Secrets

Chapter 29

Returning to her home before dark was the best way to prevent Mr. Caliban from becoming too worried and banning Holly from leaving the house altogether. She'd hidden all of her plans within her shoulder bag in preparation for the next phase of her plan and began walking along the shoreline until she saw her house aglow with lights. It was almost a comforting sight as the sky became grayer with dusk slowly seeping along the fjord. The orange and yellow lights reflected themselves in her eyes and appeared to flicker like the flame of a candle. It appeared as if there was a fire glowing from behind the windows.

The thought caused the girl to halt in horror and quickly scan the sky above her home. The only plume of smoke rising from it was through the chimney, as was to be expected and which told the girl that the most dangerous element in the world was being controlled and regulated properly. For a fleeting moment, the young girl became frightened that her home was about to join the ranks of the many buildings that were known to be flammable which destroy homes and create orphaned children.

The girl's mind goes back to what her mother had told her many times over the years.

"Fire is the most dangerous element in all of human existence, Holly. While harmless at first, once it becomes too big, it cannot be controlled or contained. It is why it should never be put in the hands of innocent children or homicidal maniacs. A single spark can create all kinds of chaos and destruction, the kind that can never be traced and the greatest fires that could set the world ablaze. It can be like a kind of evil that ravages everything innocent and good and leave nothing left but ashes and tears..."

Thinking back, she remembered the first time this speech was said to her. It had been after Holly had attempted to light a campfire outside on her own, a single rogue spark had caused the surrounding grass to catch fire as well. If it hadn't been for the quick actions of both parents through the use of the garden hose and some blankets, a seemingly innocent intention could have created untold devastation and ruin, especially to their family home. She had been scolded for trying to do something so dangerous on her own and was told to wait for an adult to assist her next time. Her mother had told her these words as a warning but knowing what Holly had learned about her parents and their ties to VFD, it can be assumed that Celisa Acton was informing her daughter and possibly a future member of the organization what could occur when such forces fall into the wrong hands. Much like other important phrases, these cautionary speeches were repeated throughout the remainder of the girl's childhood and even after her mother had died. It was something that had become second nature to her and was now probably the most important thing for this girl to remember as she took the next step in her journey.

These haunting words are something that I myself wished that every person had been able to hear, including the Baudelaires, the Quagmires, a former friend of mine and my lovely Beatrice. For the two sets of orphans who were friends with Holly, they knew what fire could do and what had done to their lives. The homes and their loved ones had been taken, thrown their lives into great chaos, and left them with only ashes, tears, and a great many questions. When it comes to my former friend and ally, I doubt these words would have helped him at all as he took great delight in spreading and creating chaos with this dangerous element. I believe that it is also safe to assume that he has become a homicidal maniac through his decisions and desires to solve all of his problems by burning them. It is a wasted hope that the speech could have any impact on his mind at all, and I do take partial blame for that happening. As for the love of my life, I wish that these words had been spoken to her as her home began to go up in flames one fateful day. The very thought that these words could have saved her life causes me great emotional pain that has me desperately wanting to go back and do something to stop it. To help her and save her from the ashes and the tears I shed every evening at half-past eleven.