Chapitre 14: To Be Believed
'Well, that took a dark turn.' Drac could not help but think, as he saw Weems attempting to gaslight Wednesday into believing that she did not see the ant Rowan get shredded by a giant dog.
'She should be coming to me soon, since I am the only other person, as far as she knows, to have seen the events play out.' He speculated, as he took in the conversation between the sheriff, Wednesday, and Weems.
'While playing a game of "figure me out" is fun, outright lying to her or making her feel crazy would do neither of us any good. However, I also cannot involved myself actively in her investigatory work, otherwise it would no longer be "her" work.'
Drac watched as Wednesday had finally had enough of Weems nonsense and decided to speak to the sheriff alone.
"Someone is trying to cover up Rowan's murder. That's the only reason to scrub the crime scene." Wednesday correctly remarked. However...
"Is that your professional opinion as the daughter of a murderer." The sheriff is a dick.
He believed her to be playing games.
Drac could see the slight desperation seep into her eyes, as her tone of voice increased a level. The desperation that comes when one knows themselves to be right, however their word is not trusted. 'A dark turn, indeed.'
{Katherine, find the body.} Drac called out through the mental link he fully established with his servant upon her arrival.
While he knew she would not forgive him for taking away her fun by solving it on his own. He also knew that there was no part of him that would ever allow his person to question their sanity, if he could help it. 'Weems may need to be punished.'
Wednesday took a step forward, undaunted, "you want to reject my claims but you can't." She stated with finality and absolute confidence.
"Why is that?" The sheriff questioned, at the very least not rejecting the minute possibility she could be useful.
She looked up into his eyes, hers clear and resolute. "Because you and I both know there's a monster out there. And Rowan is its latest victim."
The sheriff appeared moved, slightly, however it was not meant to be.
The door to the office opened, only to introduce Rowan, who appeared quite pleased to be alive, with not a scratch in sight.
Wednesday's eyes widened to circles, despite her eyebrows hardly moving. Seems impossible, but its a skill honed through years of deadpanning.
She took in the fully alive Rowan as he waved to her bashfully.
Drac could not help but fight the urge that came over him to end the farce and call bullshit when he saw the smile on the ant's face.
He looked back at Wednesday.
She did not look happy.
It made him laugh, though no one could hear it.
{Sire, I have acquired the body}, Katherine communicated at the perfect moment.
{Hold on to it. Wednesday is annoyed and looks like she has the urge to stab someone. It's too....I'll let you know what to do next.} Dracul cut the communication. Some things need not be shared.
Drac left and made his way to view the dead Rowan's remains.
Wednesday had a therapy session to endure and he wanted no part in that paltry excuse for "helping" mental health. The woman was incredibly condescending.
The naked body was still shredded, however it was missing a hand. That was new. And worth looking into.
"Where was it?" He asked his most faithful follower.
"On its way to be incinerated." She spoke up calmly from behind him.
He took out a letter. "I see. Wednesday is currently in a therapy session. When it is done, hand her a note informing her to come to the school's incinerator, if she wants answers. Do not introduce yourself. Do not speak a word. Simply hand her the letter, bow, and use the mist to disappear. Later, you will go to her room. Be there before she arrives. You will inform her that you were sent by your master, Vlad, in order to check out the school environment. You had heard Nevermore was experiencing irregularities. You will not be sticking around. Answer any questions she has. If she asks of Dracul Dresden, inform her your master instructed you to not interfere in the matter. He believes that it would be good for her to have a friend." Drac gave her her instruction, then grabbed the corpse by the ankle and disappeared into the shadows.
He could sense Katherine still observing him, his presence able to be perceived through their link. He knew she wondered what he was thinking, but to him, it was simple really.
Wednesday had no way to acquire information about him from either of his names, without asking for help and admitting a lack of ingenuity.
Vlad's crypt was located in Washington, completely out of reach, and Dracul Dresden was just a name that could be traced back to a rich recluse that the world knew very little about, let alone if he had a son.
She needed a string to follow and there were far too many balls in the air for her to juggle on her own. Games are good, but overwork is only for the common-wealth.
This way, she gains an advantage, and a source for background information that she so desperately needs, as well as planting the idea that Vlad is more capable of touching the world than she originally believed.
WEDNESDAY POV
'That was a waste.' Wednesday thought as she made her exit from the therapist's office.
