Credits to: The_Archmagos
Of all the places Enid Sinclair had ever thought she'd wind up spending her seventeenth birthday, a pitch black, freezing catacomb was not on the top of that list.
And yet, here she was, shivering under three layers and a scarlet red beanie, wading through frigid puddles along seemingly endless corridors of stone, with only a gift store keychain torch to guide her.
It was strange to think that it all started with a text.
Dearest Enid, it has come to my attention that you will be celebrating your seventeenth year upon this mortal coil a week from this day. I suggest that you spend it with me. With the best of wishes to you my dear, W.
Why exactly Wednesday had sent that message was a question Enid couldn't exactly answer, but she was very happy to get it. Her dearest mother hadn't quite gotten over the idea that Enid had her own idea of what was best for herself, and things were looking like they'd be pretty tense this year. Now, with the options before her being tagging along with Murray's work trip to New Jersey and sneaking off with his smug approval, and sticking around with her mother's ever growing list of lycanthropic therapists you just had to visit, Enid's decision practically made itself.
Plus, the last time they'd met in person two months ago back on her side of the country, she'd gotten a kiss, and maybe, just maybe, Enid was looking forward to something just as special this time too. Getting to say she was in love with the Addams girl was something she hadn't quite gotten used to, but Enid was keen to work on that.
And now Enid was here, straining to keep her jaw from cutting her own tongue off.
Not for the first time in the past few hours, she called out into the dark. Wednesday was somewhere ahead of her, and that was about all she knew of her guide's location. The Addams girl knew the place like the back of her hand, and Enid spent half her time trying to play catch up.
"Wednesday, how much further does this stupid cave go?"
To her surprise, Wednesday's reply came from right behind her.
"Calm down, Enid. We're at the final stretch, only a few more minutes."
At least that's what she thought Wednesday said, seeing as she was too busy crying out a startled yelp to hear her words properly. On the way here from the Addams estate - and Enid was a little disappointed that she only had the chance to gaze upon it from the outside - Wednesday had been kind enough to fill her in on some of the details. The old mine was barely a few minutes walk down from that dark house, and in its seemingly endless depths the young girl had found it to be a private, persoal playground, and a suitably one dangerous too. Even Wednesday didn't know how deep it went.
All in all, exactly the sort of place Enid would've expected the two of them would've gone to for the sole purpose of cracking a grisly murder, or a few at the same time. Not for a party.
Even as she tried to work herself up, Enid's hands betrayed her, digging across her scalp and constantly shifting. Without a word spoken Wednesday put out one of hers, and Enid wavered before taking it, firmly.
"I think we ought to continue, now. Come on, I'll try and keep in your sight this time if it makes you feel any better."
Despite that, Wednesday seemed to disappear every now and then into the gloom, though at least she reappeared here and there ahead of her often enough that Enid wasn't perpetually lost.
Eventually, she came to a stop, the light of her torch cast against a wooden door embedded in the rock. Wednesday waited for Enid to catch up as she stooped to fit below the falling ceiling, and when she spoke it was with an almost wistful voice, a touch of emotion Enid always enjoyed seeing drip through her on what few occasions it happened.
