Tragic News
"Okay! We all know the rules to dodgedarts. It's like dodgeball but with darts. Are you kids ready?" Gomez called out.
"We've been ready dad," Pugsley answered on the other side of the field.
"More like ready to lose! Haha! Isn't that right, cara mia?" Gomez looked to the left where his wife stood next to him.
"That is right my love. We have played this game ever since we were teenagers," Morticia latched her arms around Gomez's shoulders.
"You're right. This time, I will be taking a dart for you, my precious jewel," Gomez whispered to the tall woman as he inched closer to her.
"Oh, mio adorabile marito," Morticia gazed down at Gomez, almost connecting their lips when a dart flew between their faces.
It made the married couple unlatch themselves and whirl their heads to see their eldest child had thrown the small and sharpened arrow.
"This is not the appropriate time to have your grubby hands on each other. Not to mention devouring with your mouths pressed together. Begin the game Lurch. I'm prepared to win," Wednesday said confidently.
Both teams were set to launch their attacks. Lurch put an index finger and thumb into his mouth before whistling a high pitched noise. It signaled the two teams to start playing. Without holding back, Pugsley and Wednesday tossed their darts at their parents with accuracy.
Gomez tried catching one of his childrens' darts but missed. On the other hand, Morticia was dodging them like bullets and managed to hurl one of her tiny arrows. So far, no one has been hit, and darts were flying everywhere around the four individuals. During the game, Gomez heard a ringtone ringing from his phone as it buzzed in his pocket.
He stopped moving and reached in to grab the device. Gomez felt a dart prick his thigh and didn't flinch when he recognized a particular name on the screen.
Esther Sinclair.
Gomez tapped on the green button to answer the phone call, "Hello Esther?"
"Is this Gomez?"
"Yes ma'am. This is he," he stepped out of the game.
"I'm calling to inform you that we'll be arriving in less than two hours," Esther reported.
"That's great! I'm looking forward to meeting you and your family during dinner time. How does red meat sound?"
"Sounds wonderful Mr. Addams! I can't wait to make our deal together," the woman expressed merrily.
"Likewise Mrs. Sinclair. We will be waiting," was the last thing Gomez indicated before ending the call.
"I see you were on the phone with Mrs. Sinclair I presume," Morticia came up to her husband with three darts stuck on her left arm.
"Yes I was. Is the game over?" The man asked.
"Why yes darling. Our kids have won," Morticia declared as she picked out the little arrows.
"Fantastic! Speaking of kids, should we tell Wednesday the news right now? The Sinclair family are on their way," Gomez added to the conversation.
"How far exactly?"
"About two hours."
"Hmm. I say we wait until it's brought up by the Sinclairs," Morticia suggested.
"I love the way you think querida," the older Addams cooed.
"I find you two to be the most atrocious players in dodgedarts," Wednesday crept up to her parents.
"Even if we are, today is a great day for your mother and I," Gomez lifted the corner of his lips.
"What's making you disgustingly enraptured?" Wednesday crossed her arms.
"You're about to find out soon. First, we must get everything ready for our new friends!"
"Friends?"
"Yes! We have a family visiting. There's a lot to discuss with them. They even have a daughter who's around your age," Gomez hinted but his daughter didn't care.
"If this family doesn't have anything to do with me, I will linger in my room instead of associating with people I've never met," Wednesday gave a heads up.
"It certainly does have something to do with you darling," Morticia blurted out smoothly.
"Why is that mother?" The small girl lifted a brow.
"You can figure it out honey. Now, I must make dinner for our visitors," that was a cue for Morticia to leave.
"And I should make sure the mansion is tidy. Come on Lurch! We need to find Thing and get him to help us," Gomez invited the butler to aid him in the house, leaving Wednesday outside.
Pugsley was nowhere to be found as he ran inside after finding his mother entering the house. Wednesday decided to spend the remaining time she has to build multiple holes. In case the guests get underneath the girl's skin, she'll put sleeping pills in their drinks and bury them alive as they are sound asleep. It's a wonderful plan considering the Addams family have a cemetery filled with the dead five feet in the ground.