'I know what I saw. He knows what I saw, however the one time his presence is actually required, he does not show. Is he trying to avoid me? No, he has no reason. He knows that I know he knows. Is he a part of the cover up?' A slight frown graced her features at that thought. 'This is frustrating.'
"Guess you decided to stick around Jericho. Wait, you see Dr. Kinbott too?"
She turned from the just closed door to the building housing the therapists office.
'Tyler Galpin', his name, she remembered.
She forgot that he had been accompanying her before the Rowan fiasco.
"You should know I'm legally required to be here." She stated, as she made to way across the street as he followed.
"Me too. Court ordered." He stated.
'Another story? Not a priority.' She thought.
"Look at us. A couple of teenage tearaways." She spoke partially sarcastically.
He continued to follow, determined to keep the conversation going.
"Hey, when you ran off last night at the Harvest Festival," she stopped walking and turned to face him as he spoke, "I wasn't sure what happened, and then I heard...kinda crazy."
"Everyone including your father believes I made it all up." She states matter-of-factly.
He goes to speak, however is interrupted by a notification on his phone.
"Time to get in touch with my inner rebel. You know..."
Before he can continue his prattle, they are interrupted by a hand holding an envelop between their faces.
Wednesday looked at the envelope and followed the hand holding it back to see a woman no less beautiful that her mother, only much younger.
Reddish-brown hair tied back in a ponytail that flowed out of the hood that covered most of the face. However, the woman was taller than her, and with her angle she could see. Red eyes. A beautiful face displaying nothing more than a blank canvass and teeth. Sharp canines, visible between slightly parted lips. The woman's eyes still had the whites surrounding them, therefore it was not the same, however she was certain the woman was in some way connected to her stalker.
The woman inched the envelop closer to her face and let it go. Wednesday reached out and grabbed it from the air, only taking her eyes off the woman for the amount of time it took her to make the catch and Tyler to attempt to make it. However, that was enough time.
When she turned back towards the woman, the cloaked figure was gone.
Definitely connected to her stalker.
She eyed the envelop. Never truly knowing what to expect from him.
She looked up and saw Tyler staring at her questioningly. He had been helpful, but this matter was between only her and one other.
"What is it." he asked.
She looked at him, then at the envelop, a small smile spreading on her face that only those closest to her would discern.
"Progress," she spoke and then turned and proceeded to be on her way.
As she made her way through the town to catch her ride back to academy, her patience proved lacking.
She tore open the envelop and pulled out the letter inside that said: -If you want answers, when the sun goes down, follow the crow, and that's how you'll know-.
Amusing.
That was the word that appeared in her mind after reading.
While she was not absolutely certain it was not the direct work of her stalker, she did know it was a lead to something and hopefully an answer to at least one of the questions that she had regarding the mysteries that surrounded her.
'Besides, it did sound like his voice.'
She stopped walking at that thought.
Had they already become so familiar that she knew his voice so well that she could hear it when written? No, it was due to analysis, she lied to herself. She had thought of his voice and every word spoken by him multiple times in order to figure him out. It was only natural that she be able to recognize his voice when it was in written form.
She stowed the letter away. Determined to get to the bottom of something, and eventually everything.
WEDNESDAY POV END
{She has just been to the woods, searching for clues to prove the death of the boy. The one called Tyler was also present, however I took it upon myself to lead him and the sheriff in a direction opposite her own.} His loyal one spoke out through the link.
{Good. I will send a crow to guide her now.} He responded.
{There is something else. She found glasses, bloodied, that belonged to the boy. Then, it looked as if she had a vision.}
'Oh. Those visions are convenient for investigations.'
{I see. I will delay the crow for a while. Keep watch until she arrives, then head to her room. It is time she connected some dots.}
He cut the link.
The sun would soon be setting.
Candles, check; black licorice, check; white lilies, check; body set to be incinerated, check.
Dracul surveyed the school's incinerator room that he had set up into, what he called, a very romantic spot. Black curtains draped around the room, the walls completely covered. A black table, set up with two black chairs, black metal platters on the table, covering an unknown meal. And candles and white lilies spread throughout the room to provide ambiance.
*Knock Knock*
Two monotonous knocks sounded out.
He moved to open the door, welcoming Wednesday with a black crow on her shoulder, he waved off the crow, as he extended his hand to guide her across the threshold.
She looked into his eyes and then at his hand.
Her face gave nothing away, however after only a few seconds, she extended her own hand forward into his.
He could not help the smile that spread on his face, especially when he saw her eyes drawn to it.
