The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.
Sarenya glided out first, every step graceful enough to make the lobby chandeliers jealous. Valen followed half a step behind, fussing with his collar like a guy who absolutely wasn't buzzing with excitement.
And then… they entered.
The Addams family swept into the hotel like a shadow cutting across daylight.
Morticia moved with otherworldly elegance, her gown whispering like smoke. Gomez followed, radiating chaotic charm, mustache twitching as though preparing for battle with joy itself. Pugsley lurked at their side, grinning like he already knew which furniture he was going to blow up later.
Lurch lumbered behind, a walking cathedral in a suit, carrying half the luggage in one hand like it was made of feathers.
And riding proudly atop a suitcase was Thing. Scuttling along like the hotel belonged to him.
Valen's eye twitched. "…Yeah. Super normal."
Then he saw her.
Wednesday Addams.
She stopped right in front of him, close enough that he could count her freckles, if she had any. She didn't. Of course she didn't. Seven years old, small frame, twin braids, deathly cute and a stare sharp enough to file steel.
Valen froze. Oh hell, that's really her. Mini Wednesday. Cute, but damn- if only I'd met her a few years later… WAIT. No. Brain, stop. No weird thoughts! She's seven! SEVEN!
"Morticia!" Sarenya exclaimed, voice warm. She opened her arms and the two women embraced, ageless and elegant. Gomez swept in dramatically, kissing Sarenya's hand and firing compliments like bullets from a machine gun.
Valen caught exactly none of it. Because Wednesday still hadn't blinked.
She just stood there, hands cupped, staring at him. She simply tilted her head ever so slightly, studying him the way a biologist might study a curious insect.
Valen raised an eyebrow. "What, no 'hi'? Just the serial-killer glare?"
Her voice was quiet, flat, but cutting. "Do you scare easily? I'd like to know before I waste my time."
Valen smirked. "Depends. You planning something scary?"
Wednesday slowly opened her hands.
Inside- a scorpion. Black. Glossy. Tail raised and aimed at him like a loaded gun.
She extended it. "Hold him."
"…This is definitely not how normal people shake hands," Valen muttered.
The scorpion twitched, stinger gleaming.
"Cute pet tho," he drawled and leaned in. Huh. If I remember right, this poor guy's got a death flag hanging over him…
"If it stings you," Wednesday said evenly, "we'll learn if you're immune. If not… we'll learn how long you last."
Should I even ...? Valen thought for half a sec. Yeah, Fuck it. Not every day you get stung by a scorpion.
Then without hesitation he reached out, steady hand closing around the scorpion's sides. It writhed, tail flicking dangerously close.
Wednesday didn't blink. Not once.
Does not blinking not irritate her eyes? Valen thought. Well… she is basically the definition of not normal.
Valen grinned. "So… do I get a cookie if I survive this?"
Wednesday snatched the scorpion back just before it could sting. "No. Cookies are for children." Her gaze lingered a moment longer.
Then she turned away, "He'll do", and made way to join her family.
Valen blinked. "…Do what?"
She looked over her shoulder. "Suffer and keep me entertained."
Morticia, from the back only smiled serenely. "Ah. I see Wednesday's already found a playmate."
Lurch rumbled a deep, low "Hmmmm," almost like agreement, while Thing gave Valen a little wave- like a silent welcome to the family, sucker.
*
Serenya was already ushering Morticia and Gomez toward the reception desk, insisting on helping them settle in.
Valen trailed behind.
Thing scuttled across the counter like it had booked the room itself, tapping away in what suspiciously resembled Morse code.
The receptionist stared, pale as parchment, before Morticia's elegant smile soothed away any questions. Within minutes, keys were handed over and Lurch lumbered toward the elevator with half the luggage stacked like children's toys in his massive arms.
"Truly, Serenya," Morticia said, her voice smooth as velvet, "it feels just like Nevermore again. Your warmth has not changed."
Gomez clutched his chest, eyes glistening. "Caramba! Such hospitality! Such friendship! If I had a sword, I would duel the very sun itself for you!"
Valen leaned toward his mother, whispering, "...Is he always like this?"
"Worse when he's had coffee," Serenya murmured back, smiling as though she found it charming.
Wednesday, of course, didn't help with anything. She simply followed along silently, her black eyes never straying far from Valen. Every time he glanced back, she was there, watching. Measuring. Plotting.
Is she planning to kill me? Valen thought. Well… considering it's her, yeah. She probably would.
By the time they reached the Addams' suite, Lurch had already arranged the luggage with unnerving precision, even placing fresh flowers in a vase. Well, wilted flowers. Maybe they'd brought their own.
"Perfect," Morticia breathed. "It feels so… dead."
The roses in the vase chose that exact moment to drop every last petal.
And Valen decided not to comment.
*
[Wednesday pov]
The moment we arrived, I realized I had been deceived.
We landed in Miami under a sun so bright it felt like punishment.
From the car window, I saw the beach, then the festival.
But this was not the macabre wonderland I had been promised.
No cabinets of preserved organs, no wax reenactments of executions, not even a decent display of cursed relics. Instead, it was balloons, neon colors, children sticky with syrup, and adults smiling like prisoners told to look cheerful for their captors.
