Chapter 1
TW: Drowning, near-death experiences, vague suicidal thoughts
Death had never scared her.
Ever since she was old enough to read, she knew that one day its cold entrails would snake around her soul and drag her to a different realm of existence.
Some days she acknowledged them, recognizing their role in the balance of life.
Some days she taunted them, teetering on the edge between worlds.
Some days she yearned for it, with a weary ache that leeched all energy from her bones. Where she dreamed of the permanent cold and eternal slumber.
She doesn't know what changed.
The cold, wet darkness lulled her to sleep, her eyes fluttering closed, and she was scared.
Wednesday was scared of dying.
Enid been the one to first ask her when she stumbled upon their canoe: a rather pitifully crafted device. She'd inquired about the event but had other things of more importance than a boat race sullied with school spirit.
Edgar Allen Poe was a mastermind with blackened words and Wednesday doubted he'd ever endorse such a race, should he rise from beyond the grave.
Xavier had been the next, when Wednesday caught him sketching Poe-themed designs during class. She had given him a disbelieving glare when he'd asked, and he dropped the subject almost immediately.
He'd seemed disappointed that she wouldn't be there competing against him, and Wednesday had nearly rolled her eyes in disdain.
Desperation (for what …she didn't know) pooled off of him like blood from a mangled corpse.
She'd rather be sitting next to the corpse.
Enid had inquired again the next day, Wednesday's first answer not satisfactory for the bubbly werewolf.
"I know Weems wanted you to join a club, get involved; this would be the perfect opportunity!"
"I've already joined an organization. Committing to more than one would be a disgusting display of pride for a school I didn't even want to attend."
Enid had rolled her eyes at that, delving into more detail about the race in hopes that the excitement and adventure of it all would convince her displeased roommate.
"I have no interest in running through the woods unless I'm being chased by a serial killer… or hunting for my next taxidermy project."
Wednesday had paused at that, her brain deriving pleasure from the thought of it.
"-you walk around in the woods all the time!"
And the daydream was squandered before it could even start.
"Yes, but it is not tainted with other people. Besides, I don't care for boats."
Enid raised an eyebrow at that, and Wednesday nearly slammed her head on her desk in exasperation. She shouldn't have said anything and was frustrated that Enid could somehow drag confessions out of her that she'd never let another living soul privy to.
Black magic, she'd convinced herself.
Enid had to be using black magic.
"Does Wednesday 'pain doesn't bother me' Addams get seasick?" Enid squealed, her hands flapping up and down like a bird with broken wings. Something about the notion made Wednesday's cheeks flush, and she was thankful for the room's dim lighting.
"I do not, I just don't care for boats," Wednesday snapped, turning her head back to her desk where she had been trying to get her writing done.
"Oh," Enid visibly drooped, seemingly disappointed that Wednesday wasn't sharing a moment of humanity with her.
Enid had thankfully dropped the subject after that, instead chattering about everything that had transpired throughout the day.
Wednesday listened with half interest, her mind fuzzy as she attempted to process how close she'd been to telling Enid everything.
Her weakness, her vulnerability.
After all, if Enid discovered that she of all people didn't know how to swim, her reputation would be tarnished.
Listening to Bianca boast about sabotaging the race from her hiding spot against the floorboards, Wednesday felt the beginning of rage spark inside her gut.
She was perplexed at the sudden emotion, uncertain as to why she even cared about a trivial competition.
Did she really hate Bianca that much?
Wednesday nearly scoffed. Bianca was a loudmouthed showoff, but even Wednesday couldn't find justification in expending the energy to hate her.
Was it because she wanted Enid to win?
Enid was her roommate; her civil duty was to support her victory, Wednesday convinced herself.
Was it because she cared about Enid?
The thought trailed off in her head, and Wednesday was frustrated by the lack of argument her brain supplied her.
Bianca and Xavier's shouting jolted Wednesday from her spiral of confusion, and she watched from under the bed as Bianca left the room. Xavier stuck around a while longer, eventually making his way out, likely to his shed in the woods.
