Chapter Text
Ever since Wednesday had come to Nevermore, she had suffered headaches and sleepless nights because of the constant nightmares she experienced. She didn't want to speak with Enid about it, but her cheerful roommate noticed right away and began asking her questions.
"My mother encouraged insanity," Wednesday said after she explained the entirety of it to Enid.
"I'm sure she did," Enid said, passing her a Tylenol and a glass of water, "but maybe this will help. You need your sleep, Wednesday. Is that why you're always so cranky?"
"Even if I did get a wonderful eight hours," she said in a sarcastic tone. "I'd remain the same. It does not matter one way or another, Enid. The visions will persist, and sooner or later, it'll get the best of me."
"I'll make sure you're okay if anything dire happens, like fainting," said Enid.
Wednesday had taken the pill and the water, and when it was lights out, she stared at the ceiling for half the night until sleep finally found her. Except, she woke up as if it were any other day, tired with a pounding headache. She changed into her Nevermore uniform, brushed her hair out, braided it, and walked out with Enid who was as perky as ever.
She was careful not to touch anyone when she learned that the visions reacted to touch, a simple brush of an arm, or even a finger against her own. She never liked being touched anyways, but she had to be careful about the situation. She promised her mother that she would not turn out to be like her, and she promsied to herself that she wouldn't confess the visions to anyone besides Enid and Thing.
Mostly because Thing managed to find out during one of Wednesday's vision-episodes, and it was far too difficult to hide it from Enid since they were roommates.
As roommates, they didn't share all classes with one another. Their mornings were separate, while the afternoon, Wednesday would sit beside Enid or the other way around during Linguistics and Writing. The extra class was fencing, but they had that twice a week, and since Wednesday was new to Nevermore, she remained close to the teacher. She had reminded the coach that her father was excellent at fencing, and taught Wednesday and her brother, Pugsley, since they were children.
"I'll meet you in the cafeteria," Enid said, smiling.
Wednesday watched her go with a blank stare before moving onward down the hall.
The only one she talked to was Enid. She didn't make any more friends besides her, which didn't worry Wednesday all that much since she didn't exactly want to be friends with Enid in the first place. There were just some people in the world who managed to attach themselves to the unwilling, and that was Enid.
She was about to turn the corner when she bumped into someone with glasses. She bit back a gasp, but right away, her body spasmed and she fell hard onto the floor.
The blurry images of a vision consumed her mind, and she could see the splinters of a monster appearing from the darkness, the fireworks bursting into the night sky, and the scream of a boy covered in blood. A fading sigil of some kind on parchment...
When Wednesday had come too on the floor, the boy from the vision was knelt down in front of her, he was fixing his glasses and staring at her with both shock and worry.
"Are you okay? Did…I wind you? I didn't mean too," he said, taking in a few breaths before reaching for an inhaler that was in his backpocket.
Soft golden hair, cut in a steady trim, brown frames, and an immaculate Nevermore uniform.
Wednesday had no recollection of who this person was. She never really took notice of anyone anyways, and he seemed like the type of person to easily disappear in a crowd.
"I'm fine," Wednesday said. She was glad that he assumed the vision-episode was him winding her, it was a good enough cover to hide her ongoing symptoms.
She stood up and watched him walk off. She didn't even get his name, and when she had gone to her morning classes, she thought about each of the images that were shown. A monster in the woods. Fireworks. A boy being torn to shreds.
By the time the afternoon arrived, Wednesday had met up with Enid in the quad to ask her a few questions, but she was speaking to someone and her eyes were sparkling with admiration. She had seen Enid look at this particular boy before with complete interest, so it wasn't difficult to know this was Ajax Petropolus. He was one of the Stoners, and always wore a beanie over the amount of snakes underneath.
"Yes," Enid said with enthusiasm as Wednesday drew near them to hear their conversation, "I would love to go to the Harvest Festival with you, Ajax."
"Great," Ajax said, nodding his head before noticing Wednesday looming behind Enid. "Roommate behind you…"
Enid spun around to look at Wednesday, her cheeks are pink and are becoming more red now that she's embarrased. "Wednesday! Hey, have you heard about the Harvest Festival?"
"Yes, I had a vision of it," she told Enid as a way to also tell her that she needs to talk to her, and Enid being the smartest one she's ever known to pick up Wednesday's sarcasm nods with understanding. She turns, telling Ajax that she'll talk to him later about the specifics of the Harvest Festival and then dragged Wednesday away from the quad, and from prying eyes. If anything, they had gone to the library to whisper to one another since no one occupied the narrow halls besides making out later in the evening.
Enid took in a breath, "Okay, I thought you didn't like touching people."
Wednesday leaned close and said, "People can't stop touching me, it's annoying."
"What did you see?" Enid asked. "Is it dire, or…fun, or does it have to do anything with me with Ajax?"
Her cheeks are darkening again, but Wednesday shook her head at her question.
"I'd have to touch you to get that particular vision, and personally, I would not want anything to do with it," Wednesday said. "I bumped into someone I don't know. I don't think I've seen them before…he has glasses, and in the vision, he died. A monster killed him."
"A monster?" Enid asked, no longer embarrased or thrilled about the topic of the Harvest Festival. "What kind of monster?"
Wednesday shook her head. Recalling the vision, the blurriness, it was far too much and too little at the same time. "I don't know…"
"So, does that mean you're coming to the Harvest Festival?" Enid asked, her amusement rose, her excitement peaked, and now she's absolutely excited for a night that meant one of their fellow schoolmates will be killed.
"Yes," Wednesday said, "I'm going to the Harvest Festival."