As the gothic family are arranging a small dinner for their future business partners, the Sinclair family are driving on the road to the Addams' residence. Murray, Esther, and Enid were the only ones traveling in their rented, expensive, red car. Enid's brothers had their own families to take care of so they were out of sight from their parent's care.
As the youngest, Enid had a lot of pressure to take over her parent's company. There was more coercion when it comes to finding a partner for the young werewolf to help keep the corporation going. Fortunately, her parents found a way to do something about it for their only daughter.
"I don't understand why I have to go with you guys. You know I'm old enough to take care of myself at home, right?" Enid unplugged her headphones while she spoke to her parents.
"We know that Enid. It's about our organization, and you're going to be a part of the conversation that we'll have with the Addams family," Esther bitterly explained.
"Is this about me becoming the next CEO of Outcast Home Builders?" The blonde questioned her mother.
"Yes. There's more to the answer, but now is not the time. I have a big surprise for you, my little pup. You'll love it," Enid's mom glanced at the backseat to give her daughter a smile.
"You really mean it?"
"Of course! Isn't that right Murray?" Esther turns her head to her husband to get him to agree.
"O-oh! Yes! Enid will absolutely love it," Murray fakely smiled to his wife then to Enid swiftly before focusing back on the street.
"There's nothing to worry about Enid. You will become the greatest CEO of all time. Even better for what we have planned out. Just you wait and see," the elder woman commented.
"If you say so," Enid mumbled to herself.
The vivid lycan plugged her headphones back in her ears to listen to music. She stared out of the window with her head leaning onto it. Rows of pine trees between two narrow roads was all Enid saw. The werewolf family was in the northern part of New Jersey where the Addams family are currently living there.
The Sinclairs had flown in a private jet over to New Jersey. It was almost a full six hour flight when they made it to the airport. That's where the lycanthropes rented a car and loaded up their bags. Out of the three, Enid had the most luggage and duffel bags out of her parents. Though, the blonde thought nothing of it. After the family had picked out the most luxurious car there is, they were on their way to officially meet the members of the Addams family.
It was a two hour drive that flew by quickly once the trio were minutes away from approaching the three story structure. Their eyes were able to capture the mansion easily. It was in a secluded area, it appeared. There were a few naked trees around the old property with a long set of fences on the front of the house. An open gate was presented right as Murray arrived at the entrance of the long, dirt pathway to the driveway.
While the vehicle pulled up to the house, Enid had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was unknown to her whether she's feeling anxious or queasy. Whichever it was, the lycanthrope disliked the notion of being here. Enid hopes that the Addams family are decent people to meet and get along with.
Murray put the car in park and turned off the engine. Esther whipped her phone out to message Gomez about their arrival. She then looked at her husband and daughter to signal them to get out of the car. Each of the three unbuckled their seatbelts and opened the door to exit. Murray was the only one who brought a folder with him to take. After closing the car doors, they were met with a huge manor with the sun steadily setting behind it.
Strangely to the lycans, the yard around it barely had an inch of grass with nothing decorative like a fountain, tennis court, or even a pool like rich families own. There weren't any neighbors from a mile radius either. Enid began getting the heebie-jeebies from the way the property looked. She felt like she was in a horror movie.
Her parents did not care about the looks of the home. Instead, both strolled forward to the front porch. It had a few steps to climb before reaching the door. Enid followed behind them and pretended to act normal when in reality her heart was pounding against her chest. Esther took the chance to knock on the door with the back of her knuckles loudly.
The older woman stepped back after knocking as the family waited patiently for someone to open the door. Seconds later is when they heard footsteps coming closer to the entrance. It was then replaced with the sound of the door unlocking for a brief moment until the knob twisted, and the door opened. Interior of the mansion was Gomez Addams in his striped, business suit.
"Welcome to the terrifying home of the Addams family! Pleased to see that all of you made it here safely. I'm Gomez Addams," Gomez stretched out his hand.
"Thank you for your kind gesture Gomez. This is my husband, Murray, and my daughter, Enid," Esther introduced her family while they shook Gomez's hand.
"Nice to meet you, my fellow acquaintances. Come on in. My wife has dinner ready and set up," Gomez stepped aside for the werewolves to enter.
"Thank you for being considerate. We sure are hungry after a long day of sitting for hours," Esther made a commentary.