The air reeked of fried dough and happiness- two equally nauseating things.
Mother had promised fascination. To me, that meant poison vials with Latin labels, the delicate geometry of skeletons behind glass, or perhaps a corridor lined with rusting torture implements. Instead, I got clowns. Painted smiles, grotesque cheer, a parody of joy.
I tightened my grip on the small black parasol I had brought. Not for the sun, but for its potential as a weapon. "If the fascination you promised turns out to be cotton candy," I said, "I may never forgive you."
Mother's smile widened, the kind of smile that always hides a second meaning."Patience, my little viper. You'll find it soon enough."
Left with no better amusement, I reached into my bag and let Nero crawl out, my companion, my confidant, the only creature in this hemisphere that understands me.
By the time we stepped into the hotel lobby, the noise of Miami gave way to polished marble and perfumed air.
Then, she appeared- a woman gliding toward us with a royal's grace. Must be the friend Mother had mentioned.
And beside her… something smaller.
A boy. My age.
I stopped before him, fixing my gaze on him like a scalpel over an open chest.
He didn't flinch. Just stared back, his mouth twitching into a smirk, the kind people wear when they think they're untouchable. Bold. Not shy. Shy ones are boring. Interesting… maybe.
He raised an eyebrow. "What, no 'hi'? Just the serial-killer glare?"
He talks too much.
So this was the "fascination" Mother had in store for me? Not a guillotine, not a bottle of venom, not even an ominous doll that whispers at night. A boy. A possible threat, and a nuisance.
I tilted my head, analyzing him. Bold. Insolent. Potentially useful.
But if Mother expected me to beam with joy and declare him my new best friend, she would be sorely disappointed.
Nero stirred in my palm, claws scraping my glove. His tiny fangs caught the light. The perfect litmus test.
Let's see how long you last, I thought, a small smile threatening the corners of my lips.
"Do you scare easily?" I asked him. "I'd like to know before I waste my time."
He smirked. Brave? Foolish? Perhaps both.
I opened my palm. Nero arched his tail, eager. "Hold him," I said.
"If he stings you, we'll see if you're immune. If not… we'll learn how long you last."
He took Nero without hesitation. No flinch. Steady grip. Huh. Not boring.
He grinned, actually grinned, as the scorpion perched on his hand. Amused. Reckless. Almost impressive.
I studied him one last time, cataloguing details like a hunter sizing up prey.Survived the test. Not fragile. Could be dangerous. Or useful. Or both.
Nero's stinger twitched, eager to taste skin, but I plucked him back before he could.
Not yet. Letting him strike now would ruin the mystery. A venomous sting on the first encounter was like revealing the ending of a good book on the first page- messy, unsatisfying, and far too quick.
Besides, Nero's venom is special. It's not for everyone.
I turned to my family, already bored with the exchange."He'll do," I said, slipping Nero into my palm where he coiled, disappointed but obedient.
But in my mind, I added, For now.
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Milestones this week:
50 Power Stones = +1 chapter
100 Power Stones = +1 more chapter
200 Power Stones = +1 more chapter
500 Power Stones = +2 chapters!!
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A/N:Man, this chapter was tough. I must've revised it more than 10 times because writing from Wednesday's POV is no joke. Half the time I was like, "Nope, she wouldn't say that… nah, that's too soft… hmm, not her style at all." In the end, I just had to drop everything I had and go with it.
So yeah, not sure if it's good or bad, but here it is. With this chapter, we officially crossed 15,000 words and hit the rankings! huge thanks to all of you for the support!
Now I really want to know your thoughts:Was Wednesday's first appearance here too soft?Did it feel not like her at all? Or did it hit just right as a first glance?
Drop your opinions in the comments, I'd love to hear what you think!
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A/N (extra ramble): for word count. I know, I know, shame on me. But don't worry, I'll make it up tomorrow with some extra content to balance things out.
Alright, I'll be honest with you guys, I'm kinda stuck. Not in the sense of writer's block, but in the sense that writing Wednesday specifically is… brutal. Like, you know how most characters, you can just let them talk and it flows? With her, every single line feels like a test. If she sounds too soft, bam, that's out of character. If she's too harsh without reason, bam, that doesn't work either. I've legit rewritten the same paragraph ten times thinking, "Would Wednesday actually say this, or would she roll her eyes and walk away?"
That's why I want your help. You all are readers, and honestly you probably know what feels right for Wednesday just as much as I do. So let's make this fun, what kind of Wednesday moments do you want to see? what kind of creepy little pranks would she play on valen? Brutal sarcasm that makes people question their life choices? Or maybe something more subtle, like her doing weird, unsettling things that leave everyone around her uncomfortable without her lifting a finger.
Throw me your ideas, seriously, don't hold back. The darker, funnier, or more unhinged, the better. Think of it like a brainstorm game: if you were Wednesday, how would you mess with people? If I like an idea, I might even sneak it into a future chapter, so keep an eye out, you might end up shaping the story alongside me.
So yeah, let's make this interactive. Drop your twisted Wednesday ideas below, and I'll do my best to bring them to life in the story. This newbie author really appreciates the backup, it makes writing a lot more fun when I feel like I'm not doing it alone.