A Tale of Wretched Occurrences: The Beginning

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓽𝔂-𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓮

"Wait, say it again, but slower. And with more detail," you request.

    Violet sighs. It's morning now, and you're all back in the workers' quarters, with Violet and Klaus recounting the events of exactly what happened in the factory.

    Violet starts the story. "You fell asleep, and Count Olaf and Dr. Orwell thought you had just... died. They thought they won. Dr. Orwell threw you on the ground, and Klaus ran over to rescue you."

    "The employees broke the door down, and they were rioting against the two of them, and Dr. Orwell fell into the fire," Klaus adds. "Sir came into the factory, and the employees were trying to fight against him, but he somehow managed to escape. And" — he sighs — "Count Olaf and the hook-handed man got away too."

    "Since we freed the workers from Dr. Orwell's hypnotism, they all wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. A lot of them immediately ran off," Violet says.

    "This place was mostly empty, so we carried you back here, and just waited for you to wake up," Klaus finishes.

    The door to the workers' quarters opens. A round-faced man walks in, spotting you and your siblings.

    "Baudelaires?" he asks.

    "Yes?"

    "You're needed in the library."

    Klaus frowns. "Why?"

    "You have a visitor."

㊋㊋㊋㊋

"Hypnosis, child labor, Count Olaf in a dress! You children certainly have lively imaginations," Mr. Poe chuckles.

    When the round-faced man said you had a visitor, you hoped it would be someone who's finally come to explain all the mysterious things that have been happening. Someone helpful. Unfortunately, you got the complete opposite. Mr. Poe brought you all a change of clothes, then demanded you tell him everything that's happened at the mill. Of course, you should've known it would be pointless, because Mr. Poe is just as likely to give up a promotion at the bank as he is to believe you.

    Mr. Poe continues, now taking on his familiar condescending tone. "However, a lumbermill is no substitute for a proper guardian. You're fortunate that my wife is such a great investigative journalist."

    "How did she find us?" Violet asks miserably.

    "Mr. Poe chuckles as Mrs. Poe, also laughing, walks into the room.

    "I heard there was an accident at the lumbermill, so I came right away," she explains.

    "So... you found us by accident?" you clarify.

    "Exactly!" Mrs. Poe says triumphantly.

    "You're fantastic!" Mr. Poe tells her.

    "Trust your instincts. Every time."

    "Absolutely," Mr. Poe agrees as they leave the library.

    "We never found out what caused that fire," Klaus says quietly.

    "We know it wasn't our parents," Violet reminds him.

    "We don't know if Count Olaf will turn up again."

    "We know Dr. Orwell won't."

    Klaus sticks his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket, pulling out a now-familiar photograph. "We never solved the mystery of this photograph."

    "Oh! Baudelaires!"

    You all look up, Klaus hurriedly shoving the photo back into his pocket. Charles, holding a suitcase in one hand, limps into the room.