Chapter 3: The Dividing Line Between Silence and Noise
Swish!
Three emerald green snakes shot out from the corner of the hat, hissing with flickering tongues. One of them lunged directly at Vic's finger.
Crunch!
Venom suddenly opened its massive maw and chomped down on the snake's head.
The entire area fell silent.
Ajax's face instantly turned pale: "My snake!"
Venom chewed twice and frowned: "Hmm... like rubber candy."
Vic patted Ajax's shoulder: "Don't worry! Venom's digestive system is super strong. In 24 hours it'll become—uh, some kind of black goo."
Wednesday commented: "At least it's more nutritious than a Rainbow Unicorn Pillow."
Enid: "Hey!"
She stamped her foot angrily, the motion making her little leather shoes tap crisply against the ground, "That was a limited edition."
Ajax trembled as he touched his hat, the remaining snake hair trembling inside: "I need to go to the infirmary..." He staggered away, his retreating figure looking like he'd just survived a catastrophe.
"What's all the noise about?"
A short-haired black girl approached, arms crossed, with sharp eyes. Her silver pupils shimmered with metallic luster under the sunlight.
"Bianca Barclay," Enid whispered in introduction, "Siren. Don't mess with her."
Vic's eyes lit up: "Siren? So can you sing 'Under the Sea'?"
He made an exaggerated singing and dancing motion, nearly stepping on Wednesday's foot.
Bianca narrowed her eyes: "I can, but after hearing it, you'd jump into the lake and drown yourself."
Vic pulled a chocolate bar from his pocket: "Want some? 82% cocoa, as dangerous and captivating as your gaze—"
Bianca stared at the chocolate, then suddenly raised her hand
Smack!
The chocolate was knocked flying, tracing an arc through the air.
"I hate sweets the most," she said coldly.
Before Vic could react, Venom suddenly shot out from his shoulder, black goo coalescing into a ferocious face that pressed almost against Bianca's.
"Those who waste food—" Venom's voice rumbled like thunder, "get added to my menu."
Bianca's pupils contracted sharply as she retreated half a step.
Wednesday applauded softly nearby: "Brilliant."
Enid quickly tried to defuse the situation: "Alright, alright! Vic, let's go check out the werewolf activity area!!"
Her nails unconsciously elongated, piercing through the fabric of Vic's jacket.
"Ow!" Vic exclaimed dramatically, "Your claws!"
She dragged Vic by the arm to leave, while Bianca snorted coldly and turned away.
Venom retracted back into Vic, muttering: "She tastes like expired sea salt... disgusting."
"Wednesday." Principal Larissa's voice came from the distance, "Your family is waiting for you at the gate."
Wednesday scanned the crowd expressionlessly: "Don't die before I return."
She turned and left, her black robes swirling behind her like a moving shadow.
Only Vic and Enid remained.
Enid breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing she was still holding Vic's arm.
She quickly let go, discovering five small holes left in his jacket sleeve: "Ah! Sorry! I sometimes can't control it..."
Her fingertips trembled slightly, the nails having retracted to normal length, but the tips still glowing with an unnatural red.
Vic blinked, not angry at all, but instead excitedly grabbed her wrist: "Wow! Your claws!"
He held Enid's hand up to the sunlight, examining it closely. "So cool! Can it peel apples? Open cans? Work like a craft knife?"
Enid laughed, her tension melting away. "...Are you serious?"
"Of course!" Vic nodded solemnly, pulling an apple from his pocket—no one knew where he kept it. "Want to try?"
Enid hesitated before accepting the apple. Her nails elongated again, this time deliberately. The sharp claws glided effortlessly across the apple's surface, the peel curling down like a ribbon.
"Perfect!" Vic cheered, taking the apple back for a big bite. "Better than a fruit knife!" Juice trickled down his chin, and Venom immediately extended a small tendril to wipe it away.
Enid looked down at her hands, her voice suddenly soft. "Actually... I still can't fully transform yet."
Her claws slowly retracted. "At most I can extend my claws, and I can't even control them properly."
Vic tilted his head, tossing the apple core precisely into a trash bin five meters away. "So what? Venom keeps saying I have water for brains, but we're doing just fine, aren't we?"
Venom: "It's true."
Enid giggled, the setting sun turning her blonde hair honey-gold. She suddenly reached out to poke Vic's shoulder. "You know what? You're really weird."
"Thanks for the compliment!" Vic grinned, revealing two sharp canine teeth. "That's the best evaluation I've received this year!"
"Come on," Enid said softly, naturally taking his hand. "Let me show you the werewolf activity area." Her fingertips carefully avoided direct contact with his skin, afraid her claws might slip out again.
