The girl in black
Enid was only five years old when she met Wednesday or Willa but only Enid was allowed to call her that. She still remembers the day she met her best friend. It was someday in august where she had in fact gotten in trouble again for something she didn't even do. She was sent to bed early and when after she had been tucked in by her dad and finally drifted asleep, she woke up in a dark void; then that's when she saw her. In a place full of darkness there was a girl who looked roughly around her age. The mystery girl had really black hair, and kind of the same-colored eyes, which Enid thought was strange because her skin seemed to be made out porcelain. As soon as she saw the girl she just knew that they had to be friends, to Enid she looked really cool. Plus, she was kind of pretty.
After she had successfully got close to the girl the first words that came out her mouth were:
"Hi. What's your name? Do you want to be friends? How old are you? What are you doing in my dream?"
The girl just stayed silent and looked her dead in her eyes with a slightly shocked expression.
"Can you not talk, if you can't we can just play"
All Wednesday can do is nod her head at the girl in front of her, nobody was ever allowed in this room. It was created by her mother so she could have a moment of peace without anyone around her. She thought about telling off the girl who was now holding her hand, no one was ever allowed to touch Wednesday but for some strange Wednesday not only allowed her into her personal space she also let this stranger hold her hand. Anyone else who would have tried would have gotten stabbed but with this girl she didn't feel like doing that. Then Enid spoke up again:
"Oh, I forgot I wasn't in my room so we can't play with any toys, but we can play other things if you'd like. My name is Enid by the way!"
"Mine is Wednesday Addams, and yes I can talk, I am six years old, I have no understanding of what a friend is, and I don't know why you think this is a dream when you clearly infiltrated my room."
Enid's eyes shined with excitement. "Wednesday Addams? What an awesome name! Is it Willa for short? That would be like a nickname name, right?"
Wednesday's eyebrow furrowed a fraction. "I suppose. if you feel you must."
"Wonderful!" Enid said gaily, swinging their linked hands. "And this is your room? It's so. gloomy. You don't have any toys or books or--
Wednesday shook her head. "This is my quiet place. Mother created it for me when the world becomes too cheerful."
Enid giggled. "You're funny, Willa. But don't worry, I won't make it too cheerful. We can just talk if you want."
For the first time, a hint of a smile tugged at Wednesday's lips. "Very well. What shall we discuss?"
"Oh, I know!" Enid exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. "Let's talk about our favorite things! I'll go first. I love puppies, and rainbows, and ice cream sundaes with extra sprinkles!"
Wednesday's face contorted into a grimace. "How. sickeningly sweet."
Enid giggled again. "Okay, your turn! What are your favorite things, Willa?"
Wednesday paused, considering. "I enjoy the art of taxidermy, studying venomous creatures, and perfecting my guillotine model."
Enid's eyes went even wider. "Wow, that sounds so interesting! I don't know what some of those words mean, but they sound really cool. Can you teach me about them?"
For a moment, Wednesday looked taken aback. No one had ever shown honest interest in her macabre hobbies before. She felt a strange warmth in her chest that she couldn't quite place.
"You. want to learn about these things?" Wednesday asked falteringly.
Enid nodded fervently. "Of course! They sound so exciting and different. Plus, if they're your favorite things, they must be really special."
Wednesday's lips arced into a small, infrequent smile. "Very well. I suppose I could start by explaining the intricacies of taxidermy. It's the art of preserving animal specimens for display or study."
As Wednesday began to explain in great detail, Enid listened intently, her eyes wide and wondering as she asked questions and made appropriately shocked noises. Several hours might have passed in that darkened space as the two girls conversed; Wednesday opened herself more and more to Enid's ready enthusiasm and curiosity. Perhaps for the first time in her short life, Wednesday felt seen and understood.
As they spoke, the darkness around them tumbled and changed. Shadows danced and swirled into shapes that reflected their discussion: when Wednesday spoke of her cherished collection of tarantulas, wispy arachnids skittered across the void; as Enid shared her love for building sandcastles, grainy structures rose and fell in the distance.
"This is amazing, Willa!" Enid exclaimed, reaching out to touch a ghostly butterfly that had materialized nearby. "Is your room always like this?"
Wednesday shook her head, equally mesmerized. "No, never. I've always been alone here before."
Enid squeezed her new friend's hand. "Well, you're not alone anymore. I'll visit you whenever I can!"
Wednesday felt an unfamiliar pang in her chest. "You promise?"
"Of course!" Enid beamed. "That's what best friends do!"
Best friends. The words rang in Wednesday's head. She had never had a friend, much less a best friend. It was a foreign concept, but oddly appealing.
Then the void started to flicker and fade. Enid's form began to grow translucent.
"Oh no," Enid pouted. "I think I'm waking up."
Wednesday felt a surge of panic. "Will you come back?"
Enid nodded vigorously as she faded on. "I'll try really hard! Maybe if I think about you before I go to sleep, I can find my way back here."
As Enid disappeared completely, Wednesday found herself alone once more in the dark.