Broken - Isadora Quagmire

Chapter Fifty Two - How Terrible?

Unlike the rest of us in the brig, Valerie didn't even try to sleep. Duncan didn't sleep either, but at least he tried.

When Fiona opened the door to lock us in, Valerie was leaning against the door. Then after Fiona looked us in the brig, she still sat at the door. As I fell asleep in Klaus' arms on the floor, much to Quigley's annoyance, I once again saw that Valerie was sitting at the door.

In the morning, I was the first to wake up. Duncan and Valerie were talking about the fire in the Hinterlands.

"Because of where the Lyons live, we hadn't heard about the fire for a few hours. The Volunteer Fire Department rang the house looking for me, Liam, Emily, Edwin and Elizabeth, they're Emily's siblings, to help with evacuating fires and putting out the fire. After what happened to them, Ed and El didn't want to leave the house but Liam, Em and I still went to help"

"What happened to them?" Duncan asked.

"Something terrible"

"How terrible?" I asked.

"So terrible that it happened five years ago and they still all have nightmares every night, even El and she was only five. It's bad for all of them and it affected their father so much. Emily is doing better than before, she was my age and can remember quite vividly but at least she wants to leave the house, the others are really scared when they leave. As for Edwin, he's the most affected by it, he was nine at the time, he has the most nightmares and he doesn't really trust many people anymore. He has the most scars from it, emotional and mental, even physical. Edwin has a literal scar on his face, that's why he has that haircut-"

"Valerie, what happened to them?"

The lock on the door clicked and Valerie jumped up.

"What's going on?" asked Quigley, rubbing his eyes as he got up.

The second the door opened, Valerie pounced, she jumped at the person and tackled them to the ground. Me and my brothers stood at the door as we watched Valerie realise that it was Fiona and not Esme or Count Olaf, the people who were actually holding us hostage. Once Fernald came around the corner and told Valerie to get off of his sister and also after Valerie apologised, we were told that Count Olaf wanted Fernald and Fiona to bring Valerie to them.

"Why do they want Valerie?" I asked.

"Well, for starters, she is a member of V.F.D." said Fernald.

"And she knows where the Lyons are hiding"

"They want to interrogate me?" said Valerie, she shook her head as she turned away and chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Quigley.

"This is ridiculous!" said Valerie "They're going to what interrogate me until I tell them where the Lyons are? Well, that's not going to happen, go and tell him that"

"You're very unlike other children your age" said Fernald.

"Like Emily was?"

Valerie and Fernald just stared at each other. Fernald looked annoyed and angry while Valerie was smug yet frightened.

"Anyway..." said Fiona. "I don't think he is going to interrogate you. He's stopped the sub and he's getting the Snow Scouts ready to go"

"Go?" I asked. "Go where?"

"I don't know but Esme has been getting ready to meet whomever they are meeting for hours, Carmelita too"

Duncan, Quigley and I all decided that we wouldn't let Valerie go on her own, and then we struck a deal with Fernald and Fiona. Me and my brothers had to say goodbye to the Baudelaires, they were all asleep so didn't know what was going on but it meant a lot to the three of us. I kissed Klaus on his forehead. Meanwhile, Fernald and Fiona each wrote a letter to Count Olaf. At the time I didn't know what they had written down, but I do now. We wrote the Baudelaires a letter too - explaining what happened.

Once we left the Carmelita and said goodbye to Fernald and Fiona, we made our way over to where Olaf, Esme and Carmelita were waiting. Esme was wearing a white origami dress and Carmelita wore a matching dress but in pink. Then after they stopped tormenting us, we realised where we were: Briny Beach.