"No problem. Make yourselves at home," Gomez closed the door and had the mini group follow him to the dining area.
The family took in the designs, paintings, and objects inside the house. The staircase and chandelier is what brought Enid's attention mostly. Nothing can compare them to the modern manor that the blonde lives in. She was able to tell and sniff out the aged aroma she caught inside of the household. Enid did catch cobwebs and dust laying everywhere. In her mind, she knew the property was as old as two centuries.
Next door to the foyer was the living room. It had two loveseats, a wooden rocking chair, and a fireplace. What was mind blowing to Enid was that there were weapons such as swords and daggers hung up on the wall. Her parents kept a professional expression like nothing phased them. The young wolf felt chills crawl up her spine from the sight of the weaponries.
The feeling ended when her eyes landed on a large portrait of the Addams family. They were standing really close to each other without any radiant faces. Morticia, Gomez, and Pugsley had somewhat a bit of expression, but Wednesday was the only one with an emotionless appearance. Enid found it weird, yet she moved on to the next room which was the dining area.
"And here we are," Gomez allowed the Sinclairs to pass through into the room.
Morticia, Wednesday, and Pugsley were standing around the table. Morticia held a small grin, Pugsley looked concerned, and Wednesday had a dull appearance. Gomez went ahead and presented his family.
"Sinclairs, this is my wife, Morticia. And these are my children, Wednesday and Pugsley," he wrapped an arm around Morticia's waist and then pointed at his kids.
Murray and Esther went ahead to shake hands with Morticia and Pugsley. Wednesday stayed still watching the encounter in front of her. Enid felt slightly awkward standing so she went ahead to at least interact with the goth girl.
"Hi there! I'm Enid Sinclair. Nice to meet you," the lycan held out her hand in front of the expressionless Addams.
Wednesday didn't give a greeting back nor did she give Enid a handshake. Morticia saw the situation and decided to intrude.
"My apologies Enid. Wednesday is not the type of person who enjoys physical touch," the dove woman explained.
The blonde retreated her hand in a fast motion and replied, "Oh! I'm so sorry about that. I didn't know."
"No worries sweetheart. Go on and take a seat. You must be starving," Morticia grabbed Enid by the shoulders and brought her over to a chair.
Esther and Murray sat along with their daughter whereas the Addams took a seat. Lurch emerged out of the corner where he was hiding and began lifting the lids where all the food was laid out on platters. Steam came out and overcame the oxygen, making everyone's stomach growl in hunger besides Wednesday and Enid.
"Dig in, family and friends," Gomez stated excitedly.
Everybody started gathering food in the middle of the long table like it's a buffet. Wednesday was the only one who didn't bother to grab any rations. She glared intently at the Sinclairs. Enid sensed the girl gazing at her mostly, and she was right. It was one of the deadliest stares the lycanthrope has ever seen. If looks could kill, she'd be on the floor immediately.
"You cooked all of this Morticia?" Murray wondered as he munched on a piece of pork.
"Yes, but I did have some help from our butler, Lurch," Morticia responded.
"The food is wonderful. I'm sure your children are grateful to have you and Gomez. It would be the same for us. I mean, without our businesses, they wouldn't have anything. Don't you think so?" Esther uttered as she raised her empty wine glass for Lurch to fill up with one of the finest wines Gomez had bought.
"I agree. That is why we must keep the company alive to live a once of a lifetime opportunity," Gomez vocalized in a meaningful way.
"You've read my mind. It's a good thing we'll be combining our establishments together and passing it down to our daughters. They will be the perfect duo to become the most powerful couple in the world," Esther announced proudly.
"Most powerful couple? What do you mean by that?" Enid furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head to Esther.
"Murray, hand me the folder," Esther demanded before her husband hurriedly handed the woman the papered file.
She grabbed it and tossed it in front of Enid on the table. Her daughter didn't have a clue as to what was going on, but she flipped the folder open to reveal a thin stack of papers with words written on it. Two words written in bold letters stood out to Enid.
Marriage Contract.
"Is that what I think it is?" Morticia questioned as she glanced at the paper.
"Yes it is. That's your surprise my sweet wolf. You're going to be married to Wednesday Addams. The daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams," Esther announced eagerly.
