A Stone
Just as her hand was about to press down the lever to deliver the shock, the window broke. An ugly, jagged stone rolled in front of her feet with a crudely written, “Play?” etched onto it with what looked like charcoal. Wednesday sighed in annoyance, she wouldn’t be electrocuting Pugsley today…another failed attempt.
“He’s here,” she stated dryly, unbinding her brother from the chair.
“Amazing! It’s still early, so maybe we can go to the woods!” Pugsley shot for the door the moment he was loose like a wiggly pig.
The children were welcomed on their doorstep by a scrawny young figure about their age. This was Hyde Foundry. His curly black hair set shaggy on his pale face. He always wore the same thing: brown trousers, a matching brown blazer that looked slightly too big and twice his age, and a toad skull pin on his lapel.
“Aren’t we headed to the woods, then? It’ll be a full moon tonight.” He grinned. His pleasant, freckled face and pale skin were dreadfully offset by the sheer vigor always reeling behind his dark eyes. The Addams children met Hyde early in their lives. As neighbors, the Addams and Foundry families endured each other’s company with wicked delight. They often went golfing together, the winner (the one who broke the most windows) would buy the rest hatchets, hound dogs, and Hitlerszalonna. Now, as crudely independent, and earnestly rotten, Wednesday, Pugsley, and Hyde played together quite often, much to the neighborhood’s dismay. Not many days past between when hordes of cockroaches or murderous hawks rained down terror upon the little community—all due to the poke, pry, and play of these three.
“I brought lead, and salt, and bones to bury,” Hyde said, leading the way over dry sod toward the woods. “I also sewed black thread into my trousers and stamped a note with my own blood!” He listed his preparations for the full moon voyage.
“Yeah, that’s nice and all. Mother gave me dead rose stems and a sediment pebble from trout brains.” Pugsley tipped his nose up, ignoring his slight trip in the tall, twisted grass.
“What did you bring, Wens?” Hyde looked back at the eldest of the three.
“Don’t call me that, Foundry.” Wednesday stared him down sternly.
Pugsley chuckled, but quickly averted his cheer upon meeting his sister’s cold look. The children trod through the grass and small rocky paths, finally making it to the edge of the woods. The dark trees loomed tall and large up close, and a sense of chill swept over the eager group.
“What a beautiful night,” Wednesday said, watching the sun’s tinge fade away to the growing expanse of dark blues, greys, and blacks.
“Shall we?” Hyde grinned wide, his eyes reeling reeling reeling.
A Chill
The three friends started down the beaten trail of the woods. As regular visitors to the dim landscape, they knew exactly how long to follow the path before veering off into the underbrush. The call of crows, crunch of dry grass and sticks, and the children’s breathing were the only sounds in the woody silence; all seemed eerily loud in the expanse.
“The underbrush seems taller each time, yet it’s dead each time as well,” Pugsley heaved, lifting his stubby legs high to break down the obstacles Hyde neglected to clear.
“It will be a good night.” Wednesday marched in front of her brother. She did not seem to notice the sharp grass cutting away at her bare legs.
Hyde stopped. “Sh!” His arms spread out, signaling a halt.
“What?” Pugsley whispered, quite loudly.
“Shut up!” Hyde snapped.
The children stood still as stone, a chilly breeze rustling the tall, grey foliage surrounding them. After many dead minutes, Hyde’s head turned slowly to his accompaniment, a wicked smile plastered his face, his eyes ripe with excitement.
“It’s Seek.”
On his word, the breeze picked up to a brisk cold. The leaves swirled and the trees swayed.
Pugsley, “who’s that?”
Wednesday, “nice.”
Their voices were lost in the looming sound of wind and the creaking of trees. Hyde started forward, with only a simple hand gesture to alert his friends. Wednesday and Pugsley followed him swiftly, and as they followed, they noticed the sky disappearing with deeper tree coverage. The dark branches sucked the grey light away more and more. Soon, a charcoal atmosphere stretched across the children’s vision, only dark shadows and slivers of misty light swayed sparsely. They continued to trek, soon feeling the underbrush lighten and a chill space spread out.
“A glade,” said Wednesday.
“A stage,” said Hyde, standing beside her.
A Fall
“This is it?” Pugsley asked in underwhelm, scratching the side of his leg and dusting leaves off his messy hair.
“The light will shine, and the wind will settle, so long as we stay quiet and walk softly.” Hyde’s voice turned low and smooth. Eagerness exuded from him, causing Wednesday to shiver in anxiousness. They walked slowly into the forest opening, eyes sharply jumping from shadow to shadow. The overbearing wind and trembling of the trees died instantly as they entered the glade.
“Into the center,” Hyde whispered.
They stood still, waiting. The atmosphere seemed dull, like a dome covered the glade, muffling any sounds coming from the woods beyond. Hyde began pulling out his lead, and salt, and bones, laying them gently in from of him. He placed his blood-sealed note in front of the parcels ever so delicately. Wednesday and Pugsley followed along, placing their items in from of them neatly.
“Now,” Hyde said, breaking the silence, “we need the sacrifice.”
“A rabbit or mouse?” Pugsley peered over at Hyde.
“That’ll never do.” Hyde studied the ground.
“Pugsley,” Wednesday stated.
“What?” Both boys asked, each with very different tones.
“Pugsley should do,” she repeated.
