POMEGRANATE, addams

𝖝𝖎𝖝. 𝖋𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖊

Hades and Persephone stand behind Wednesday as the group watches the fire melt the face of Joseph Crackstone. Whoever said revenge is best served cold has obviously never played with fire.

◇ ◇ ◇

"That was a disaster." Principal Weems paces around her office, heels clicking against the floor. "The mayor is furious! I've lost count of the angry phone calls, emails, and people in the town, alumni and parents. They want answers and so do I." She points an accusatory finger at Wednesday who is perched calmly on a leather chair. Persephone sits in the other chair with Hades leaning on the arm of the seat.

"I would lead the inquisition, but I left my thumbscrews and rack at home." Wednesday quips.

"Miss Addams... you're already on thin ice. Wafer-thin ice." Weems seethes. "And dragging your brother and roommate through the dirt with you!"

"I swear on my late scorpion's soul, my hands are clean. As are Hades and Persephone's." Wednesday declares. Hades and Persephone share a smug glance. She's not technically lying. Thing was the one who set the whole display up.

"I may not have hard evidence, but I see you. You're a trouble magnet."

"If trouble means standing up to lies," Wednesday rises from her seat and strides over to stand in front of Weems. "Decades of discrimination, centuries of treating outcasts like second-class citizens or worse..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Jericho." Persephone states, rapidly losing the faith she once had in her principal.

"Why does this town even have an Outreach Day?" Wednesday asks. "Don't you know its real history with outcasts? The actual story of Joseph Crackstone?"

Weems sighs before admitting, "I do. To an extent."

Persephone stands up to join Wednesday, confused by Weems' actions. "Then why be complicit in its cover up?"

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." Hades and Wednesday chime together. History is an important subject for the Addams family. They learn to respect the ancestors who came before them as well as learning important life lessons from their efforts and mistakes.

"That's where you and I differ. Where you see doom, I see opportunity. Maybe this is a chance to rewrite the wrongs, to start a new chapter in the normie-outcast relations." Weems remarks positively, typical painted red smile adorning her pale face.

"Nothing has changed since Crackstone." Wednesday declares, staring up at Weems.

Persephone is reminded of the ridicule she faces from normies and bitterly adds, "They still hate us."

Hades stands up to join the two, placing his hand on Persephone's back. "Only now they sugarcoat it with platitudes and smiles." Hades' deep voice brings comfort to Persephone in this tense standoff.

Wednesday folds her arms in front of her body. "If you're unwilling to fight for the truth-"

"You don't think I want the truth?" Weems snaps, standing up to her full looming height. "Of course I do. But the world isn't always black and white. There are shades of grey."

"Maybe for you. But it's either they write our story or we do. You can't have it both ways."

"The villain will always be the villain if the hero tells the story." Persephone states passionately. She has been on the receiving end of jeers from normies who don't take the chance to get to know outcasts. Normies treat them like abominations but never stop to wonder if they're the ones who are different and weird. Maybe they're what's wrong with the world.