"Congratulations you two!" Gomez stood up to express his cheerfulness.
"Congratulations? This is insane!!! I never agreed to this! What kind of surprise is this?!?" Enid lashed out on both sets of parents as her claws and canines extended at an alarming rate.
"Father. Mother. To my room. NOW!" Wednesday furiously shouted at her parents with her hands balled up into fists.
Without angering their daughter more, Morticia and Gomez rapidly left the dining area to go into Wednesday's bedroom. They went through the hallway and up to the staircase where it led to a lobby filled with rooms. A particular one had a door painted in all black with a sign that says, Do Not Enter. The Addams did head in the dark while Wednesday closed the door behind her.
"Out of the billions of people in this world, I'm being married to a werewolf!?" Wednesday darted daggers at her parents, physically and staringly.
"Yes, my little raven. The Sinclair family will be collaborating their business with our own in exchange for Enid marrying you. You need a partner for the rest of your life to take over our company," her father cracked a smile.
"Kill me now."
"We cannot do that. You will need to face the fact that you are going to be married to Enid Sinclair," Morticia claimed sternly.
"You know that I'm seventeen correct?" Wednesday scowled.
"Correct, but it is legal for minors to get married. Plus, the arranged wedding isn't until after your birthday. You'll be eighteen by the time the wedding day comes forth. You're only a few months apart from Enid," the black haired woman declared.
"That doesn't make this situation any better. I will never fall in love with her nor will I stay married to her. One, she's covered in color. Two, she is a lycanthrope which makes her a dog. And three, she will feel the same way as I do right now," the small girl pointed out.
"The marriage contract is filled out and confirmed, my poisonous plant. Even if you rip the one we have here, there's already copies of the contract," Gomez wanted his daughter to be aware of it.
"I will divorce Enid without hesitation," Wednesday flatly argued.
"You have to be officially married to divorce each other darling," Morticia reminded her child.
"Once you two are completely asleep, you'll find yourselves awake and buried along with the Sinclair family," Wednesday threatened.
"Sounds amazing my little girl! Your mother and I will head back down to check if Murray and Esther are still alive," Gomez smiled as he and Morticia went around Wednesday to exit her room.
"Unbelievable," Wednesday murmured under her breath.
Tap tap!
Wednesday heard the sound from the floor and tilted her head down. She found Thing thudding his fingertips on the wooden ground to grab her attention.
What is happening? Who invited these intruders? Thing signed worriedly.
"Intruders that I wish are dead."
During the moment Wednesday is catching up Thing with the scenario that happened throughout dinner time, Enid was outside with her parents.
"How could you?! This was never what I wanted," the small werewolf screamed out.
"But this is what you need. There's a difference," Esther remarked at her daughter.
"Need? There is no need for me to marry Wednesday, mom! I barely even met her, and she looks like she is about to gut me alive," Enid tried to encourage her parents to change their minds.
"That's enough Enid!!! I do not want to hear you complain anymore! You will marry Wednesday, and that's final! You are turning into an ungrateful brat just like your brothers."
"It's no wonder why they all left the pack. You treated my brothers like shit, yet I get the worst treatment out of all of them because I'm the only female in the family," the blonde elaborated sharply.
"We're going through with this process whether you like it or not," Esther gripped Enid's luggage and bags from the trunk of the car and harshly tossed it into the dirt.
"I hope you're happy with ruining my life," Enid tried guilt tripping her mother, but it didn't work.
"I'm happy that we'll be future billionaires and the most powerful people in the world thanks to you and Wednesday," Esther calmly insinuated.
Murray watched the conversation unfold before staring down at the dirt with full culpability. His wife was in control of the idea. He preferred his daughter to make her own choices, although Esther has both of them wrapped around her fingers.
"You're really going to let mom do this to me dad?" Enid interrogated her father.
The man did not reply to her. He kept quiet, not wanting to blink an eye at Enid. Murray heard his daughter make a sound of disapproval.
"The rest of your stuff will be coming tomorrow. Your father and I must head back to California. We have clients waiting on us," Esther brought up her and Murray's departure.