Wednesday pulled herself from under the bed, dusting off her uniform and making her way to the window she'd crawled in from.
A quick tap on her shoulder had her glaring, as Thing tapped out a hesitant question.
Are you ok?
"Of course I'm ok," Wednesday deadpanned. "Better than ok, we just got decent intel on what our next steps should be with this case."
If Thing could sigh, it would have.
You seem preoccupied, perplexed.
"I'm just having a lapse in judgement," Wednesday nearly snarled. "It is of no concern to you."
Thing gave a half-shrug and the two of them made their way back to Ophelia Hall.
It had its suspicions… but preferred keeping all five fingers over pushing for an answer.
"Where have you been!?"
Enid's mascara was streaked down her cheeks as she whipped her head around, bright eyes meeting Wednesday's dark ones.
"I'm literally having a heart attack right now."
Wednesday didn't bother to correct her, more preoccupied by the tear stains on Enid's face.
Why did seeing Enid upset only stoke the rage Bianca ignited earlier?
The thought lingered in her mind as she spoke with Enid, trying to ease her roommate's panic-driven frenzy.
"-you and I are going to take her down tomorrow."
The words left Wednesday's mouth before she had a chance to think about what she was committing to. What she'd been avoiding.
This damned black magic.
"-you're willing to do that? For me?"
Enid's eyes glistened, not with fresh tears but with an adoration so sickening Wednesday nearly needed to excuse herself to be physically ill.
Despite the hex Enid had placed on her, Wednesday was able to divert the intimate conversation toward getting revenge against Bianca, and the two of them were up late a while after.
But mostly you're doing it because we're friends, right?
Enid had long been asleep, Wednesday and Thing out on the shore making adjustments to the black-coated canoe.
The question Enid had asked permeated her mind, seizing control over all the other voices in her brain. It was a devastating poison, Wednesday sneered, and she'd asked Thing to remind her to look for ways to break hexes when the race was over.
Thing knew better than to ask why.
If Wednesday's scowl could deepen, it would.
It wasn't enough that she had shown up, the lapping waves of the lake taunting her as she approached the canoe.
It wasn't enough that she had been thrown into a tent and handed an embarrassingly tight costume complete with dorky ears.
It wasn't enough that they had to change in the same tent, Enid's skin pressing against her back as they faced away from each other to get into the foolish getup.
It wasn't enough that seeing Enid in black, devoid of her abhorrent display of color, had Wednesday questioning if her heart palpitations were of diagnostic quality for whatever seemed to be wrong with her.
"-where are your whiskers?"
"Ask again, and you'll be down to eight lives."
Enid laughed at that, a bright noise that left Wednesday's ears ringing. She could feel her skin crawl under the black jumpsuit and knew her cheeks had to be flush with horrifying color.
I swear on Nero's soul that I will break this hex once the event is over.
She didn't have much time to muse the thought, as Enid grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the boat.
Wednesday Addams despised touch, hated other people encroaching on her personal space.
So why was it, that her heart felt colder when Enid's hand left?
Shaking her head, she climbed into the boat and took position behind Enid. Enid turned and Wednesday watched the direction of her gaze until it rested on Ajax.
"Focus," she snapped before she could think twice on it.
Something bothered her in the way Enid's head whipped back around, but not as much as it did watching her ogle the gorgon.
Bianca shot a crude remark at Wednesday, to which she snapped back a feeble response. She felt Xavier's lingering gaze on her, and she turned met his eyes with a challenge.
She was not a prize to be won, least of all by someone like him.
But Enid…
The buzzer launched them into the race before she could process the appalling thought, and before she knew it, they were meters from the shoreline. As much as she hated to admit it, the tension and physical stress of it all was exhilarating.
They quickly came to the middle of the lake, Wednesday watching the frenzy of splashes that followed her release of the net, knowing she'd caught her target. She tried not to show emotion, but her lips curled up in a smirk of satisfaction.
That smirk quickly fell when Wednesday later grabbed their flag from the crypt, only to feel her soul be ripped from her body as she plunged into a vision. It was over as quickly as it came on, but not quickly enough.