He pulled her forward, allowing her to stand in front of him, as she took in the room. He watched her eyes scan, taking in everything, until they came to a stop at the body exposed from the open incinerator.
He guided her hand forward, releasing her from his grip as she walked further into the room to look at the figure prepared to be burned.
He walked beside her in step, keeping his steps silent.
He saw her eyes widen as she took in the figure of Rowan, shredded and dead, as he was supposed to be.
Her eyes snapped to his own, and he could see the vindication in hers and the barely suppressed smile. He knew she would be pleased.
"I knew I was right." She stated.
He knew not having definitive proof weighed on her mind, with everyone telling her she was wrong.
He smiled at her.
"Was there ever any doubt?" He questioned. He knew she doubted herself for a moment, however he also knew that it would not stop her. She would have continued to search for answers until she could not be questioned.
"The monster," she began, "you saw it." She stated, not so much a question, just a fact.
"I saw the dog." He responded.
A question appeared in her eyes. "A dog? Is it a dog of some kind."
"In a way. Not as far as species goes, however in my eyes, it seemed no different than a dog."
She looked at him. Her gaze analytic. Probably questioning what she just heard.
"Is it not a threat to you?" She asked.
He smiled once again, then closed the door to the incinerator. "Would you like to do the honors."
She looked from the incinerator, then back at him, then smiled her own smile that seemed to be unable to spread across her face. Adorable.
She pressed the button.
The machine activated and no more Rowan.
He reached out his hand, and this time, she took it with barely any hesitation. He led her to the table set up, but not before picking a white lily from where one sat and placed it between them.
"White lilies symbolize death and rebirth. It holds a special meaning to me." He told her as he pulled out her chair for her to sit. Then, he took his own.
"You know," he said upon sitting. "A part of me believed that you would have wanted to keep the body on hand, in order to confirm your statements to the sheriff and Weems."
She stared across the small table at him.
"It would not have helped the situation. There is no way to know currently who is responsible for the cover-up," she looked at him, head slightly lowered, eyes wide, "unless you tell me."
He laughed at her serious face. "And ruin your fun. I think not. However, I will tell you, I have no hand in any of these matters. I knew you were doubting yourself, so instead of simply saying, you are right, I decided to find the body and show you. Though, I will say, it was here already, set to be incinerated earlier, until I intervened."
He looked at her. He could see she believed him and that she connected the dots, that the body was in the school's incinerator. He liked that.
He reached forward and removed the covers from the platters, to expose two slices of dark chocolate cake.
She looked up at him, questioningly.
"Your birthday is in a few weeks. With your investigations sure to gain momentum, I doubt you will be interested in celebrating. So, while I have you, I figured, why not eat cake?"
She stared at the cake for a moment. Then asked without removing her eyes from the slice, "how do you know the date of my birth?" She asked the valid question. Then, looked up at him.
"You told me. Long ago." He said to her. A frown gracing her face.
"Who are you to me?" She questioned.
"Are you sure you want to know?" He asked, his eyebrow raised. "If you truly ask, I will tell you. I will tell you right now, who I am to you, Wednesday Addams. However, you should know that once I tell you, I will never let you go. You will be mine and I will be yours."
She stared into his eyes, as he stared into hers.
He could practically taste the curiosity coming off of her. The doubts and hesitation. He knew she wanted to know, but also that she wasn't ready to know. He was not the only one who would not let the other go, once all cards were on the table. He knew what he, as Vlad, meant to her. He was her only friend for years. Her most trusted confidant. And someone that she had come to rely on for her limited emotional support. The only thing was, she had always been like a wolf hunting its prey whenever she was met with a mystery to be solved or a challenge to overcome. Her attention and focus did not waver. That is the only reason, she had not fully perceived the fact that Vlad had been incredibly absent from her mind for so long.
They stared at each other, neither looking away nor blinking, as time passed.
Then, she picked up the metallic black fork that was set upon the black napkin and took a portion of cake into her mouth.
He smiled at her. A full smile with all his teeth shown. He knew that would be her response. He knew she would avoid. It was not time.
{Disappear from her room. I will call you when I require your presence. Until then, your time is your own.}
With that message transmitted to his loyal one through the link, he focused on his own piece of cake, as they ate in silence. He had gotten impatient and impulsive with sending Katherine to spoon feed her clues. It was unnecessary. When she was ready, she would see on her own. Vlad was no where to be found, just as he appeared? He was not subtle and she was perceptive.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone