods, you guys look awful."
Bianca’s breath came in short bursts. "We look awful?!" she sputtered. "YOU JUST CAME OUT OF TOUR OWN GRAVE, WEDNESDAY!"
Wednesday waved a dismissive hand, looking vaguely bored. "Eh. Technicalities. Do you really think I’d let something like death stop me? What kind of quitter do you think I am?"
"There are NO ‘technicalities’ in death!" Ajax finally exploded, voice raw with disbelief. "You DIED. We buried you. We went to your FUNERAL."
Wednesday rolled her eyes, brushing off specks of dust like this was the most normal thing in the world. "Of course I’m not dead. I’ve survived way worse than this. Remember when I told you about that trip with my uncle to the Bermudas? That was a close call. This? Amateur hour."
She turned to Enid. "Did my family do the whole dramatic eulogy thing?"
Enid nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, you would’ve loved it."
Wednesday hummed in approval. "I’m sorry I couldn’t make it in time. Maybe next time, I can come back during the funeral. That’d make a spectacular entrance."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NEXT TIME'?!" Yoko shrieked.
Wednesday smirked. "Not my first, not my last."
Ajax stared, his mouth opening and closing uselessly. "This… this isn’t real. This can’t be real."
"Oh, it’s real," Wednesday said, smirking. "I’m just that good." She dusted off her sleeves, her voice turning flat. "And honestly? I’m a little offended you guys actually believed I was weak enough to die from a little gunshot."
Bianca stared at her, absolutely losing her mind. "Wednesday. You were dead. No heartbeat, no breath, no nothing. We buried you. How are you standing here right now?"
Wednesday tilted her head, pretending to think. "Let’s see… sheer willpower, impeccable timing, and a little bit of stubbornness. You know, the usual."
"The usual?! " Yoko sputtered, voice rising into hysteria. "Wednesday, we had a funeral! We buried you! You were dead! Medically! Officially!"
Ajax let out a guttural noise that sounded half like a scream and half like a broken sob.
Enid snorted, shaking her head. "Just accept it, guys."
Ajax stared at her like she had completely lost it. "Enid, she came back from the dead!"
Enid just shrugged. "She pinky swore."
Yoko’s eye twitched. "I need to sit down."
Ajax pointed at Wednesday. "You need to stay dead."
Wednesday smirked, leaning slightly into Enid’s side. "Not happening."
Enid, still close, glanced down at her, something flickering behind her expression. "Wouldn’t let you, anyway."
Wednesday turned toward her fully, lips parting just slightly, an unreadable look passing between them—something quiet, something charged. "Good."
Bianca let out an exhausted groan, dropping to the ground. "I can’t believe this is real."
Wednesday cracked her neck, completely unfazed. "Well, get used to it." She rolled her shoulders and let out a yawn. "Anyway, I’m starving."
Enid, still glowing with victory, grabbed Wednesday’s hand, their fingers slotting together like they belonged there. "Let’s get you some food. Dying is hard work. Then we will go back to our room and take a nape."
Wednesday squeezed lightly before grinning. "Finally, someone with priorities."
And just like that, Wednesday and Enid started walking away, hands brushing, heads tilted toward each other, already lost in their own world.
Yoko, Ajax, and Bianca stayed frozen for a long moment, still struggling to understand what they had just witnessed.
Ajax groaned. "Do we just—go with them?"
Yoko let out a long, exhausted sigh. "What choice do we have?"
Bianca buried her face in her hands. "I need a drink."
Ajax nodded. "Same."
And so, with too many unanswered questions and not enough sanity left to process them, they followed the two girls—only to find themselves even more baffled by the sight of Wednesday being genuinely affectionate with Enid.
Wednesday was back.
And somehow, that wasn’t even the weirdest part.