A One Shot Book of Unfortunate Events

Phase Two

*Sequel to Phase 1; Threequel to More Than Wonderful*
*Duncan's POV*
I smirked as Violet mentioned the symbol for Immortality, remembering back to a couple of weeks ago.

*Flashback (when Olaf wasn't at Prufrock)*

I felt the weight of the box in my pocket. Violet Baudelaire was an amazing, beautiful girl and I wanted to give her something just as amazing. "Hey, Vi." I said nervously as I sat next to her in the library.
"Hello, Duncan!" She replied gleefully, "How are you?"
" I'm doing fantastic since you're here. How about you? "

She blushed at my comment. "I'm... I'm doing quite well... Thank you." She answered. I stuck one hand into the pocket of my coat, feeling the midnight blue velvet covering the box.
"I wanted to give you something." I finally said.
"That's awfully kind of you! What is it?" He asked, excitement filling her crystal blue eyes. I pulled out the box and handed it to her. Violet took the box with a confused smile and opened it. She gasped at the gold locket with a trefoil knot - a sign meaning immortality - carved into the surface.
"I absolutely can't accept it! It's too pretty! I feel like I'm going to break it with one touch!" She exclaimed as she handed the box back to me. I frowned before getting an idea.
"Then let me put it on for you. It'll be easier to clasp since I'll be able to see it and you can't." I said confidently. Violet reluctantly agreed to wear it since I obviously really wanted her to. She lifted her long ebony hair and I pulled the chain to both sides of her neck. "I'll have to admit, I couldn't put any pictures in it..."
" Where did you get it?"
"You're gonna think it's embarrassing..."
" Please tell me. I want to know if it's going to be around my neck... "
"It's an old family tradition kind of thing. My father gave me a locket and said to give it to a very special girl. You're special to me... I like you, Violet. I'll understand if you don't like me back, but I couldn't just keep that secret tucked away... I hope our friendship isn't ruined by this."

She seemed to be lost in thought. "I guess I'll go then." I said quietly, shoving my hands into my pockets and getting up to leave. She gripped my arm before I could go very far. She had a wicked grip. Beautiful, intelligent, and strong? She's really the whole package!
"I like you too." She said with a smile, "Thanks for the locket." She got up and kissed my cheek before sprinting away.

She likes me back... Truly the whole package.

*End Flashback*

The five of us swiftly yet quietly made our way back to the door. Esmé seemed too involved in the tour to notice Klaus and Sunny were gone. I felt someone take my hand and squeeze it tightly. I only knew one person with such a wicked grip. I looked over and saw Violet holding my hand, her eyes full of fear. The Baudelaires told Isadora and me all about the treacherous things Olaf had done. He tried to marry her by holding Sunny hostage, which both angered me tremendously. Olaf murdered several people and hypnotized Klaus. He's fine now, but Isadora to infuriated by the concept of him being hurt. I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

I silently promised that I would destroy Olaf if he so much as stepped near Violet.

"Where are the orphans?" Esmé suddenly shrieked. I pulled us all into the next room. It seemed to be a ton of storage. Klaus took Sunny behind a maze of boxes. Isadora followed. Violet and I ducked for a table with a giant sheet draped over it. Her breathing was heavy. I held her hand tightly, noticing the gold chain hidden behind the collar of her shirt. She kept the locket...

"I'm scared." She admitted horsely.
"It's okay. I'm here." I whispered, pulling the locket out from under her pinstripe vest, "I'll always be right here." I held the locket in my hands, her hands covering mine. She was shaking with fear.
"What if he kills us?"
"I won't let him hurt you. Not anymore. We need to stay quiet, though."

She nodded softly, holding onto my hands as tightly as she could without hurting me. If anyone should be worried for their life, it should be Olaf once he sees how much the Baudelaires mean to Isadora and me. Seeing Violet shake with fear made me want to cry. I held her close protectively.
"I think we should just head back to the last place we saw Klaus and Sunny and retrace out steps..." A man suggested.
" No no! We must keep searching for ze, how you say, window faced orphan boy and the infant chainsaw please. " A horrible fake accent replied. It was clearly Olaf.
"I think both of you make compelling cases, but we should really keep looking." Esmé announced, "IT'S VERY HARD TO FIND A SPECIFIC PLACE IN THIS PENTHOUSE!"

That was definitely a threat. I was a bit scared too. "Violet, I know you're under some pressure right now, but we need a way out. You think you can do that?" I whispered. She nodded and tied up her hair. Her eyes were shut tight as the pulleys and gears in her mind whirred away.

She nodded as an idea came to mind. "We could make a break for it. I memorized the layout quite well on my personal tour." I nodded and we quickly scurried over to where our siblings were hiding, explaining our "plan" to them.
"But they could find us." Klaus whispered.
"There is a chance of that happening, unfortunately."
" Are we ready to do this? "
"If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting the rest of our lives."

We nodded before emerging from our hiding spot. "Okay. In three. Two. One." Go. We started running, Violet leading the charge.
"It'll only be a bit more, I promise." Violet confirmed.
"There they are!" Esmé shouted from behind me.
"Baudelaires, other kids, what are you doing?" The man who's name I didn't know yelled.
"I will get the babushkas!" Olaf squealed in his fake accent. We were a good four yards ahead of them.

We finally reached the door, yanking it open. Olivia and Jacques pulled apart and made sure we were all accounted for. Violet was here. Klaus and Sunny were here. Isadora was here. "Phase three is going to have to blend into phase two." Isadora said frantically. The adults nodded. Olivia started sliding down the curved banister first, then Isadora, then Klaus with Sunny in his arm, Violet, then me with Jacques behind me.
"We can beat them to the lobby in the elevator!" I heard Olaf cry out.
"Nonesense! Elevators are out!" Esmé countered. They got into a heated argument that quickly faded away as we rushed down the banister. It took us maybe five minutes to get down by that way, which gave us all dizziness. I felt like I had just gone on the tilt-a-whirl at an amusement park.

"We need to keep going," Isadora urged. We nodded and rushed out to the taxi. There wasn't much room in the middle set of seats, but we could manage... I sat inbetween Violet and Isadora, with Klaus on the other side of my sister. Sunny had decided to sit in Olivia's lap instead of making the backseat even more crowded.

"I promised we'd get away, didn't I?" I whispered to Violet after we were well on our way to the place we'd be staying. I didn't know the area, but it was still in the city. Violet smiled at me and pecked my cheek, making my heart beat faster and my face grow red.
"I guess you did..." She whispered back, "We can talk about us once we're settled in..."
I liked that word... Us. Described exactly what I saw in our future. Us.

"Um who are you?" Klaus asked Jacques Snicket. The volunteer laughed heartily and explained everything Isadora and I had learned already.

"And that's all about VFD and its volunteers." Isadora summarized.
"Our parents actually did know eachother." Violet said in amazement.
"The fires were meant to kill all of us?" Klaus asked worriedly, "What if the Fire-starters find us?"
" Don't worry, Klaus Baudelaire. " Jacques assured. "I'm quite good with young people. After all, I've been helping a survivor of a fire for more than a year and a half."
" Who? " I asked, pulling out my commonplace notebook to take more notes.

"Quigley Quagmire. I think you know him." He answered with a smirk.

The last thing I remembered after that was fainting with Isadora.

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1471 words