stay, Inez ~ xavier thorpe

car

"What's up?" Enid says, looking up quickly to greet me before looking back at her phone.

"Hi Enid." I smile, laying down on Wednesday's bed as she writes on her typewriter.

I wait for my sister to finish, not wanting to interrupt her.
It only takes a few minutes before she turns to me, her expressionless face disappearing, now worried.

"What happened to your face?" She asks, almost sounding angry.

"Oh I ran into a tree branch on the way back. It's just a small cut." I say.

I didn't want Wednesday to be more suspicious of Xavier, so I lied.
She gives me a look, not believing me.

Before she can say something, Thing snaps his fingers, drawing our attention to him.
He crawls under the bed I'm on, then pulls out a big suitcase and a small box.

He throws me the box, confusing me even more.
Untying the black bow surrounding the box, I lift up the lid gently.
A small card falls out the top half.
'Happy birthday Inez. We are sorry we couldn't make it for your first birthday in our family, but make sure to call us later on Wednesday's crystal ball. We want to see our little vipers🖤' written in beautiful lettering.

Taking out the contents of the box, a small clank is heard through the cloth bag.

Loosening up the bag, I pour out the small object.
It's a small ring with a ruby gemstone in the center.
The sides are engraved with the words 'Inez Addams'

Although I should be happy, this only makes me a little sad.
Like I was abandoning my dad, or ashamed to keep my last name. Would I have to legally change my name now?
Seeing my frown, Wednesday starts to talk.

"A dissection kit. The best gift." She smiles slightly.

Was it wrong to feel sad about my own name?
My name was my identity. I am Inez Fallon.
If I don't know who I am then what do I know?

"What did they get you?" Wednesday joins me on the bed.

I show her the ring, placing it on my finger.
Perfect fit.
She grabs my hand, admiring the present.

"I got the location. The Gates mansion." I changed the subject.

She stares at me for a second, slightly confused by my reaction to the present.

"Great. We'll go right now. Get ready." She says, pointing to the muddy shoe I kicked off as soon as I got here.

I had to admit, walking around with a giant bandaid on your leg for 2 months was not as cool as they made it sound in elementary school.
I quickly slide on my shoe, not even bothering to re-tie the shoelaces.

Thing rests on my shoulder as Wednesday and I sneak around the surrounding property of the mansion.
A light tap on my shoulder motions for me to stop walking.
Looking around, I see the mayor walking out the door, locking it in the process.

What's he doing here? Thing signs.

"Let's find out." Wednesday says, pulling me behind a bush to eavesdrop.

"I need to tell you something. It's urgent. Meet me at the usual in an hour." He says, sounding worried.

Wednesday and I look at each other in confusion.
What could possibly be going that the mayor himself had to be at this abandoned mansion?

"I need a distraction." Wednesday tells Thing and I.

I crawl to a path and start to throw pebbles at the mayor's feet to distract him.

Thing joins in, tossing the pebbles in front of the man.
We watch in awe as Wednesday sneaks behind him, opening his car trunk silently.

"What the hell is she doing?" I ask.

Thing and I have no choice but to watch as Wednesday crawls into his car, shutting the door behind herself.
What do we do now?

The mayor's car rolls off not long after, leaving the appendage and I alone.

"Should we check it out? While we're here?" I smile, turning to the old house.

For a house abandoned 30 years ago, the house was in perfect condition, only noticeable flaws being the cracked paint.
The plants were healthy, surprisingly not overgrown or dead.
Not without your sister. She would freak out. Thing says, making me smile.

"True." I stare at the house in confusion.

Thing shakes my ankle, questioning my facial expression.

"The house. There's an energy here. I just don't know what. And the plants. The grass is dead, like it should be, but these flowers are extremely rare, almost impossible to keep alive, and they aren't even withered. Almost as if Casper the ghost had a gardening hobby." I joke, slightly creeped out.

Let's get out of here Thing begins to crawl away, motioning for me to join him.

"Right behind you." I run up and grab Thing, resting him back onto my shoulder.