#reader regrets

There was truly everything in there, even though half of it gave her chills in a way she couldn’t quite explain.

She slowed her pace and spotted a small bottle containing a thick purple liquid. A layer of dust veiled the glass of the ampoule, enhancing its ancient and mysterious appearance. The warm amber light of a lamp hit it at an angle, distorting its reflections and making the contents look even more unsettling. She hesitantly ran a finger along its contours, her gaze lingering on the label of the bottle: Elixir Break-the-Curse.

What did that mean? Break curses? she thought.

If this breaks curses, there should be another one that casts them… or something like that, she mused.

I wonder if there’s something that makes people fall in love… she wondered with a faint smile, immediately followed by a wave of guilt for the thought.

No, this is wrong.

She let go of the ampoule and walked toward the front of the shop.

“Good morning! How can I help you?” asked a middle-aged woman with dark skin and a warm smile on her lips.

Y/n returned the smile and slipped her hands into her pockets, tilting her head to the side.

“Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m here,” she murmured softly, slightly embarrassed by the confession.

The woman didn’t seem surprised and only softened her smile.

“You’re back at Nevermore, right? The holidays are over,” she said. Y/n nodded. “Were you looking to buy something for a boyfriend? A… girlfriend?”

Y/n felt her cheeks heat up at the implication. She looked away, her attention suddenly caught by a small box inside a basket: One Wish Willow. She picked up one of the triangular cartridges and turned it between her fingers. You only get one wish… yeah, it said it right there. Spark the middle and break it in half…

What did “spark” mean?

She ran her thumb over the red writing and turned the cartridge over again in her hands.

Will it work? she wondered skeptically. Of course it won’t… for heaven’s sake, Y/n, you can’t actually believe something like this works, she scolded herself.

Her tongue slipped out slightly, wetting her lips as she bit down on them in concentration.

“It’s been flying off the shelves, you know,” the shopkeeper said. Y/n quickly pushed her hair out of her face, snapping her head up toward the voice. She smiled and nodded awkwardly.

“Just don’t come complaining if it doesn’t work,” the woman warned her, half-joking.

Y/n brushed a strand of hair from her face and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Does anyone actually come back here to complain?” she asked, amused.

Her amusement was obvious, as was the implied question beneath her words.

Did anyone actually believe this nonsense?

She tightened her grip on the box with one hand while the other fumbled for the money in her pocket.

(---)

The drive back to Nevermore Academy was quiet.

The engine hummed softly beneath her. Her right hand held the steering wheel firmly while her left elbow was propped up so she could rest her head in her palm. Her fingers absentmindedly brushed her lips, and her eyes never once left the empty road surrounded by forest.

She lightly bit the tip of her index finger and a small smile formed on her lips.

I wonder what Wednesday did this summer… probably one of her macabre adventures she thought, amused.

Her heart skipped at the mere mention of Wednesday’s name, warmth flooding her cheeks. God, she had missed her so much.

How did she survive three months without seeing those obsidian eyes?

She blew a strand of hair off her nose and pressed her lips into a thin line.

Calm down, you sound obsessed.

She drummed her nails on the steering wheel and tried to push Wednesday Addams out of her mind. But the more she tried, the more her imagination summoned the slim, dark figure: Cupid’s bow lips, eyes black as tar, that sharp jawline, her monotone, expressionless voice and even her black-and-grey uniform that accentuated her curves when she straightened her posture and—

Y/n.

Wednesday’s voice echoed in her mind and she found herself smiling faintly.

God, I need a distraction

She swallowed loudly and gripped the wheel until her knuckles turned white. She sighed through her nose and reached for the radio, but just as her hand moved toward the dial, the ringing of her phone cut through the air.

Without taking her eyes off the road, she fumbled for it and answered without even checking the caller ID.

“Y/n.”

Wednesday’s neutral voice sent shivers down her spine, her stomach tightening into a bundle of nerves.

She cleared her throat, trying to sound normal.

“Wednesday! How are you?” she exclaimed enthusiastically. Maybe a little too enthusiastically.

She frowned at her own awkwardness and bit the inside of her cheek, alternating her gaze between the phone and the road.

“I didn’t call to talk about me,” Wednesday said curtly. “It’s about Enid.”

“Enid?” she asked uncertainly.

Her hand instinctively moved to the gear shift and she changed gears. “What happened?” she asked, her voice worried, tinged with a hint of jealousy. Not the time to be jealous. She forced a smile, even though Wednesday couldn’t see it and prepared herself to listen.

“A few weeks ago I had a vision… she’s in danger,” Wednesday said in her usual monotone, though Y/n could detect a trace of concern.

She clenched her jaw and nodded to herself.

“I’ll give you the details later. I’m hanging up now,” Wednesday concluded coldly.

“Wait!” Y/n found herself saying.

There was no reply on the other end, but she could hear Wednesday’s calm breathing. She bit her lower lip and almost smiled, imagining Wednesday with the head slightly tilted, waiting for her to continue.

Her blood rushed to her ears and she started breathing harder. The fear mixed with adrenaline gave her a push that—

“I missed you… a lot” Y/n whispered, her heart pounding so hard it blurred her thoughts.

A moment of silence. Then the call ended.

Y/n stared at the phone and puffed her cheeks in frustration. You idiot, what did you expect? Rage flared in her chest and her vision blurred with tears. In a burst of frustration, she pulled over and turned off the engine.

She slammed her palm repeatedly against the steering wheel and yelled in frustration. What had she been thinking? I wonder what Wednesday thinks now…

She leaned her head back against the seat and bit her lip, trying to suppress the sob rising in her throat.

Y/n sniffed and looked at the Uriah’s Heap bag on the passenger seat.

To hell with it.

She wiped her cheeks, erasing every trace of tears from her face.

She leaned over the passenger seat, fumbling with the plastic bag until she finally pulled out the cardboard box. She turned it over in her hands the same way she had done in the shop, then rotated it counterclockwise to read the warning.

Users assume full responsibility for the outcome of their wishes.

What nonsense.

How could a children’s toy even be dangerous?

She shifted on her seat, uncertain. She stared at the red lettering and ran her finger over the printed image of a little girl. She sighed and opened the box, pulling out a cylindrical object. The moment she removed it, an awful jingle filled the car and Y/n looked inside the box with curiosity.

So that’s what they meant by “spark it.”

She turned her attention to the stick and thought about what to wish for. Guilt coiled in her stomach, knowing she was about to wish for something deeply wrong and immoral.

But it was just a game.

With renewed determination, she took the stick in her hands.

“I wish Wednesday Addams loved me more than anyone else in this damn world.”