A Tale of Wretched Occurrences: The Beginning

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓸

You have to remind yourself to breathe. In, out. In, out. But each breath feels wrong and awkward in your lungs. Why should you get to keep breathing when your parents no longer can?

None of you say anything, trying to process what Mr. Poe just said.

"‘Perished’ means ‘killed’,” Mr. Poe continues.

"We know what ‘perished’ means,” Klaus chokes out.

Mr. Poe smiles awkwardly. “Right, well, you’ll be placed with a guardian eventually, but until then, you’ll be staying with me. Isn’t that nice?”

You all stay silent again.

"Well, I suppose we should get going. I thought you’d… want to see what remains of your old home.”

㊋㊋㊋㊋

“I’ve never been through anything like this myself, but I can imagine just how you feel,” Mr. Poe says.

"No, you can’t,” you mutter.

You know Mr. Poe is trying to help, but you can’t help but hate him. With a few simple words, Mr. Poe destroyed your whole life, and forever changed what is to come.

"It’s all gone.” Violet turns slowly, taking in the destroyed library.

The paint and plaster coating the walls is completely gone, leaving nothing but planks of charred wood. You can hardly see the floor as it’s covered in all kinds of debris, but what you can see is white and dusty from the ash. The sad, gray shell is so far from the happy, colorful home in your memories, it’s hard to believe that they’re the same building.

"I just want to assure you, Baudelaires, that you have absolutely nothing–”

"We have absolutely nothing,” Klaus repeats.

"To worry about,” Mr. Poe finishes, sounding disappointed in Klaus for latching onto that part of the sentence.

Sunny gasps. “Voo weezah?” she asks, which means, “What’s that?”

Klaus walks over to where Sunny is pointing. He reaches his hand into a half-open drawer and pulls out some sort of spyglass. It’s covered in rings patterned with strange runes and letters, and the lens is covered with a cap that has an eye engraved on it.

"Your parents left behind an enormous fortune for you children, and it will be yours when Violet comes of age. But until then, I will take care of it, since I am the executor of your parents’ estate. And, as I said earlier, you will be placed with a guardian decided upon by your parents’ will until Violet comes of age.”

Klaus squeezes the spyglass, and you instinctively take a step back as it explodes into charred pieces. But when all the burnt bits have fallen to the floor, part of the spyglass is still intact.

Mr. Poe clears his throat, motioning for you all to follow him. It seems like he hasn’t noticed the spyglass. As you leave the remains of the mansion, you notice Klaus slips what’s left of it into his jacket pocket.

Once you’re outside, Mr. Poe opens the backseat door of his tiny car.

"Say goodbye, Baudelaires,” he says with disproportionate cheerfulness.

You all silently slide into the seat — first Klaus, then you, then Violet with Sunny on her lap. Mr. Poe shuts the door, then gets into the front seat, starting the car. The four of you turn around, gazing at your house for the last time.