I wasn't allowed to help Thing sabotage the dedication ceremony. After Wednesday told me about Crackstone's genocide I wanted everyone to know it was me who did it. I would be able to add it to my arson record, but Wednesday advised against it. Since I needed to stay at the school to help her find the monster. I doubted she needed my help, but if she wanted me to stay I would. I didn't mind being around her since we are similar we don't have to speak all the time.
I stood near the edge of the bleacher where the edge of the gasoline had stopped on the concrete. Thing said I could light the line as long as I move away fast enough not to be seen. The band was filling their spots. Wednesday had her cello out ready to play.
"Thank you!" The mayor announced getting everyone's attention. "It is my honor to celebrate our town's history and Jericho's noble forefather, Jospeh Crackstone. Now, he believed with a happy heart and an open ear, there was nothing our town couldn't achieve. So together as one, our community and our friends at Nevermore Academy, we've built a monument to celebrate his memory." Weems was smiling around at the crowd. Grinning like a fool. "Now, may the spirit of Joseph Crackstone be memorialized for eternity." The band started playing some kind of upbeat song just as Weems said. I saw Wednesday glance in this direction. Thing tapped my shoes as well.
"Got it," I smirked snapping my finger near the gasoline. Three times. It was like lighting flint and steel. I saw the flame grow moving down the line. I stood up fixing my blazer as I stepped behind the bleachers. The hiss of the gasoline-burning up as it made its way around to the fountain. All I heard was the sound of the band killing my brain cells. Then the explosion went off. Screams filled the air. I stayed near the back of the bleachers watching everyone run around frantically. After most of the students cleared the bleachers I walked around the side sitting down on the metal bleachers. Wednesday was playing her dramatic music as she smirked at Weems from afar. I just watched as my cousin enjoyed creating chaos. Also, I had a front-row seat to Joseph Crackstone's face melting off. You couldn't miss that.
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I was sitting at the foot of the window finishing up my book. Well trying. Enid kept asking me for clothing opinions for her meet-up with Ajax tonight.
"Too much?" She asked holding up a very colorfully patterned long sleeve. My eyes widened seeing all the colors.
"Yeah." I nodded slowly.
"I feel like you just napalmed me," Wednesday muttered as she returned to tap on her typer writer. No matter what happened or what she had going on she always devoted a single hour to writing.
"So glad I have my date with Ajax tonight. Get my mind off that trainwreck of an afternoon." Enid sighed. I raised the book higher so it would cover my face as I smiled. "I literally think I have PTSD." Dramatic. "I didn't even get to do my dance routine."
"What a tragedy." The chime of the finished page sounded from Wednesday's desk.
"What kind of a twisted psycho would want to sabotage such a life-affirming event?" She asked. I raised my finger pointing to myself. Only because Enid's back was turned.
"You're going to be late." Wednesday reminded. She just didn't want her in here anymore after what she just said.
"Wish me luck, " Enid whined. I lowered the book looking over the edge. She looked scared.
"If he breaks your heart, I will nail gun his." Wednesday threatened.
"I allow you to keep the heads of his snakes," I muttered raising the book to cover my face once more. I heard her move across the floor and then the door close. I flipped the page to my book and finished the last page. This book was not turning out how I wanted it to. Recently I have been interested in adventurous romances. I blame Morticia and Gomez. Half of their library is romance. Usually, I would live for a good tragedy. Shakespeare is known for his romantic tragedies, but in this story, it just seemed right. I closed the book leaning my head against the cold glass.
"Do you have any theories on who the monster is?" Wednesday asked suddenly. I tilted my head seeing that she had turned and was now staring at me.
"I don't have any theories on who it is, but the killings," I sat up. "Are they random or targeted? I don't understand why did they start up all of a sudden." Wednesday turned in her chair facing me fully.
"I have been trying to figure that out as well." She muttered her eyes squinting at staring at the floor.
"Also now that we know it is human, everyone is a suspect," I told her. She nodded.