"Taking a catnap?"
Wednesday's eyes were still foggy, but she mustered as much of a glare as she could toward what she hoped was Bianca's direction. The siren ran off with her golden flag, but Wednesday missed the look she shot behind her shoulder.
Bianca didn't know what happened, but despite their differences seeing the smaller girl sprawled out on the forest floor was enough to unnerve anyone.
After all she didn't hate Wednesday Addams.
…
But damn if she wasn't fucking annoying.
"Hurry up we have to go!"
Wednesday handed the flag off to one of the other cats and climbed back on board. Thing signed a quick "You ok?" to her, which she ignored. She would fill it in later on the vision and what the ghost had told her.
The race was halfway over, and it was down to their two teams. Wednesday felt a surge of determination pulse through her as she rowed, but she despised the feeling. She needed this race to be done and to undo the curse Enid had placed on her, before it changed her permanently.
Their boat approached the gold one Bianca captained and their gazes met. Wednesday half expected to see Bianca's eyes brimming with fury, but the cold concern was even more unsettling.
"We've got this!" Enid screeched as they pressed forward. Wednesday admired her perseverance in the face of adversity, but felt her stomach drop when their boat was rocked harshly.
"Steady team!" One of the other cats shouted out as the canoe ceased to quiver.
That was too close, Wednesday admitted to herself with a brief sigh.
They continued forward but their boat was hit again, and they were pushed closer to the shore.
Her eyes glanced over at Thing, who jumped into the water below without a second thought. It certainly had more courage than her.
Under the boat Thing glided through the water, spotting the siren pushing their canoe toward failure.
Thing curled its' fingers into a fist, shooting off towards the face of the previously netted siren. However, the impact it braced for never came as the siren managed to roll past it, shoving the boat harshly with their webbed hands.
Wednesday's eyes went wide as the boat spat them out into the water. She could hear Enid's screams of frustration as her ears were submerged, the cold water drowning out the curse words she likely was yelling.
She gasped for air as she resurfaced, eyes jumping about madly as she tried to figure out where Enid was, where anyone was.
Before she could meet someone's gaze, the boat rocked into her side and she was pushed back under the water, unable to steady herself. The costumes may have been water resistant, but still carried a weight to them that thwarted her feeble attempts to kick upwards.
Why hadn't she ever bothered to learn how to swim?
She felt the current of the lake pulling her down farther as she flailed with little success. Her lips were pursed tightly; Wednesday knew she could hold her breath longer than most people.
She had a chance.
The siren that had capsized their boat was still lurking in the shadows, and the shimmer of scales caught her attention as she kicked aimlessly.
The siren came closer, likely seeing her embarrassing display and seeking to help. His tail stroked the water with surprising power and grace, ironic considering the lack thereof as the capsized boat rocked with the water's sudden movement, the flagpole hitting the siren square in the face.
Wednesday watched with wide eyes as his momentum was forcibly halted, and his tail swung under him to collide with her body. She felt the little wind left knocked out of her, and water rushed into her lungs as she gasped instinctively.
The energy that had kept her fighting to the surface expired immediately, and Wednesday felt her arms and legs go slack with exhaustion. Her chance had been squandered.
Her vision blurred and then darkened as she sunk deeper into the depths below, Death's cold tendrils snaking around her body and soul.
Death had never scared her.
It held an air of mystique, and solemn sorrow, but was never frightening to her.
It was fate, destiny, inevitable to all living things.
She was scared now.
Whether it was the hex that Enid had placed upon her, the realization that she wouldn't be able to solve the mystery at hand, or the haunting thought that she wouldn't finish her novel, Wednesday didn't know.
But she was scared.
She imagined her mother's tears, her father's blubbering face, Pugsley's quivering lips.
Enid's wide eyes and screams of protest. The guilt would plague her for dragging Wednesday along, and Wednesday felt fear in knowing she would not be there to comfort her or argue otherwise.
It wasn't Enid's fault she couldn't swim after all.
