Author's Note: And I'm back! Sorry for the slight delay. Things have been busy lately, but I'm still very excited about this story and have every intention of seeing it through to the end. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 6
They were dining at the breakfast table a few mornings later when her mother cleared her throat delicately.
"Darling? Would you do me a favor?"
Wednesday raised her eyes from her plate. This was already sounding ominous.
"Would you go down to the village for me and buy some olives? I need them for supper, and I'm afraid that I forgot to pick some up the other day."
"I am in the process of psychologically reconditioning a Hyde, mother. I must confess that olives are not my top priority at the moment."
Her mother gave a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Oh, you children have been doing nothing but your little practices lately. One day won't hurt. Besides, Tyler needs a break. The poor boy looks like he's about ready to drop with exhaustion."
Wednesday turned her gaze to Tyler, who shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. It hadn't escaped her notice that his complexion was paler than normal. She wanted to finish their training as efficiently as possible, but perhaps a rest was warranted. Test subjects had to be treated with some level of care or they lost their value, after all.
"Fine," she said at last.
"Thank you, my little rain cloud. Tyler should accompany you as well. This is supposed to be a vacation, but he's seen nothing besides the inside of these castle walls and that dreary forest. Why don't you show him around the village?" She turned to Tyler with one of her grotesque smiles. "What do you say, dear?"
"Only if it's ok with Wednesday," he replied uncertainly.
Wednesday sent him a sharp look and he colored, clearly remembering her previous warning about treating her like his master.
"You can do what you want," she said coolly.
"Then I guess I'll come," he shrugged.
"Wonderful," her mother clapped her hands excitedly. "Lurch can drive you, but he'll stay in the hearse while you're in the village. He's not the best around people, you know."
Wednesday pushed back her chair and stood. "Let's go," she said. "I prefer to get my torture over with first thing in the morning."
They donned coats and shoes and were about to step out the door when her mother hurried up to them. "I almost forgot." She held out a sizeable sum of money, folded neatly and tied with a black string. "There should be enough here, plus a little left over for you and Tyler to get yourselves some coffee and pastries afterward." She winked slyly.
Wednesday slid the cash into her pocket without a word, then turned on her heel and strode out the door.
"You children, have fun, alright?" she called after them.
Wednesday ground her teeth. She had been manipulated, and they both knew it. It was times like this when she wondered if she and her mother were more alike than she thought. The mere thought made her want to strip her nails off.
Lurch brought them to an outdoor market where vendors had set up carts selling fresh produce, as well as specialty treats like pastries and roasted nuts. It was exactly the kind of place she despised the most—loud, crowded, and surging with life.
Tyler, on the other hand, was enthralled. His head seemed to be on a swivel as he tried to
take in everyone and everything they passed. She was satisfied to see that some of the brightness had returned to his eyes. Because he's a valuable test subject, she told herself firmly. No other reason.
"You seem fond of this place," she said. "Although I can't fathom why."
"Yeah," he said, "it's just so...different. I've hardly ever been outside of Jericho, so I don't know, it's just nice to see something else."
She nodded. She could understand that. If she had spent her entire life in a town like Jericho, she would be happy to get out too.
"Enjoy it while it lasts. I have no intention of showing you the entire village. If I'm forced to stay here much longer, there will be casualties."
The crowd was thick but forcing their way through wasn't overly tedious. People tended to step away instinctively when they saw her, and that unique talent came in good use at times like this.
They arrived at the olive cart—run by a bull-necked man with ears that stuck out in a rather unfortunate fashion. His wide grin displayed a total of five yellowed teeth.
"Welcome to Alin's Olives!" he said with an appalling amount of cheerfulness. "I've got the finest olives in all of Transylvania. Cerignola, Picholine, Kalamata, Liguria, Thasos, Beldi," he rattled off the names in rapid Romanian. "You name it, I've got it. So, what'll it be, miss?"
Tyler surveyed the wide variety, looking overwhelmed. "We forgot to ask your mom what kind she wants. Do you think green or black?"
"In my family, there's only type of olive," she answered contemptuously.
Taking a bag, she started picking olives that were the deepest shade of black—inspecting each one before she dropping it in. They shone like dark jewels in the sun.
She handed the bag to the man when she was finished. "We'll have these," she said in flawless Romanian.
They had already taken their purchase and were walking away when Tyler spoke, his voice tinged with amazement. "You can speak Romanian?"
"My family travels here every year, so it was a matter of convenience. I am also fluent in three other languages—mostly so I can read their literature in its original from."
"That's incredible."
"It shouldn't be. Most people are simply too lazy and narrow-minded to learn. Much like pigs, they prefer to live out their pathetic existences in the sty they were born in."
Tyler laughed. "Ouch, that hurts."
It was a real laugh, not hollow like the ones she had grown used to hearing. She would rather gouge out her eyes than admit it, but her mother's plan was working.
"Come on," she said.
They walked briskly, leaving the busy market behind and entering a historic district with shops and restaurants.
