𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 - 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬

forty three | are you still here?

-FORTY THREE-

Death. Such a funny thing. It could be anywhere. Outside the door whilst you read a book to your sick grandchild, or even waiting for you in class on your first day of kindergarten. Death didn't discriminate. It took away the rich, the poor, the young, the old. It stopped for no one, just like time. 

'If an arrow has your name on it, on you it shall always land,' a statement told to her on multiple occasions to her by her grandfather. 'If it is to pierce another's heart, you cannot stop it.' 

Even though she knew she had it coming, even though she was aware that all the blood on her hands would lead to this, she didn't think she truly deserved it. 

Why was it so difficult for life to not knock her down every time she tried getting hurt? Why was it so difficult for the universe to let her live normally? 

She felt herself falling through empty space, darkness closing in, constricting her throat. She was vaguely aware of a dull pulsing in her chest where the dagger had pierced her heart, and felt a horrible sense of nausea as the thought sank in. 

She was dead. 

Memories flashed through the screen of her mind. Her brother showing her how to box, Oliver teaching her lockpicking, finding out Kelpie was a dragon for the first time, meeting Lyssa, kissing Wednesday Addams. 

It all faded away before she could properly grasp it. 

She didn't know when or where she was after she landed. Only after she heard footsteps nearby, she realised where she was.

She stood in a clearing, surrounded by trees, their gaping wide canopies forming a roof over the forest floor, allowing only gold slivers of light to fall on it, giving the whole area a greenish illumination. Birds twittered and chirped in the foliage above, while a gentle breeze blew fallen leaves around. 

From the trees emerged a woman with flowing hair and large, creamy wings on her shoulders. She had a face which looked young and old at the same time. While her eyes held unimaginable wisdom, her features were soft and childlike. A crown of gold sat atop her head, and it seemed to reflect the light in the area to make rainbows as she walked. 

When the woman came up to her, Juniper immediately kneeled at her feet. 

"Lady Iris, goddess of the Dryads," said the girl in a breathy, slightly starstruck tone, "I am honoured to have been graced by your divine presence." 

Iris gently touched Juniper's shoulders, prompting her to rise. When the dryad did so, she was aware that she stood before her patroness in her true form. Though, she didn't quite remember morphing into it. 

"Juniper Carrow," smiled the goddess. Her voice was just as ageless as her external features. It was sweetly pitched, but had a knowing undertone laced with wisdom obtained for thousands of years. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Confusion made the dryad blink in shock, "What do you mean? I was stabbed in the heart, and I-I killed someone." Shame made her ears burn and her cheeks tint pink as she let her gaze drop down to the floor, eyes fixating on the soft grass upon which they both stood. 

"Well, I believe there has been an error in Hades' as well as Thanatos' judgement," replied the goddess with a small smile. "I have just been to reason with them, and for now, your soul is in my care." 

She held up her hand, in which was a small phial of green smoke, which writhed and churned like a brewing storm within the glass confines. 

"I deserve to die, my lady," sighed the dryad. "I meddled with death, I killed, I maimed and injured. I went against everything you ever decreed about my nature." 

Iris' warm brown eyes went wide with shock. "No, no!" She gasped in horror, "Everything you did, you didn't do so!" 

Confused, Juniper asked, "Pardon me?" 

"You were an innocent puppet in an evil puppeteer's hands," replied the goddess, placing a reassuring hand on Juniper's shoulder. "Laurel Gates completely changed your nature, using your weakness against you. She used you as a tool for her monstrous wants." 

"I know," scowled Juniper. "But I could've fought it." 

"No," said Iris. "No, you couldn't. She had your trust, your full faith. Anyone with those two things can do either good or bad with them. Marilyn, or Laurel, chose to be evil." 

"So what now? I stay in Purgatory for the rest of my...afterlife?" Asked the dryad, shrugging. "Honestly? Anything's better than the world for me now." 

The goddess gave a sad chuckle, "I have a feeling that Miss Addams has other plans. And I doubt she's going to let you die without a fight." With a wave of her hand, the sounds of the forest faded into the background, and Wednesday's voice came clear as day, echoing through the clearing. In the darkness of the trees, an almost holographic image of Wednesday displayed itself. 

She held Juniper's dead body in her arms, her breath quaking as she said in a trembling voice, choked with tears. 

"If you die..." the goth said, "I will kill you. Just...don't die yet, Juniper." 

Crackstone's figure loomed up behind her, knife in hand. Kelpie, having changed into his full form through the chains, stood in front of the zombie, hissing, growling, and spitting fire. 

"Cara mia," whispered Wednesday, barely keeping it together. 

However, she was rudely pulled up by Crackstone, who said something to her in a breathy whisper, before driving the knife through her chest with a sickening squelch. 

Juniper's heart broke, seeing the shorter girl's figure slide to the ground, wincing in pain. Her hand warmed when she saw Wednesday link Dead Juniper's index finger in her own, struggling to stay alive. 

"Go back to her," said Iris. "All will be forgiven." 

"All?" Asked Juniper, gasping. "Even--even Lyssa?"

"Especially Lyssa," smiled the goddess. "No one deserves to die for someone else's folly. Live your life, you have much to see, much to do." 

"Thank you, my lady," smiled the dryad, hope leaping in her chest. 

"Goodbye, Juniper," the goddess replied, waving her hand and allowing the dryad to fall back into the earth and vanish in a cloud of juniper blossoms. 

Before Iris turned around to leave, the forest scene fading to a land of death and decay, a massive figure burst through the cracked trees and shrubbery, with bruises, a cut lip and a bleeding nose. 

"What happened?!" Gasped the goddess in genuine concern. 

Panting, Thanatos, the god of Death replied, "Wednesday Addams happened." 

When the goddess was about to ask what he meant, he added in a defeated voice, "You don't want to know." 

---
I'M BACK FROM THE D E A D-

LMK HOW THIS CHAPTER WAS! 

KINDA A FILLER IG, IDK-

PLEASE COMMENT AND VOTE!

i LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

With love and hugs,
Sage