𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐤|| 𝗧𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻'𝘀 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝘅 𝗬/𝗻 𝗟/𝗻

𝟛𝟘.

"I need you two to be honest with me about something."

We suddenly stopped because Xavier did, and he was holding the umbrella and none of us wanted to get wet. "Why'd you come out to the old meeting place in the first place?" He questions. "Cuz working at the Weathervane was awkward as fuck." I reply honestly.

"Not like you actually did anything-" He scoffs. "I served coffee!" I correct. "Yeah, like one time before breaking the pitcher." He scoffs. "Poor Adam and Vanessa..." He sighs, referring to those faceless, mouthless, outcasts I had accidently harassed with my poor customer service skills.

"You broke my favorite pitcher?" Atlas questions, rather hurt by this. "Hey, it's not like you were gonna see it anyway." Xavier scoffs. "If the penis cost you a temporary ban, your act of aggression today definitely got you banished for good." He shrugs, making the boy roll his eyes.

"Relax, it's not that deep." The werewolf brushes it off casually. "No, but the cuts you caused sure were." Wednesday remarks, and we all glare at the reckless boy. "Oh, c'mon. That was a joke." The raven scoffs. "Siblings fight all the time." She shrugs.

"Not a single day went by when I didn't try to electrocute my brother to near-death." She deadpans. "You know they're related?!" I ask, even more shocked now. "Everyone at Nevermore does. They don't call him a traitor for no reason now, do they?" She muses.

"That's enough." The boy snaps, disliking where this conversation was heading. "We came here to discover more about the case, so let's stick to that and disband once we get this over with." He scoffs, and not gonna lie, the last bit kinda hurt.

We weren't actually gonna go our separate ways after this, right? I mean, how can we? We've already been through so much, and we haven't even uncovered 15% of it. Why would he say that? Does he actually mean it? Should I start distancing myself again? 

"I was trying to learn more about Crackstone." Wednesday sighs. "Figure out how he's connected to this." She adds. "Yeah, you were trying to use your psychic abilities, right?" Xavier guesses. "What makes you think I have any?" Wednesday plays dumb.

"Lucky guess." He smirks cockily. "When did they start?" He asks, continuing to walk now. "About a year ago." Wednesday replies. "When they happen, it feels like I'm touching live wire." She describes, making me shudder a little.

Oh nevermind, that was just a cool breeze making me react that way.

"I usually enjoy that sensation." She admits. "Yeah, but you can't control it, so it freaks you out." Xavier concludes, and I glance at him, surprised. Wednesday had the same reaction. "My dad's a psychic." Xavier informs. "Vincent Thorpe." Wednesday remembers.

"My brother's his number one fan." She states. "Watched his Vegas Special so many times, I'm surprised it's not imprinted on his eyeballs yet." She scoffs. "So I've lived with a self-described master, and the first thing he'll tell you is that visions can't be trusted." Xavier resumes.

"They only show you one part of the picture." He adds. "I saw Joseph Crackstone in front of me as clearly as I'm seeing you both now." Wednesday defends. "He gathered all the outcasts in the meeting house, and burned them." She scoffs. "Alive." I add.

"Okay, so he was a sadistic asshole." Xavier scoffs. "So what? It was like 400 years ago." He adds. "It has nothing to do with now." He concludes. "But what if it does?" I wonder aloud. "I mean, you saw it yourself in Rowan's diary." I shrug.

"Crackstone was right there, standing in the quad." Wednesday reminds. "You're creating a story in your head, and using your visions to back it up." He sighs. "And you're just joining her in her little adventures cuz you're bored." He turns to me.

"I mean, you're not completely wrong there I guess..." I mumble.

"Her visions are just telling her what she wants to see." He scoffs. "Did you just mansplain her powers?" I raise my brows at him. "Look, all I'm saying is that my dad, 'the expert', would warn you that psychic ability isn't rooted in logic." He says.

"It's triggered by emotions." He adds, making me scoff. "Oof- Not your strongest suit, huh?" I turn to Wednesday. "I still believe that Rowan was right." Atlas says a minute later. "I mean. there's gotta be a reason why his mother was so successful in what she did, right?" He adds.

"I agree with you, Sylvanne." Wednesday muses.

"Something bad is going to happen, and I NEED to stop it." She deadpans. "Starting with that monster." She scoffs. "What about it?" I ask. "I'm going to stop it." She replies. "Whoever it is." She glares up and down at Xavier, whom she was clearly suspecting, before walking away.

I would've followed her, but then I didn't wanna get wet again, so I decided to stay put with Xavier and Atlas. "That was awkward." Atlas remarks. "Yep." Xavier sighs. "So... About this monster." Xavier starts again. "Could you maybe describe it for me?" He requests.

"Hmm, sure." I agree. "It looked horrendous." I start, picturing it in front of me. "His head was about as big as the pumpkin carriage in Cinderella." I recall, making Atlas snort a little. "What'd I tell ya?" He raises his brow at Xavier, who simply asked me to continue.

"It's skin tone was that of a painful bluish bruise, He had somewhat fluffy hair, which would look great on any human actually. Just not on his giant pumpkin-head. And Yes of course, how can I forget the two tennis balls it has for eyes?" I describe.

"That was... Oddly precise." Xavier comments, thinking about it for sometime.

"It reminds me of something you told me about his claws." He turns to Atlas, referring to some old conversation they must've had. "You mean the long-ass, Edward Scissorhands type of claws?" The werewolf muses. "Yeah, but how long exactly?" The artist questions.

"I'd guess 12 inches." I mumble, thinking about the night I saw it maul Rowan. "Nah, it's 13." Atlas states, and we all shot him a suspicious look. "What? All things cursed have something connected to that number." He shrugs casually.

"Oh, you see that? The time is 1:00 PM as well. You know what that is in the 24-hour format?" He raises his brows. "13 o'clock." He deadpans, making Xavier and I scoff. "Wait, it's 1 already?!" I ask, freaking out because I was already running late. "Yeah, why?" Xavier asks. 

"SHIT- My mom's gonna kill me!"