Tyler matched her pace easily with his longer strides. "Uh, I'm not saying I doubt your sense of direction, but wasn't the spot where Lurch was going to pick us up that way?" He pointed in the opposite direction from where they were headed.
"There is something else we must do first."
"What?"
"You'll see," she replied without looking at him.
She eventually turned a corner and entered a quaint stone building with a shingled roof. The air inside smelled strongly of coffee and freshly baked bread.
Tyler followed, looking confused. "A coffee shop? Does your mom need something here too?"
She quelled the desire to strangle him. He really could be absurdly obtuse sometimes.
"I want a quad," she said flatly. "You can get something too if you wish."
"Uh, ok...thanks," he said, still looking puzzled.
She ordered for both of them, then they sat down at a small round table to wait. A white aproned server appeared a few moments later with their drinks. She was a rosy-cheeked girl with generous curves—the type that most would likely consider pretty. The girl smiled at Tyler, but then she saw Wednesday and nearly dropped their drinks. She watched, strangely satisfied, as the girl practically ran back into the kitchen. It seemed that her scare tactics were working especially well today.
"Oh, crap," Tyler said. "They didn't give us to-go cups."
"I ordered the drinks for here. Do you have a problem with that?"
He shook his head vigorously. "No, I just thought...I mean, you were the one who said you didn't want to be here any longer than you had to."
"I can endure for a while longer."
Tyler nodded and they sipped their drinks in silence.
"How is it?" he ventured.
"Barely palatable. Even the ones at Weathervane were superior." The ones you made for me, she thought.
The bell on the door tinkled merrily, and Wednesday bit back a sigh. The two meaty teenage boys spotted her and immediately approached their table. It was just her luck that she would run into them today.
"Well, if it isn't the freak," one of the boys said. "You really do keep coming back like lice on a hobo."
Although Tyler couldn't understand his words, he stiffened at the belligerent tone. The boys seemed to notice him for the first time.
"And who's this?" the other said in broken English. "Does the freak actually have a boyfriend? I'd say that I feel sorry for him, but he's probably just as psycho as she is."
Rage flashed in Tyler's eyes—followed quickly by fear. He was beginning to lose control. Thinking quickly, she reached under the table and grabbed his hands. He squeezed back tightly, the tension gradually seeping out of his frame. He gave her a small nod, as if to say he was alright now. She kept her hold on his hands though—in case the idiotic duo said something else to trigger his anger.
"Tyler, allow me the displeasure of introducing you to Vlad and Denis Cazacu," she said dryly. "There's no need to try and differentiate them, they share a single brain cell anyway."
The boys reddened with anger, looking ready for a brawl. Tyler tensed again, clearly prepared to defend her honor or some other equally foolish notion, but she settled him with a stern glance.
"Now boys," she said, "I know your combined intelligence is roughly equivalent to that of a rock, but we've gone over this countless times. You shouldn't start a fight, unless you want me to remind you again how painfully outmatched you are."
Their faces screwed up with fury, giving them a decidedly constipated look. "This isn't over, freak," they said, stalking away sulkily.
This isn't over? Was that the best they could come up with? Honestly, they were an embarrassment to bullies everywhere.
She returned her attention to Tyler. "What was that? You nearly lost control."
"I know, I'm sorry." He raked a hand through his hair, still looking slightly agitated. "I just don't get how you can handle them talking to you like that."
"I know monkeys smarter than they are," she said flatly. "Why would I care what they say?"
"I never thought of you like that, you know. As a freak, I mean. A bit kooky—sorry, spooky—sure, but never that. Laurel ordered me to get close to you, but I would've done it even if she hadn't. You're brilliant, and funny, and insanely brave, and you don't care what anyone thinks about you. You're the most amazing person I've ever met." He looked away self-consciously. "I...just wanted you to know that."
She looked at him, face expressionless.
"Aren't you going to say something?" he asked quietly.
"I usually don't approve of flattery, but your tone seems sincere enough, so thank you."
His face softened into a smile. "Yeah, of course."
She rose. "I've reached my limit with this torture device they insist on calling a village. If I'm here any longer, there really will be casualties—starting with Dumb and Dumber over there."
She glanced to where Vlad and Denis were sitting. Both boys were sending them their darkest glares, but she doubted whether they would be able to scare off a rabbit. Some people just weren't cut out to be villains.
"I'm not even sure I'd try to stop you," Tyler grinned.
It had been a productive outing, but they would resume their training tomorrow. The fulfillment of her vision drew nearer with each passing day, but she had already learned that there was no way to prevent what she had seen. Their training was proving to be effective, and she had no intention of stopping it. She had no choice but to continue forward and let the pieces fall where they may.
Author's Note 2: We can all thank Morticia's scheming for this (sort-of) date! There was definitely some Wednesday and Tyler development in this one, which was super fun to write. It also gave the characters (and by that I mean poor Tyler) a well-needed break. Next update will be a big one (aka Wednesday's vision may or not be fulfilled), so stay tuned!
