Through The Shadows - Klaus Baudelaire FF

XIX

Getting ready in the morning feels weird. Is today finally going to be the day? The day I've been waiting for, for months? The day Olaf is locked behind bars?

It feels too easy.

After months of torture and torment, escaping his clutches only for him to find us once again...imprisoning him shouldn't have been so easy. He was hiding behind a bush when Frank captured him.

That was it.

Shouldn't there have been some big spectacle? (Y'all would not believe how long it took me to figure out how to spell that word.) But then again, isn't that what he wants? To be in the spotlight? All eyes on him?

"Baudelaires, Ellis...young girl I don't know." Mr. Poe enters the room, glancing at the five of us disappointedly. "Why haven't you changed? The trial is starting." So soon? "Justice Strauss sent me, and told me to give you these blindfolds."

Violet is the one to approach the man. "Blindfolds?"

"Everyone where's blindfolds to enter a High Court Trial. Haven't you heard the expression, 'justice is blind?'" He shakes his head, acting as if we were silly to not have known. "I'll wait in the hall."

I grab a blindfold from Violet. Lilian stands in front of me, allowing me to cover her eyes. When I'm finished, I messily knot mine.

Before exiting the room, I wave my arms out, hoping I'll be able to find Klaus. When my hand collides with someone's head, I stifle my giggle. Sighing dramatically, Klaus grabs my hand, tangling our fingers together before lowering them to our sides.

He's the first to leave, other hand grabbing onto Mr. Poe's. We stumble into multiple things. I can hear Lilian swearing as her hip knocks into a doorknob.

By some form of miracle, we manage to get to the elevator and pass everyone to our chairs in the lobby.

"Is everyone seated?" I hear Justice Strauss' voice. She doesn't sound too far away. "Good. You may remove your blindfolds."

Tearing mine off, I glare down at he fabric. "Why the hell did we have them on in the first place?" Apparently, we have to see the evidence. But we have to put the blindfolds back on for the verdict.

"Bring in Count Olaf!" The man practically skips out of the room he was held in, draping himself along one of the sofas. He's too relaxed. He doesn't appear a tad bit worried. "I call our first witnesses." The Baudelaires rise from their seat, and I squeeze Klaus' hand before having to let go. "Go on, Baudelaires. Tell us your story."

Violet begins. She starts with the day their parents died. How they went to live with Count Olaf. How the vile man hit Klaus and tried to marry Violet. How he murdered their next guardian, and the next. How he had kidnapped the Quagmire triplets and myself, murdered Jacques Snicket, tried to cut Violet and I's head off. And one I had never heard before. Olaf threw Olivia Caliban to the lions. "We survived because we believed that one day we'd find a safe place."

"We've suffered so much." I knew Olaf had done horrible things to the siblings. But I was never told the entire story. Sitting here, listening to my friends speak up against the man that had caused them so much pain, my heart breaks. No one should ever have to go through any of those things. But to go through all of them? It's inspiring.

They finish speaking, and someone begins to clap. Without a second thought, I rise and do the same. Soon, the entire lobby is applauding the Baudelaires.

Justice Strauss motions for them to return to their seats. "I had planned to call other witnesses, but your testimony was so compelling, I hate to waste another second." She consults with the other judges. And still, Olaf remains calm.

"Your Honor, wait!" Klaus jumps up. What is he doing? "We'd like to call a witness of our own." Justice Strauss agreed. "We call Count Olaf to the stand!" My breath hitches. Why? It's almost over.

The man smugly makes his way to the stand.

When Violet and Klaus mention how the people in the chairs are here to help them, Olaf scoffs. Mr. Poe cared more about a promotion. Jerome was too afraid. Babs values paperwork over their lives. Nero willingly and happily let Olaf into the school. Esme only cared because they were 'in.' The villagers took us in to do their chores. A justice blind enough to let Olaf marry Violet. "These people have done more to help my schemes than my associates. They should be up here now."

"But they're not, you are."

Olaf smirks. "You're up here, too, Baudelaires. And so are you, Ellis." Many heads turn to me. What did I do?

Klaus and Violet held Esme hostage to rescue Sunny. They burnt down Caligari Carnival. Klaus caused accidents at the lumber mill. I stole the keys and broke into the library at Heimlich Hospital. Sunny busted us out of jail when we were being held for Jacques' murder. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny shot Dewey Denouement.

The audience gasps. "It's not the whole truth."

"You're manipulating the facts!" My eyes turn cold at the evil man.

He merely chuckles. "So are you. You've lied. You've stolen. You've abandoned people. You've set fires." Olaf slowly rises from his seat. "You've relied on treachery for survival, just like everybody else. Here is the real truth nobody had been willing to tell you. There are no noble people in the world!"

"Our parents." I watch Klaus as his head falls. I haven't told Violet about what happened between our parents.

Olaf's eyes grow cold, looking as if drained from all emotion. "I see your parents never told you about that night at the opera and that box of poison darts." Olaf straightens our his jacket. "Your Honor, I call Esme Squalor to the stand."

Esme struts down the aisle, elegantly plopping into the chair. Olaf asks her no questions, leaving the Baudelaires to ask.

"You've been obsessed with sugar bowl ever since we met you, why?"

The blonde woman perks up at the question. "I thought you'd never ask."

And she tells us. The sugar bowl was hers. Beatrice and Lemony stole it. When confronting the couple about it, poison darts were thrown. One of them finding its way into Olaf's fathers neck. Murder, schism, wedding cancellations, arsons. Friends became enemies. Children became orphans.

And that's how the rift began.

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The Baudelaires, Olaf, and Esme return to their seats. We all patiently wait for the verdict.

A bellhop hands the slip of paper to Justice Strauss. We hold our breaths.

Justice Strauss stare shockingly at the paper. "I'm sorry Baudelaires." No. Please don't say they found him innocent. "They want to know how you plead."

But they're not the ones on trial. Olaf is. "We're innocent....enough."

They sit down again, and everyone's instructed to put their blindfolds back on.

Then, there's a scream. And Count Olaf is kidnapping Justice Strauss.

Okay so this was kinda weird to write cause like I can't include much of Ellis, but I tried.

Also, for those who were interested, I have now published my Barry Allen FF so go check it out.