The two walked along the stone path toward the west side of the academy, their shadows merging behind them like an odd yet harmonious pair.
In the distance, Wednesday stood at the academy entrance, glancing back.
Their shadows overlap like poorly made paper cutouts.
She thought.
...
The sunset quietly sank below the horizon amid laughter and whispers, Nevermore Academy's gothic spires gradually swallowed by twilight.
The corridor's clamor faded, replaced by the unique silence of night, punctuated only by unnamed insects rustling in stone crevices.
Moonlight flowed like water, slowly spilling over windowsills to cast cold silver light in every room.
In the dormitory, Vic had already curled up asleep in his "kingdom," wrapped in Venom like a black blanket, occasionally emitting contented purrs.
Enid wore headphones, bare feet padding across the floor as she swayed gently to the music.
Her short blonde hair bounced to the rhythm, pink nightgown glowing softly in the moonlight.
Completely immersed in her own world, she rose on her toes, twirling, fingers tracing fluid arcs through the air—
Click, click, click!
Wednesday Addams sat on her bed, fingers flying across an antique typewriter. Her eyes gleamed coldly in the candlelight, each keystroke falling like the stamp of an execution order.
Enid's dancing grew wilder. During a spin, her heel thumped loudly against the floor.
Wednesday's fingers froze mid-air.
"Enid." Her voice seemed to drift from an ice cellar. "If you make another sound, I'll fashion your headphone cord into a noose."
Enid removed one earbud and blinked. "What? I can't hear you!"
Wednesday slowly turned her head, the candlelight casting flickering shadows across her face, making her look like an avenging ghost freshly emerged from an ancient tomb.
"I said—" her fingers lightly traced the small knife beside the typewriter, "—quiet."
Enid pouted and turned down her volume just slightly—but her foot continued tapping, her toes lightly drumming against the floor.
Click, click, click!
Tap, tap, tap!
Two rhythms intertwined in the room like a silent war.
Wednesday's temple throbbed.
She suddenly stood up and walked over to Enid, looking down at her from above.
"Do you know how the protagonist in my novel dies?" Wednesday asked softly.
Enid tilted her head. "Of old age?"
"Torn to pieces by a group of monsters because she was too noisy." Wednesday smiled, revealing pale teeth. "The description is particularly vivid."
Enid swallowed hard but quickly straightened her back. "You can't deprive people of their right to listen to music just because you want to write!"
"I can." Wednesday's fingers lightly tapped against the knife. "Especially when someone's taste is so—" she glanced at Enid's playlist, "—nauseating."
Enid's cheeks flushed with anger. "This is Beyoncé!"
"Sounds like a cat being strangled."
"You—"
Enid extended her claws.
"Chocolate, don't run!"
An abrupt shout suddenly came from Vic's direction.
Both girls turned simultaneously.
Vic was sprawled out in his "kingdom," eyes closed as he shouted at the ceiling.
"Chase it!" Venom emerged from his body before retreating again.
Wednesday and Enid exchanged a silent look.
"At least he's sleeping well," Enid whispered.
Wednesday stared at Vic for a few seconds before suddenly turning back to her typewriter, her fingers flying across the keys.
Click. Click. Click!
Enid hesitated, then quietly turned off her music. She curled up on her bed, fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of her blanket.
Moonlight streamed through the window, painting a silver dividing line on the floor—one side was Wednesday's dark domain, the other was Enid's rainbow nest.
A few minutes later, the typing suddenly stopped.
"If you must listen to music," Wednesday said without turning around, "you can use my record player."
Enid looked up in surprise.
Beside Wednesday's bed stood an ancient gramophone, a thin layer of dust covering the vinyl records.
"...Really?" Enid asked cautiously.
"Better than your 'strangled cat,'" Wednesday said coolly, though the hostility in her tone had diminished slightly.
Enid ran over barefoot, curiously flipping through Wednesday's record collection.
"Mozart... 'Death Waltz'?" Her fingers paused on a pitch-black record.
"That's my favorite," Wednesday's voice carried a barely detectable hint of pride.
Enid hesitated, then placed the record on the player.
Deep cello notes flowed slowly, like mist spreading through the night. Enid unconsciously began swaying gently to the rhythm, but this time her movements were as soft as a feather.
Wednesday's fingers fell upon the typewriter once more, but this time the rhythm merged wondrously with the music.
Click, click, click!
Thump, thump, thump!
The two sounds intertwined, no longer in opposition but forming an eerie harmony.
In the corner, Vic turned over. Venom poked its head out to glance at Enid and Wednesday.
"Humans are so strange," it muttered, closing its eyes.