a new beginning, wavier

31. a trial to remember

"don't talk to me that way, thorpe. i know people and if you survive this night i'll make damn sure your reputation turns to shit," said the mysterious figure.

wednesday simply stared. "who are you?"

the man glared daggers at her. "you don't need to know who i am, addams."

xavier couldn't be angrier. "he's tyler's fucking dad."

the man behind the mask was indeed sheriff galpin.

"i said watch your mouth, thorpe. you best be goddamn grateful i haven't cut your life yet."
wednesday snickered. "you are too weak to perform such an act. you are a sheriff, so you will lose your job."

"i already lost everything WHEN YOU KILLED MY FUCKING SON!"

the bald man quickly stuck a needle into xavier's neck and the boy fell unconscious instantly.

as soon as the man stepped out of the dark room, wednesday began squeaking with concern. "xavier! xavier! wake up! you have to wake up!"

sheriff galpin walked into the room, quickly untied the unconscious boy, and dragged him out of the building.

wednesday thrashed and tried to escape, but it was pointless. she wasn't going anywhere.

then the man thrusted a needle into her neck.

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when xavier woke up, he was clueless as to where he was.

he began wandering the streets from a back alleyway and quickly found himself in downtown jericho.

there were signs everywhere.
with wednesday's face on them.

she was to be put on trial. in front of the entire town. by the sheriff.

...

when wednesday woke up, she found herself in the middle of the jericho town square, only feet from the melted joseph crackstone statue.

countless chairs surrounded her, all surrounding her. a pulpit stood next to her, with a familiar hat. it must've belonged to the man who'd kidnapped her.

hours flew by with wednesday stuck in the square. occasionally there would be a passer by or two, but besides that, she was alone.

on the contrary, xavier found his way back to the school. he immediately went to enid and ajax, who then went with him to principal sipe. xavier told the woman what wednesday was in the square and to be put on trial.

the principal simply let out small sigh. "yes, mister thorpe, i do hear your concern. however, there is nothing nevermore can do. it isn't my responsibility to take the guilt of a student's action. as long as miss addams is not harmed, all is well."

enid glared at the woman and stormed out. as she walked out of the door she muttered under her breath, "principal weems would've killed that psychotic son of a bitch by now. god, i wish she was still around."

ajax glanced over at xavier. "i'll call a nightshades meeting. we'll be there. go with enid to look out for wednesday. you can support each other."

xavier nodded and walked with wednesday. enid looked over at him, suddenly curious. "how did you know about wednesday's big trial? weren't you guys together while ajax and i were out?"
he nodded, looking at the ground. "yeah... we were, but then tyler's dad came and kinda snuck up on us. then he threatened us and scorned us for killing his son. he drugged us both and i guess he underestimated my navigation skills."

once they got back to the jericho town square, the trial had already started.

"citizens of jericho, the girl who stands before you today is found guilty under murder charges. she has assaulted several citizens of jericho, including three innocent teenage boys. she has stolen private records. she has attempted to torture innocent citizens. and her name is wednesday addams," sheriff galpin called out from the pulpit.

wednesday watched the bland facial expressions turn to horrified. somehow, she found it torturous and pleasureful at same time. but she couldn't help taking the chance to defend herself.

"since plan on attempting to shred my name, i might as well find pleasure in it and defend myself."

the noirette stared out at the crowd. "the information you've been given is only one, biased and informative, side of the story. the so called 'murder charge' wasn't even a human, much less my own victim. i was kidnapped by tyler galpin, the sheriff's own son. the sheriff's late wife, francois, was a monster herself, a hyde. some of my fellow classmates came to save me from my doomed penitentiary. in the battle, the hyde, tyler galpin, was indeed killed. the three 'boys' i so called 'assaulted' were harassing me at the weathervane. the second time, they were harassing a friend. i only took records because they were vital to my research in my suspections of the hyde, which ended up being correct. i have only attemped to torture tyler once, when my suspicions got the best of me. once again, i was correct, and no harm was done to the homicidal monster at the time. in conclusion, i, wednesday addams, plead as innocent."

the sheriff looked at the girl strangely. "you said you lost your memory, addams. all your thoughts come back to you at once?"

wednesday simply stared. "i have been told what is true. your lies are not."

xavier's eyes lit up to see his good friend fighting. she was doing incredible. enid couldn't have been a prouder best friend. then the nightshades arrived, cloaks and all.

wednesday stared out at the crowd. "it is up to you, citizens of jericho and neighboring cities. you decide the fate of my life and the fate of your town if you continue to let this man run it."
she looked over at sheriff galpin. "let's take a vote, shall we?"

looking back to the audience, the balding old man smiled with pride, believing the vote would lean in his favor. "all who say wednesday addams is guilty, raise your hands."

a count of thirty-seven hands went up.

the sheriff smiled and nodded. "all who say wednesday addams is innocent, raise your hands."

with the help of the nightshades and a handful of other nevermore students and allies, a count of sixty-four hands went up.

wednesday was ruled innocent.

"YES! YES!" xavier shouted. a smile like no other lit up his face.

enid ran in gratefulness to wednesday, freeing the raven from her binds.

xavier followed not long after.

but before the two could reach their friend, the air shattered. a gun went off.

and it shot directly into wednesday's arm, the impact causing her to thud onto the ground.

nothing but silence roared in the air.

then the echoes of screams began.

"WEDNESDAY, NO!"