"We need to get a look at those bodies." She muttered. I pushed myself off the ground, seeing things tap the desk several times.
"Breaking and entering?" I pursed my lips. The corner of Wednesday's lips turned up.
"We should hurry." She said getting up and going towards her closet to grab a coat. I slid into my spare clothes which were just black joggers with a deep green top. I shrugged on a black jacket as well. "Let's go." She said moving towards the window. I reached my hand out allowing Thing to crawl up my arm and onto my shoulder as I moved after her. She was on a mission.
When we approached the building we had to stay near the back of the building since there were security cameras pointed at the front entrance. I raised Thing up to one of the outer air vents so he could get in. Wednesday stood in front of the loading door where they could transport bodies straight into the morgue. We waited for a minute, but the hum of the garage door sounded. It slid up halfway and then stopped. I ducked underneath being hit with the clean smell of formaldehyde. Thing closed the door.
"While I do the autopsy, you two go make copies of you find the files of the monster's victims and make copies," Wednesday demanded. Thing tapped on the ground. He was upset he didn't get to participate in the autopsy. Thing crawled up one of the metal tables moving towards her. "Don't pout. Your scalpel skills are questionable." She rolled out her set of knives, scalpels, and autopsy scissors. "Do you remember my 13th birthday when your father got me that cadaver," Wednesday added glancing at me. Her 13th birthday was fun.
I wasn't allowed anywhere near her cadaver though. My father knew I was going to tear it apart so he got me a separate one. My birthday is a few weeks after hers. "You sliced right through that man's carotid." She hissed at Thing. He just moved off the table scurrying across the ground. I pushed the door open allowing him to go first. I pushed the photocopy room open as well. Thing dragged a file out placing it near the edge of the printer. He scanned one sheet swiping it off, leaving me to fix his mess.
"Thing, stop throwing shit everywhere." I hissed grabbing the papers as he continued to rapidly fire them at me. I stood up from picking one up off the floor only to get hit in the face with another. "I may be nice to you, but I will start to cut off your fingers." I threatened. It worked though because he slowed his pace. Thing tapped his finger impatiently on the glass as he copied another file. I heard the sound of a car door and moved the shades. Sheriff Galpin and another man were coming in.
"Go warn her," I told him. I heard Thing hit the floor and the doors moving. I gathered the papers one in a pile for me to take with me and the second one for the case file. I put it back in the drawer and gently closed it. I stayed close to the wall by the door. If they were to come in here I would be hidden behind it since it swung in. I could hear their muffled voices as they came farther and farther down the hall. The sound disappeared as they went into the autopsy room. I waited in silence, my ears straining to hear something. Any kind of sound.
Eventually, I heard the door creak open and another muffled voice. I moved towards the door pulling it open slightly. Sheriff Galpin was leaving. As the autopsy room swung shut I heard someone talking in the other room as well. Not too long after though the second man came out. He walked down the hall, quietly I moved out of the photocopy room making sure the door didn't creak. I slid into the autopsy room seeing Thing open one of the body doors.
"You ready?" I asked glancing at the papers and photos in my arms.
"Five more minutes. I was just getting comfortable." She spoke. Thing jumped out and closed the door on her once again.
"Alrighty." I sighed setting the photos out on the table so I could look at them all while she relaxed in the morgue freezer. Thing climbed onto the table moving over the pictures as well.
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The next morning I watched as Wednesday placed the photos onto the board. She wanted to lay them out to see everything at once. I leaned back in Wednesday's chair glancing at the board one more time.
"I wonder what it's doing with the parts and why those specific parts?" I asked.
"When I suggested giving your side of the room a makeover, I did not have Ted Bundy's Pinterest in mind." She grimaced looking at the gore.
"What you don't like the aesthetic?" I joked.
"Still not as creepy as your stuffed unicorn collection," Wednesday added. They were creepy. Also, who keeps that many stuffed animals at this age, and why are they so bright?
"Is this why you both snuck out last night?" Enid asked.
