Music. A universal language that speaks directly to the soul. It has the power to stir up emotions in the dullest of people. Transport the most unimaginative people to new worlds. It can bring us closer to the ones we love. It's the sound of our passions- the very rhythm of our hearts and the melodies of our dreams. Through intricate harmonies and winding melodies, every person finds a piece of themselves that they hold close.
Just listening to the simplest of tunes, Wednesday feels as though she can open herself to an infinite universe of wonder and beauty- she could spend quite literal hours marvelling in the depth of music and its endless varieties. Like any other person, she surrenders herself to its magic, lets it run through her spirit- lift her mood, make her creative.
But the room next door seemed to take Wednesday's ideology to a whole new level. Almost twenty-four seven, her and Enid's new neighbour seemed to be listening to music- and not very discreetly either. Wednesday's patience could only stretch so far- but at least their neighbour's music taste was indefinitely better than Enid's.
With a pillow wrapped over her head, covering her ears, Wednesday attempted to fall asleep- thought, it was an inevitability that the sleep she craved would not come, just the same as the last few nights.
Of course, Enid had managed to get to sleep just fine- despite her keen sense of hearing, she seemed to have no problems in blocking out the persistent cycle of endless annoying melodies. Wednesday didn't get jealous easy, but she truly did envy Enid's ability to sleep so deeply.
Just as one song faded to an end and she got lulled into the hopes that the music would finally stop, another started up- more loud and energetic than the last.
Deciding enough was enough- Wednesday threw her covers off her cold body and her legs followed suit over the edge of her bed, her feet landing directly into a pair of slippers. As she hauled herself upright she brushed off the few creases that soon fell out.
Making her way to the dorm door, she quietly opened it and slipped out, closing the door again behind herself before she tip-toed across the hallway. Stopping at the door adjacent to the one she had just exited through, she let out a loud huff- the music becoming even more unbearable that it had been just a few seconds before. She raised a clenched fist and knocked on the door.
A long few moments followed and the music seemed to quieten down to a silence right before the old, heavy door swung open.
A handsome boy stood on the other side, towering over the bleak girl- and while at first he looked down on Wednesday with judgemental eyes, he soon braved a warm smile. "Hello." Y/N spoke up, his voice relatively warm despite his initial skepticisn. "Are you lost?" He took in her dull, blacked out pyjamas, slippers, tired features and tied up hair- his initial thoughts being that she had been sleepwalking and somehow found herself outside his door.
Looking up at him through her brows, she noticed the dark bags beneath his eyes and his skin- which could have been paler than her own. She folded her arms over her chest. Her nostrils flaired as she took a deep breath. "Your music is too loud." Wednesday bluntly spoke.
A bout of silence crept over them as the boy raised his brow in an act of surprise. She really was snappy for such a small figure. "Okay." He spoke. His frame seemed to fill up the doorway, with his shoulder resting on one side, his hand stretching out and holding onto the other.
Almost as if mimicking his expression, she raised her own brow in turn to his response. "So you'll turn it off?" She asked- although it certainly sounded like more of a demand.
"No." He simply responded as a shrug pulled at his shoulders. As quickly as his shoulders raised, they fell down. He still wore a smile as he straightened his posture which only increased his height over her. "I'm going to go now." Y/N started as he began closing the door. "It was nice meeting you Wednesday."
With the door being slammed in her face- Wednesday stood dumbfounded. He knew her name. She never told him her name- and as far as she was aware, neither had anyone else- purely for the fact it seemed as though he had never left his room. Without taking a second more to think, her fist pounded against the door once again. She could hear a muttered curse behind the door before it swung open again.
"Look- I'd appreciate it if you'd- Hey!" He blurted out as Wednesday merely walked past his frame and into his room.
Wednesday was struck with awe- his room was a mess- splattering's of paint had stained the cold wood flooring, the once white curtains now yellowed were drawn and appeared as though they had not been opened in weeks with the layers of dust and cobwebs all over them. The imposing figure seemed to own at least two staircase ladders and even more desks that were all littered with tubes of paint and paint brushes. There were a number of tubs filled with murky water. Her eyes shifted to the walls confining them- each and every one of them had been painted on. Her gaze stopped on one wall which she approached slowly. As she got closer- she began to recognise faces, rooms and ornaments. Walking parallel to the wall, she took in more of its detail and beauty- until she reached a painting that very much resembled herself. It was like looking at a mirror- pale skin, jet black hair with even darker clothing and eyes. She raised her hand and outstretched a finger in the direction of the canvas that was the wall.
"Please don't touch anything." A voice called out from behind her. Turning on her heels, she turned to look up at the imposing figure. "The paint might be dry, but it hasn't cured yet." He explained.
Almost jumping at the voice, she turned on the heels of her heavy leather boots. Brows narrowed on the boy, she opened her mouth to speak."Why do you-"
"I dream walk." He cut her off. He moved to the table closest to them, clearing some of the clutter as if having a guest in his room brought light to how much of a tragic mess it really was.
Wednesday watched as he gathered aprons and crincled tubes of paints before tossing them into the corner of the room like it would make it look any neater. "You mean sleep walk?" She questioned.
"No, dream walk." He confirmed as he moved to the next table, gathering paints and brushes along side damp cloths. He tossed them aside.
"What do you mean 'dream walk'?" Wednesday interrogated as she walked to the next cluttered table before he could reach it. She took one of the paint tubes that sat beside a pallet between her fingers, inspecting it closely. 'Mahogany Red' it read.