Hyde smiled, “Ah yes. Genius.”
“Are you sure?” Pugsley hid the tremble in his voice.
“No, it’s perfect actually!” Hyde reached for the bowie knife attached to his trousers.
“Okay, I guess…” Pugsley turned to his companions with apprehension.
Hyde and Wednesday stood over Pugsley. “Lay down Pugs.” Hyde gestured to the open space in the center of the offerings.
“Will it hurt?” asked Pugsley.
“Of course,” Hyde responded.
“It will be horrific,” said Wednesday.
Pugsley laid in the chill grass, looking up as Hyde began straddling over him, adjusting the position of his knife and practicing his swings.
“Tell me when?”
“No, it should be a surprise.” Hyde said flatly, assessing his grip.
Wednesday stepped aside to observe, pressing her cold fingers between her arms.
Hyde studied his trajectory, correcting as he went and managing his foot placement carefully. After what seemed an eternity of adjusting to Pugsley, Hyde whispered, “okay,” to himself, smiling softly in his acquisition of the perfect angle. He slowly brought his hand up, steading his frame when…
Swoosh!!
A Muse
“Ahhggggg!”
Hyde let out a jagged cry, tripping over Pugsley and falling into the grass. His knife fell, sticking in the ground next to Pugsley’s head.
“Ah!” Pugsley started, then opened his eyes to find his chest still intact.
Wednesday whirled around to the source of the flying object that struck Hyde. A small figure hid behind the dark shadows, evading the dim, grey light. She ran over, intent to trap the assailant. Within the opaque shadow, Wednesday stood, focusing on her other senses to locate her prey.
Swoosh!!
Another flying object flew, only skimming past Wednesday. Immediately, she heard the assailant’s step in the dry grass and lurched toward the sound.
“Owww!”
“Wednesday!” Pugsley yelled, watching his sister disappear into the shadow.
“Stop Seek!” Hyde shouted firmly, as he sat on the ground where he fell rubbing his head.
Out from the shadow, Wednesday pulled a young girl by her leg as she thrashed around, a slingshot in her hand.
“You stole my slingshot, you dull!” Hyde’s wild eyes fizzled with annoyance, “I didn’t get to stab Pug.”
“I was supposed to!” The girl’s voice rustled the glade, her pitch shrill and fiery.
“Who is this?” Wednesday dropped the girl’s leg, also sharing an annoyed expression.
“It’s Seek, she ruined the whole thing…the performance was going so well.” Hyde pulled his knees to his chest, pouting.
“She was going to sacrifice me?” Pugsley looked betrayed by the possibility this girl would do such a sacred task.
“The next full moon is far away,” Hyde groaned, still holding his legs close to him.
“This is stupid, I’m going home.” Wednesday brushed off her skirt and began strutting away, Pugsley promptly stood to follow her.
“Wait! What about the feast?” Seek wined.
“Feast?” said Pugsley.
“Oh yes, I brought a basket of pig rind, squid soup, and fungal tarts.” She grinned.
“I’m not in the mood for squid soup…I want to sacrifice Pugs.” Hyde rubbed his eyes, smearing more grass and dirt on his face.
“I could go for some fungal tarts.” Wednesday walked back, “But please don’t talk and don’t look at me.” She looked down at Seek, a frail girl dressed in dirty stockings and a shaggy plaid dress.
“Deal!” She raced back into the shadowy outline of the glade to bring back a black picnic basket and a jug.
The children set aside their offerings, laid a blanket, and began sorting through the picnic niblets. Hyde sat dejected, picking up a slice of rye, but eventually he began talking and gesturing and telling the others about his grand plans for the next full moon and his experiments in his parents’ basement and the way his dog was growing a third ear. The night waned on, a breeze blew through the homely glade and the shadows shifted with the sway of the trees. The woods were quiet, and the children sat in soft agony. As the rye and tarts began to turn into crumbs, Pugsley looked up at Seek.
“So, which house do you live in?”
“What?” She said through a mouthful of squid.
“In the neighborhood. Do you live in the ugly yellow house or the horrid brick one?”
“Or the beautiful eyesore that is the colonial style one at the end?” Wednesday added.
“I don’t live out there. I stay here.” She continued munching.
“Oh?” Pugsley said, confused.
“Hyde,” Wednesday turned to him, “where did you find this girl?”
Hyde sat back, a smirk running across his face.
“I didn’t necessarily find her.”
The Addams children stared at their friend. “Huh?” Pugsley said.
“She’s me.”
Silence.
“He’s me,” Seek said.
“We’re the same.” Both children stated in unison.
“I found her here in the woods, and gave her back a consciousness,” Hyde added.
“Curious,” said Wednesday.
“Wednesday!”
The Addams children turned their head toward the shout.
“Wednesday!”
The glade grew dark.
“Wednesday, don’t turn around.”
Pugsley shrieked.
“Wednesday, go!”
Wednesday felt a chill behind her, and a small crunching sound echoed at her back.
“…Wens?” resonated Hyde’s smooth voice.
Reeling, reeling, reeling.
“Hyde?” Wednesday asked, shivering.
Reeling, reeling, reeling.
“Yes?” Hyde’s voice calmly responded.
Reeling, reeling, reeling.
“Turn around.” His voice whispered, closely in Wednesday’s ear.
“Hy—”
She turned.
Written by: Kayla Harper
Owl Things Considered 