A Series Of Different Events

Chapter 24 - The end.

Dawn was soft, pastel colours streaking the sky, smudged clouds and a mist that lay low to the dewy ground. Klaus looked out of the window, little water droplets littered on the glass, to the scenic view of the Mortmain mountains from Kit Snicket's house. Sunny was in the crib next to him, still fast asleep.

The previous day they had developed and idea of where Violet could be, to rescue her from the Firestarters. But, through Kit's spyglass, a dark, ominous plume of smoke bellowed up from behind the mountains, where the Firestarters base was.

Kit went there instantly, but found only wreckage and ash, no Violet. Devising a list, Klaus ticked off places where Violet could have been, but wasn't. Their parents burnt out house. The skeleton house they had first been kidnapped in. The horrible hospital. That dismal beach, where the sea caves held the Mycelium Meducoid. No Violet.

It was as if she was a ghost, or a memory that disappeared over time, as if she had never been there at all. And the two youngest Baudelaires hoped, and hoped, that she was alive.

But something deep in their minds, a horrible feeling of oppressive despair, told them otherwise.

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Violet had only been to Briny Beach a couple of times. Usually a crowded sea shore, it was abandoned when the air was as biting and frosty as it was that day. Adrianna and Violet had caught a rickety trolley, that trundled slowly through the bleak landscape, until they had decided to depart there.

Violet crouched down, and picked up a smooth, round rock, with a X scraped into the surface. It was one she had engraved with a small pointed rock, after Sunny had made it smooth with her sharp teeth, all those months ago. Klaus had watched as she skimmed it on the calm waves, bouncing across the water.

Violet let it thud back down into the sand. She blinked to clear the tears that crept into her eyes, as she felt she didn't deserve to cry. She was the one who had made Klaus and Sunny leave her. It was her fault and she would probably never see her siblings again.

So she and Adrianna sat on the damp shingle, together in a peaceful silence as they watched the waves ripple and swell, foam dusting the top while wind whipped up Violet's long hair. She looked across at Adrianna.
"You never told me why you went to the Firestarters." She said, and Adrianna met her gaze, and held it.
"No," she shook her head, but answered Violet's curious question anyways, "I had nowhere left to go."

Violet nodded thoughtfully. Adrianna was similar to her, lost and abandoned, having to rely on physcopaths, to do anything to survive. She sighed.

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Sunny, Klaus and Kit peered at the list, the tapping of a pen rhythmic on the table.
"We've been to Heimlich hospital, and to Prufrock Preparatory School.. where could she be?" Kit said, eyes scanning the lift over and over.

"Brani bech!" Sunny shrieked, her eyes lighting up. Kit frowned, for she did not understand the special language she and her siblings had made. But Klaus felt a seed of hope plant in his mind.
"Briny Beach! Violet might be there!"

Kit looked at him. She smiled.
"Let's have a look."

And so they got into Kit's taxi, to drive to Briny Beach, and hope that the siblings may be reunited at last.