A One Shot Book of Unfortunate Events

Enduring Fire

Alternative Title: Quigley Does Something Smart For Once
*Quigley's POV*

All I smelled was smoke. A once lovely moment with Mom turned sour by the fire blazing throughout the house. Mom pulled me into the study so quickly, as if these movements were  imprinted into her brain. She pulled the big rug away from the floor, revealing a trap door in the shape of an eye. Mom opened it without hesitation and stuffed me inside. She tried to assure me that her and Dad would be back with Duncan and Isadora in a moment, but she was barely audible above the roaring flames eating at the home I once knew. I often awoke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat because of that night. I did the same this night too. I rolled out of bed and went to the kitchen in the house that trap door lead to. Dr. Montgomery Montgomery was a fine member of the Herpetological Society. It would've been nice to meet him. He traveled around the globe, Jacques Snicket told me.

I tottled on to the kitchen and got myself a glass of water and a couple peaches from a smaller can in the pantry.

Okay? Can I stop lying now? Great!

If I truly lived at Montgomery's house for a year and a half, I would have met the Baudelaire Orphans when they lived there.

Here's how I actually escaped the fire that set my childhood home ablaze:

'I jumped out the window and landed in a bush. I ran as far as possible and I ran to the first place I could think of: The Baudelaire Mansion. My parents knew them somehow and I was sure they'd offer me some sort of place to hide. What were their names again? Benson and Bella? Bertram and Bonnie? Oh right! Bertrand and Beatrice!

' Bertrand took me to the small apartment of a man named Jacques Snicket. Jacques told me it was too dangerous for me to leave so I stayed cooped up in his apartment for the next year and a half.'

And that brings us to...

"Uncle Jacques! Look at this!" I said, holding the news article. Duncan and Isadora were kidnapped from Prufrock Preparatory School! My triplet siblings are in danger! I begged him every two seconds to let me come with him to rescue them from Count Olaf!

Eventually he gave in! Yes! We got a call from Jacqueline, though, telling us to pick up a new recruit. Her name is Olivia and Uncle Jacques seemed to take an immediate liking to her. Pretty suave towards her. He has the Quigley Quagmire Seal of Approval ™. Olivia was a mother figure to Duncan and Isadora at Prufrock, as she claimed, which is why she's so worried about them.

"I'm just worried sick about those two triplets! I'm sure they'll be ecstatic to see you alive and well, Quigley. I am! Oh it's just so great to meet you!" Olivia said , "Duncan and Isadora made friends with the Baudelaires, well, I wouldn't say friends." She added with a snicker.

" What do you mean by that, Olivia? " I asked.

"Oh well if you insist on knowing, Duncan and Violet Baudelaire clearly fancied eachother! He was being such a gentleman and I saw them flirting once and my heart fell out of my ribcage from seeing him find love! And Isadora and Klaus, Violet's brother if you don't already know, were always so blushy and smiley near eachother and I just can't even! I caught them holding hands once and Klaus couldn't form words afterwards! Basically they were all unofficially dating. A lot of unspoken stuff. Absolutely adorable."

We went to search for my siblings at 667 Dark Avenue. Well, apparently since I didn't have the proper training, I had to stay in the taxi. I can hear a chance to get alone with a pretty girl when I hear one. I practically invented those kind of excuses!

"Sorry, Quigley." Olivia said to me with a small shrug. I shrugged back as Uncle Jacques and Olivia went over their materials one last time before making their ascent.