Wednesday could feel her pulse slowing, and her eyelids growing heavy. She tried to push them open, to force herself to keep going, but her bones were weary.
She heard a noise, but she couldn't open her eyes to see what it was.
Her consciousness faded away as her spirit crept toward the dark.
She didn't want to die.
Enid screeched with fury as Bianca's ship pressed on, her carefully crafted whiskers running down her face in a black veil.
She slapped the water, but it rippled out unaffected by her rage. Something about the calmness it had irked her even more, and she let out a stream of words that would make her mother snarl.
She saw a glint in the water below as a siren swam past her, and felt her claws slide out in irritation. He was lucky he was so far under the water, and not close enough to become a filet.
"Hey, where's Wednesday?"
Enid's head whipped around to the fellow cat that posed the question, and she felt the blood drain from her face.
"Wednesday!?" She yelled, flailing about in the water to try and lay eyes on her. Her gaze instead landed on Thing, who had heaved itself up onto the bottom of the boat and was tapping incessantly.
Can't swim.
Can't swim.
Can't-
Enid froze as she processed what Thing was trying to scream to her.
Wednesday can't swim.
She launched herself underwater immediately, her feet splashing the surface with panic. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the water quickly, but their view only left her paddling in desperation.
Wednesday looked almost peaceful, hauntingly resembling the statue of Ophelia in the quad. Her braids were twisting through the water in a graceful dance, eyes closed against her pale skin.
Enid approached her and grabbed the front of her costume, kicking them up toward the light with superhuman strength. The image of Wednesday sinking into the deep would forever be etched in her mind.
Enid broke the surface with a gasp, Wednesday cold and limp against her chest.
"I don't think she's breathing!" Enid shouted as her teammates righted the capsized vessel. She paddled over to them, and they helped hoist Wednesday into the canoe alongside Enid.
Wednesday's head lolled to the side, water pooling around her lifeless body. Enid's sensitive ears were immediately pressed up against her chest, and her lip quivered at the lack of movement.
"Paddle as fast as you can!" She snapped, her teammates hurriedly grabbing the oars and pushing them forward. Enid ripped the fishnet gloves off her hands and pressed them together.
Thank the stars for camp counselor mandatory CPR training.
Her hands thumped against Wednesday's chest in a steady rhythm. Enid's face was warm as tears cascaded down her cheeks.
She continued to press, sobs wracking her frame as the boat glided on through the water. Her ears pricked up at the shouts of other students, and she knew they were getting closer.
"P-please," She stuttered out, "Please Wens."
She felt something crack as she maintained her speed, but she didn't dare slow down. She only stopped to tip Wednesday's head back, trying not to think about the cold lips against hers as she gave her two rescue breaths.
"Wednesday," Enid choked, "I can't do this without you Wednesday please."
Enid wasn't religious; most Nevermore students weren't. But she swears by it that someone had been watching over them that day, had to have been taking care of them.
Right as she pressed down, ready to start another cycle of compressions, Wednesday's eyes shot open and she coughed harshly, water pooling into her mouth. Enid didn't hesitate to throw her on her side, letting the murky lake drain out as she heaved.
"I've got you…you're going to be ok…I've got you," Enid repeated as she stroked Wednesday's back. Her coughing subsided and dark, weary eyes met hers for a moment before they fluttered shut.
She was unconscious, her body going slack once more. Enid pressed a clawed hand to her neck, the breath she was holding releasing at the slow but steady pulse.
She wasn't in the clear yet, but she was alive.
She was alive.
A/N: I'm late to the party in terms of watching this show, but I wasn't expecting it to have the hold on me that it does. I noticed there are other fics out there about Wednesday not being able to swim, so I thought I'd add my own touch to it. Had to get this out of my system so I could continue working on my long-term writing project. There will be a second chapter because I cannot for the life of me write one-shots properly, but the next chapter will tie it all up.
This is a disliking Xavier page and all slander towards him will be encouraged. (No shame if you like his character of course, to each their own!)
Thank you for reading, as always! - Rey
Cover art for this story was made by: Myself (I've been an artist longer than I've been a writer haha)