One Eye Open

The Bad Beginning: Part One (2/4)

"I have spent months of research and years crying myself to sleep, trying to discover the precise cause of the Baudelaire fire. But... all my associates and I have managed to learn is that neither the official fire department nor the volunteer fire department arrived in time to stop the blaze. And within moments, the entire Baudelaire mansion was engulfed in flames. It is useless for me to describe to you how terrible Evelyn, Violet, Klaus and Sunny felt in the time that followed. If you have ever lost somebody very important to you, then you already know how it feels. And if you haven't... you cannot possibly imagine it.

The Baudelaire orphans walked into their old home, not being able to identify the pictures in the frames on the wall because they were now black, not able to sit down in their comfy chairs or couches because they had holes in them and not even being able to determine what exactly every object in that room was. 

They all looked around shocked that it wasn't a cruel joke but a traumatic reality. Mr. Poe followed behind them, coughing drastically. 

"I've never been through anything like this myself, but I can imagine how you feel." The adult said as Evelyn gave Sunny to Violet so she could go see if anything could be saved. "I did think you'd want to see what remains of your home, even though it is... more or less, um..."

"No longer a home." The eldest sister said freezing as she picked up what she thought was a book. Her not being able to identify what she was looking at is what really made her realize this wasn't a nightmare.

"It's all gone." Violet chocked out. 

"I just want to assure you Baudelaires that you have absolutely nothing..." Poe began to try and comfort them.  

Klaus looked up at all his books that were now bits and pieces and cut the man off, "We have absolutely nothing."

The banker let out a groan in pity, "...to worry about." He finished. 

None of them felt any better after he said that because they did have things to worry about. Actually they had everything to worry about. 

Sunny gasped pointing at something on the ground. (What's that) She babbled.

"I'm not sure. It seems to have survived the fire, how strange." Evelyn spoke as she furrowed her brows and tilted her head. She squinted her eyes trying to get a better look at the peculiar object. 

Klaus turned around and tried to see what their infant sister was so invested in. Once he spotted the object he crouched down and picked up the strange metal tube.

"I am the executor of your parents' estate, which means I'll be handling all matters concerning everything they left behind." 

Violet shifted her attention back to Mr. Poe. "What did they leave behind?"

"Financial security." He said excitedly. Meanwhile, a snap could be heard in Klaus' hands and the tube had broken in half. "Your parents left behind an enormous fortune, which will be yours when Evelyn comes of age. Until then, you will be placed with the proper guardian, or guardians, as decided by myself and my fellow bankers at Mulctuary Money Management."

All three of the girls listened to him but Klaus on the other hand was too distracted with that object they had found. The more he examined it, the more of it broke off. 

Mr. Poe suddenly cleared his throat and jerked his head towards the exit. The orphans understood that this meant they had to leave so, they all began to walk out not one single once of happiness following them. 

"Say goodbye, Baudelaires" Mr. Poe said as he opened the door of his car for them.

Klaus went in first, then Evelyn and last Violet with Sunny in her arms. Evelyn took the baby back and placed her on her lap. As the car started to pull out of the drive way, all of them turned around in their sit and looked through the back window.