Family Comes First- ASOUE

Chapter 55: We Have to Stay

*Violet's POV*

We waited until we had a chance to escape and took it immediately. We stayed silent until we distanced ourselves from the optometrist's office.

"That explains why they don't leave," Izzie said finally.

"And why they're content with working for coupons and gum." Klaus added.

"It's probably why they think our parents started the fire," Duncan said. "And if that's the case... Then that 'cover up' deal Sir said he made would explain it perfectly. He made a deal with Dr. Orwell to have her hypnotize them so he has free labor and all he has to do is blame the fire on Mom, Dad, and Mr. and Mrs. Baudelaire."

"What would she get out of that though?" I asked.

"Number of things, I assume." He answered. "Victims to practice hypnosis on. Part of the mill's profits, maybe. She has to keep the lights on in there somehow."

"Yes, but what would she have to gain from blaming the fire on our parents?"

"She seems like a vengeful person," Klaus noted. "She said she's met them too, before I was hypnotized. She didn't look too happy about it."

"We need to find the word that breaks everyone's trance." I said. "We can use the library."

"We might not need the library..." Klaus said thoughtfully. Izzie stopped him in his tracks.

"Are you sure you're not still hypnotized??" She interrogated.

"I'm very sure. After Phil's accident, do you remember the word that brought me back to normal?"

The four of us thought for a moment. "No; I can't remember... Sorry, Klaus." I said finally. We stopped in front of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill gate, which was the main entrance and exit to the property. We stared up at it. "We don't have to go back in..." I said. "We can run away. It's not like we haven't done it before..."

"But what if Count Olaf finds us again?"

"We'll protect eachother!" I said.

"How can we protect eachother if Klaus is under a hypnotic trance?"

"And we'd be abandoning these workers- no, these slaves. They're victims of Dr. Orwell and this corrupt business too."

"Especially Charles. He's not in a good place, and he probably needs as much help as the rest, if not more!"

"Our parents wanted us to be safe! Duncan said it himself. Their parents didn't want them here and I'm sure our parents thought the same, Klaus."

"We don't know what they wanted anymore..." My brother said. "There's been far too many secrets..."

"We do know how we remember them. Mom may have not wanted my sister and me here, Violet, but now that we are, she'd want us to help. We're already here, we might as well make every wrong a right before moving on. And I mean every."

"Then we go back inside..." I said softly, standing down from trying to convince them. "And we help..."

The gate swung open and Sir appeared, looking very smug. "Trying to run away, are you? We need to have a little talk in my office..."