Daughter of a Scoundrel

EIGHTEEN

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
season three
episode seven

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F O R   H I M

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"Yet the light...of the bright world dies with the dying sun."

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Chelsea pulls out the rag from her father's mouth and tosses it into the sand.

"Finally! Did you bring the key for this stupid birdcage?"

The girl slumps down in the sand beside her father's cage. She leans her head on the rock behind her and looks up at the setting sun. She sighs deeply.

"I didn't bring a key. I didn't bring you food or drink, or a funny book. I didn't bring you anything but terrible news."

"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine," he grumbles, letting go of the cage bars.

Chelsea hides her face in her hands, feeling tears coming once again. She doesn't want to ruin things with her father even further in their last moments together. She'd never forgive herself.

"You're gonna die tomorrow," she squeaks out through her palms.

There's silence for a long time.

"...what?"

Chelsea raises her head and wipes her face, not looking at him.

"Are they...going to execute me?" his voice is low, scared.

Chelsea shakes her head and hears him sigh in foolish relief.

"They're going to let you drown."

"What?" he asks again, not wanting to believe anything his daughter is saying.

But she's clearly distressed and he hasn't seen her cry for him ever before. So she's not lying. Which is even scarier.

"The tide is going to rise so high, it'll pass over the rocks and drown you."

Silence again.

Chelsea doesn't know what else to say. She wants to apologize, but it's not her fault all of this has happened. It's not her fault he's gotten himself trapped in a birdcage. Nothing that's happened has ever been her fault and she's only realizing this now. It makes her angry.

"Why should I help you?" she suddenly snaps at him.

"After everything you've done to me, to everyone I've ever known, why should I even worry about what the hell happens to you?"

He has no answer for her. He's not even looking at her. Her voice quiets and she wipes her tears.

"After all the people you've killed... All the pain you've caused me... I still want to save your life."

She watches him for a while. His posture is stiff, his eyes unmoving. Her hate grows and her gaze hardens the longer she looks at him. She leans closer to the bars of his cage.

"You should be begging me to save you."

He finally looks at her, surprised and guilty, but before he can say anything, his eyes move past her to the approaching Baudelaires.

Chelsea sighs, leaning back against the rock. She doesn't want to be near them for now.

"Well, well, well," her father says, smiling wickedly.

He's good at masking his feelings, that's for sure.

"I knew your annoying curiosity would lead you here eventually. Did you bring me a banana daiquiri?"