"We may have made an unsanctioned trip to the morgue to copy the files of the monster's victims," Wednesday muttered as she stared at the board. To be fair the red did bring color to this side of the room. One of the few exceptions.
"Okay, there are so many levels of ew in that statement, I don't know where to begin." Enid grimaced. I shrugged.
"It can get much worse, trust me," I muttered.
"I need to get inside its head. Discover any patterns or anomalies. I've already made a big discovery." Wednesday looked at the blonde.
"Ah," I threw my hands in the air. "We made a discovery. You can't take all the credit." Wednesday started pulling off the pictures from the board, leaving bare spots now.
"Turns out all the monster's victims have had body part's surgically removed. The first one a kidney, the second a finger," As Wednesday rattled off the parts, she handed Enid the pictures. The poor wolf turned pale. Well as pale as Wednesday actually.
"Wednesday I don't feel-" Enid breathed.
"Third a gall bladder," Wednesday moved back to the board. I stood up seeing Enid's breathing become erratic. "and the bearded man from the meeting house, two toes." She grabbed the last pictures giving them to her.
"Wednesday-" I tried to warn her moving closer to Enid. She let out a breath her cheeks expanding. Was she going to throw up?
"Do you understand what this means? These murders aren't mindless. He's collecting trophies like a seasoned serial killer." Enid went down. I caught her since she slightly collapsed on me. "It's impressive, actually."
"Wednesday," I grumbled gently setting her on the ground. The pictures were scattered about.
"Fetch the smelling salts," Wednesday told Thing. "Again." She breathed. I am surprised Enid has lasted this long in our company. Usually, they have a mental breakdown.
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"While most plants reward their pollinators with sweet nectar, many carnivorous varieties turn to sexual trickery or deception," Thornhill explained. It was almost sad how much this woman loved plants. It was like the stereotypical cat woman, but she has plants instead. Xavier grimaced next to me as he leaned over to grab his books. I gently moved his collar seeing three slash marks on his neck. Quickly yanking my hand back before he sat back up. He saw me staring at him.
"I tweaked my back fencing." He lied. That was not from fencing. I glanced over to Wednesday who was staring directly at Xavier. She had seen the scratches as well.
"This orchid produces a pheromone that mimics a female insect, luring the males in. Now, once the plant is pollinated, what do the male insects get in exchange?" Thornhill asked the class. Although I wasn't fully listening to her. She was more of background noise. Where did he get those scratches from? There was no report of DNA under the bearded man's fingers. If he was the monster they would have found out right. He would cut himself either if he was the monster that made him too obvious.
"Nada. Just like all the guys at the Raven." Bianca answered, the other students laughing.
"Okay, okay I know you are all excited about Saturday which is why I haven't assigned any homework," Thornhill announced. everyone else seemed to be happy about the lack of homework. I didn't mind it either, but for different reasons. "But I still need volunteers for the decorating committee. Anyone interested, come and see me up here." She announced.
"You aren't going to decorate?" Xavier mocked. Wednesday was standing near my seat waiting for me to get up so we could leave. It was interesting that she didn't leave me behind. This was one of the many reasons I still haven't tried to separate from her like everyone else. Pugsley even gives her a lot of space."You aren't excited about disco balls and spiked punch. There is even a DJ. MC Blood Suckaz." He explained.
"Unless the disco balls fall from the ceiling and tragically kill a few kids. I will sadly have to pass." I sighed standing up.
"I would rather stick needles in my eyes," Wednesday added moving away from the table.
"You could invite someone and finally have some fun." He leaned over once more putting his books away. He only exposed his scratches once more.
"Come on, Branwen," Wednesday muttered in my ear. I turned away from him walking after her.
"Did you see the scratches?" I asked her. She nodded.
"We should follow him." She added. My gut felt twisted like something had tried to tie a bow with my intestines. It made me uncomfortable. Xavier was now the prime suspect in our monster hunt. For once feeling like I was close to the truth wasn't a satisfying rush of adrenaline. It felt like a tight panic moving throughout my chest. I did not like the feeling.