"It's tough to explain." He muttered as he snatched the tube of paint from her fingertips. "Please. Don't touch my things." He asked, though it came out as more of a command. He set the paint back down on the table right where Wednesday had picked it up from.
"Then tell me what you mean by dream walk." Wednesday demanded back, picking up a paintbrush from the same table. The tip of the brush was coated in a deep blue paint. She moved her gaze to the handle which was enscribed with a name in gold lettering. Y/N.
Before she could inspect it any more, it was taken from her fingers just as the paint had been. The boy let out a huff. He looked tired. The bags under his eyes were darker than her own- almost as if he could pass out on the spot.
He was stuck in contemplation. He didn't much like his peace being desturbed so he weight out giving an explanation in return for gaining his peace back. "If I tell you, will you leave?"
Wednesday paused and reset her posture. "Maybe." She answered.
A nasaly exhale sounded through his nostrils as his eyes shut for a moment. Opening them again, her nodded his head. "My consciousness leaves my body every time I fall asleep." He blurted out.
"Like an outer body experience?"
"Like a ghost." He confirmed dully.
"What's that got to do with...?" She gestured a pale hand to the paintings that encased them.
He set the paintbrush down on the paint stained table. "It's a way of staying awake." He answered. "I paint what I see when I eventually fall asleep."
Wednesday nodded her head, following what he was laying down for her. It irritated her that he was leaving her breadcrumbs to follow. She wanted a full whole explaination rather than broken pieces of information which she had to put together.
"And why don't you want to sleep?" She asked him as she turned her gaze to what he was wearing. He was well dressed and his clothes seemed to be the cleanest thing in the room.
"Because it can take me days to wake up again." He explained. "Sometimes it can take weeks." He added as he settled his rear on the edge of the table, his arms folding over his chest.
"Why?"
"Are you always this investigative?" He fired back.
She shrugged her shoulders in response. "It doesn't hurt to be curious." She responded monotonously. She turned her back on him, facing the direction in which her portrait had been painted. She appeared to be sat on her chair on the balcony just staring into space. She had to admit- the level of detail was impressive. Her eyes lit up as she turned to face him again. She had another question. "What's so bad about dream walking?"
"How would you like to be floating around for days on end?"
She didn't ponder this for very long. It sounded rather entertaining- the idea seemed freeing to experience life without the restraints of her body. "Quite a lot actually." She quickly responded.
"Even when you aren't able to touch anything?" He fired back. "Days upon days for being unable to eat and drink. Showering is impossible- painting is impossible." He ranted with the shake of his head. "So much wasted time."
On further reflection, she soon concluded that his aliment wasn't as entertaining as it had initially seemed on a surface level. "So you paint creepy stalkerish scenes instead?"
Sighing, the boy nodded his head. "Yes. Now will you leave?"
"No." Wednesday answered shortly which received an aggravated groan. Ignoring this, she pressed on. "Why paint? You could go to class, socialize."
"Tired people tend to not make the best companions."
"True." Wednesday agreed with a hum. Her eyes settled on a cylindrical speaker on the table he leant against. "What about the music?"
He looked down at the speaker, following her gaze. "What about it?"
"Why do you play it?"
"Because the silence is painful. Surely you of all people should know that."
His words hit her like a punch to the gut. "What do you mean by that?" She demanded, her features hardening in defence.
"I've watched you long enough to know how much you hate being alone, Wednesday." The boy spoke, standing up straight. He walked towards her. "Of course, you have Enid to talk to from time to time- but she's far too much of a social butterfly for you to keep up with. The theirs Eugene- you appreciate his honesty but you find his stark social ineptitude as a hindrance. You find Xavier frankly brash and are unsure of what to think about his obvious attraction to you. Oh, and then the one person who you felt the slightest connection to turned out to be a manipulative Hyde creature with no real interest in you. You, Wednesday Addams, are alone." Y/N now stood over Wednesday and her thin frame. "Need I carry on?"
His last few statements cut her deep. A knot in her throat formed and it only tightened when she tried to speak up. Years pricked her eyes but she fought back. She shook her head.
"Good." He spoke firmly. He cleared his throat and sucked in a deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak but his head grew heavy. He swayed on his heels. Wednesday grabbed hold of his wrist out of instinct in an attempt to steady him. She watched as his eyes fell like weights were tied to his eyelashes before he forced them open again. "W...Would you please- please leave." He managed to whisper before his legs gave out beneath him.
Wednesday made an attempt to catch him but he was too heavy. He hit the ground with a thud. Grimacing at the loud sound she leant down to his side. It seemed sleep had bested him. Reaching out, she grabbed an apron that had been thrown aside and balled it up before placing it beneath his head. She couldn't deny that, while his words cut her, he was certainly impressive.
She was intrigued.
Unsure of what to do, she spotted a blanket thrown over a step of a ladder. Retrieving it, she tossed it over him. She didn't want him freezing to death. Could he even die if his soul had left his body? Was he technically already dead? Wednesday still had so many questions. Hopefully, the next time the two would meet, Y/N would be less cranky and more open to her questions.
Standing up straight again, she moved over to the speaker and raised the volume. The music grew louder. She could at least leave him with some music.
She gazed over the mural on the walls- taking it in before heading for the heavy door once more- though, she was sure she could feel eyes lying heavy on her as she reached her room.