"Leaving so soon are we my friends?" Gomez came out of his house with Morticia and Lurch trailing behind him.
"I'm afraid so. Money is on its way to our bank accounts soon. We must continue working," Esther informed the couple.
"We understand. Enid will be in good hands, and Wednesday is willing to get along with her," Morticia notified the lycan family.
"That's great to hear. Enid will enjoy getting to know Wednesday. Thank you for dinner by the way. It was delicious," the tempered woman expressed politely.
"And thank you for joining us. It was a pleasure making business with you two," Gomez shook hands with Murray and Esther.
"Anytime Gomez and Morticia. Have a wonderful night. Bye Enid. Behave yourself," Esther waved at Enid and the clingy couple.
"You too! Have a safe trip back home," Morticia waved back along with Gomez.
Enid didn't wave back and instead folded her arms. She watched her parents go inside the car and buckle up. Murray turned on the engine and put the car in drive. Enid looked at the car leaving with a trail of dust flying out into the air. She wasn't able to see them anymore after they drove past the gate. The blonde was now going to stay with the Addams family.
"Lurch will go ahead and take your belongings upstairs. Why don't you come inside and finish dinner? We don't want you to sleep with an empty stomach," Gomez recommended.
"I-I lost my appetite. I'm sorry," Enid unfolded her arms as she apologized.
"No need to say sorry dear. Do you need some time alone?"
"No, I'm okay. I think I will go straight to bed. The flight and drive here pretty much worn me out."
"That's fine with us. Lurch can lead you to your new room," Gomez notified the girl.
"Thanks," Enid said before grabbing a duffel bag and followed Lurch who carried her suitcase and another bag into the mansion.
"Do you believe we did the right thing?" Morticia questioned her husband.
"Of course la mia vita. Our parents did the same once we both turned eighteen. Even before, we were in love already. They'll fall for each other soon," Gomez noted.
"I hope you're right."
Morticia and Gomez went back inside the manor as the partial moon hovered over the planet. Pugsley was still eating his dinner before the couple joined him on the dinner table. Enid and Lurch were upstairs walking through the hallway when Lurch placed the luggages down in front of the black door.
Lurch didn't proceed to go into the bedroom and turned around to leave Enid standing in front of the blackened door. The female beast did not understand why Lurch had left her stuff on the floor, but she didn't mind it. What threw Enid off was the sign hanging on the door. She wasn't sure if any of the Addams had claimed the room from the beginning.
Enid shrugged her shoulders to herself and proceeded to move forward. She tossed the strap of her duffel bag over her shoulder and held the other in her left hand. With the empty hand, the werewolf clenched the knob and twisted it clockwise. She pushed it to open to enter herself in the bedroom. It was dark and the only source of light were candles lit up.
The young Sinclair was capable of placing her full body inside and was looking for a switch to turn the lights on until a human figure pushed her against the wall. There was a shininess glare near Enid's throat as the person had their arm pressed against the lycanthrope's collarbone. The blonde recognized the person to be Wednesday holding a dagger with a curved and sharp blade to her neck.
"Woah woah woah! Wait a minute here! Please do not kill me," Enid pleaded as her eyes grew wide in fear.
"Oh I will because I do not want to be united in a marriage to a mutt like you," Wednesday argued.
"First of all, I'm not a mutt. Secondly, I don't want to be married to you either. And thirdly, I don't plan on dying with a knife to my throat."
"Then why are you in my room?"
"Your room!? I thought this was mine for the time being. Your butler led me here with your parents telling him to bring me up to my room," Enid explicated further.
"How foolish are my parents? Do they think I do not know what they are planning?" Wednesday pulled away from Enid, allowing her to sigh in relief.
"I'm guessing they want us to sleep in the same room," was the first thought that came through Enid's mind.
"Yes, but you will absolutely not sleep in here. There are plenty of other rooms you can stay in," the raven protested.
"I agree with you, however, this is not my house. It's not my place to choose and pick what room I wish to sleep in when your parents are here," the lycan stated.
"Then you're sleeping on the floor. Don't blame me when my dagger is sticking out of your stomach while you're sleeping," Wednesday warned the blonde.
"Are you a murderer or something?" Enid was deep down petrified.
"I can be when I feel like it."