A Second Chance

The Wide Window Part One

NARRATOR'S  P.O.V

As the Baudelaires departed the Fickle Ferry, they looked around at the dock they were on. It was quite run down and it almost looked abandoned. There was an archway above the jetty that read Damocles Dock.

"Yeah, baudelaire's. Deemo... Dimmo... Dudy Damo... Democlay...  Dimoclath... Dimoclat... Demcaca Dock." Mr Poe said stopping and looking up at the archway. Ashlyn rolled her eyes at him.

'It's pronounced Damocles." She told him.

"After the probably apocryphal figure in Sicilian mythology." Klaus agreed.

"Well, I don't have time to learn things. The banking day has already begun. In any case, I'm sure you'll be off on some exciting adventure with your new guardian. Remember, you can always rely on us at Mulctuary Money Management. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will leave you alone on this mostly deserted. To await your taxi to your aunt Josephine's house." Mr Poe said turning to leave.

"She's not meeting as here?" Ashlyn asked stopping him.

"Strangely, she said that she'd be unable to come to the dock, and I didn't think it'd be polite to ask why. Perhaps she's planning a surprise party for your children. Which reminds me, I know you have had a frightening and mystifying time with that horrible man, what, ummm, Count... What's his name? Um... "Mr Poe said.

"Olaf." Ashlyn reminded him.

"Olaf. Who knows where he came from?" Mr Poe asked.

"You put us in his care." Klaus pointed out.

"I wouldn't exactly call it care. He's a thief and a murderer, and so far has completely escaped capture. But I have the thing that just might turn things around." Mr Poe said pulling out a striped paper bag. "Peppermints! Delicious peppermints! My favourite Candy when I was a boy. You can eat them in the taxi on the way to meet at your dowager aunt." Mr Poe exclaimed.

"What's that?" Violet asked.

"Oh, violet, I'm surprised that you. A girl your age should no that a taxi is a car that takes you at some place for a reasonable fee." Mr Poe said giving Ashlyn some money. "And this just about to cover it. Cheers, Baudelaires!" Mr Poe said before starting to cough. "Good luck." Mr Poe called waving good bye and getting on to the ferry. The Baudelaires half heartedly waved back.

"Dowager is a fancy word for widow." Klaus explained.

"Thank you." Violet smiled.

"Should we have told him or allergic to peppermint"? Klaus asked Ashlyn.

"It didn't seem worth mentioning." Ashlyn said shrugging and throwing the bag of peppermints into a bin behind her without looking. "We have a lot more important things on our minds."

"Like asking Aunt Josephine if she can help explain all the strange and mysterious things that keep happening to us." Klaus said.

"And how to get a taxi." Violet said looking around. Before the other Baudelaires could agree a taxi came screeching to a stop infront of them.

"Do you need a ride somewhere for a reasonable fee?"  The taxi driver asked. The Baudelaire's look at each other confused but got in anyway. They told him where they where going and set off.

"This town doesn't seem very crowded." Violet remarked, trying to make conversation.

"It's the off season. When the weather is nice, the town is crowded as can be. But you are now, things are there is dead as the cat I ran over this morning. Hold on." Taxi driver explained as he screeched around a very tight corner going up a big hill "I hope you Aunt Josephine has enough food and supplies when hurricane Herman arrives. It's supposed to be a doozy. I'm going to sit it out in a cabin with the works of her of Herman Melville and a full pot of vegetable chilli." Taxi driver said.