A Series Of Unfortunate Events | The Sickening Sequel

Chapter 0

A homograph, as many may know, describes words with the same spelling but differing pronunciation and/or definitions. An example of a homograph would be the word 'close' which could describe how close you are to misery and ruin if you continue to read this barbaric book. However, 'close' could also be used to describe how you should close this book and dispose of it immediately to save yourself from the crippling agony this book's words obtain.

Unfortunately, it is my solemn duty to continue the work of a great writer, lost to us by his erratic, ever-changing destination making him physically impossible to locate.

Many moons ago, a brave, noble, and if not criminally and personally wanted man, made a promise. This solemn vow was to research the Baudelaire case, and enclose the contents of their grisly story in the pages of a book series.

I can no doubt assume that the ending of these novels felt a great relief to him, as no sane person is able to bare witness, let alone write in heart-breaking detail the sorry chapters of the Baudelaire's childhood. However, even as the last letter of the last word of the last chapter of the last book of a series of unfortunate events was typed out, the pages gathered and sent away with a heavy sigh of relief in whatever temporary hiding spot said writer had sought out for himself, the Baudelaire children's story did not come to a close.

No, not even close.

Many a person has speculated- what did the Baudelaire's do with the rest of their lives after hopping on board Beatrice and sailing off into the wide sea? Did they get lost at sea? Did they unite with their lost friends? Did they manage to find sanctuary, far, far away from the evil and treachery of the world to live a sheltered life for their Beatrice?

Well, I can tell you one thing for sure. The Baudelaire's did not, and would not ever find a place shielded from the evil and treachery of this world, simply because, no such place exists. By this, I mean that wherever you are, wherever it is that you are there, and you are existing, deceit and deception will always have a way to find you.

Disguised in the busy streets of a city centre, all around you are people scheming, plotting and thinking malicious thoughts. In the vast depths of a jungle lurks violent beasts and duplicitous plants whose soul purpose is to deceive you. Even after you manically flee from urban life, then flock to exotic realms and finally find yourself waking up with no belongings on a raft drifting aimlessly in the middle of the ocean, even then you are not truly free of evil. Trust me, I can speak from experience.

This is because evil lives inside all of us. Even the Baudelaire children, who had been raised by loving carers with strong role models and an even stronger moral compass couldn't escape the natural way of life: in that nobody is flawless, imperfection is deep-rooted in us all and everyone is capable of anything. Just as the Baudelaire children, each talented and loving and compassionate in their own rights, were involved in unspeakable crimes with the likes of arson, murder and more.

Inside us all festers a will for ill intent, and if there's a will there's a way, a popular phrase which here means that if a whale in the deep depths of the ocean perhaps had any will to swallow a person floating atop a raft on the waves whole, there is every possibility that the whale may follow through.

But sometimes, our evil natures creep out of us and in a blink of an eye, or the shot of a harpoon gun or the lighting of a match, what's done is done. And what is done cannot be undone.

However, in the same way we cannot be rid of flaw, we cannot be rid of the all-mighty force of love that lurks inside us all- however deep. Even Count Olaf, a man who devoted his latter years to terrorising 3 orphan children and utterly and completely ruining the course of their lives was capable of planting a kiss on his old friend's frail lips in their last hours.

It was this love that the Baudelaire children took with them, on that tiny boat, with heavy hearts to sail forth and start afresh. This love for each other, for the ones they lost, and for their baby Beatrice sailed them away to sanctuary, where they journeyed to raise their new-found infant responsibility.

And that is where that story ends and this story begins. If you were a person with any kind of self-respect I would strongly urge you to discontinue reading and keep on believing that that is all there was to the Baudelaire life- happiness, peace and tranquillity.

However, that is not how most good stories go and is certainly not how this one does. There truly is no other that wishes things could be different more than I.

After all, this is The Sickening Sequel.

And my sickening story.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Signed,