A Second Chance

The Carnivorous Carnival Part Two

ASHLYN'S P.O.V

As soon as the woman before us removed her disguise I recognised her.

"Olivia." I laughed in relief and ran up to her to give her a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm fine now I've found you four. Why aren't you with Olaf?" She replied, puling away from the hug, frowning slightly.

"It's a long story." I sighed. Olivia nodded.

"Well, we don't have long. Count Olaf will be her any minute, and we are in the belly of the beast." Olivia told us.

"But why are you dressed as a fortune-teller?" Klaus asked confused.

"A fortune-teller is just a librarian with smoke and mirrors." Olivia explained taking us into the crystal ball room and sat us down on a small sofa. "I may have lost you at Prufrock Prep, but I never forgot you, or your friends. After the Quagmires were kidnapped, I headed to the city to rescue them. That's where I met Jacques Snicket and joined V.F.D."

"The Volunteer Fire Department." Violet clarified. Olivia nodded.

"They were trying to save the Quagmires, too. We almost had them at the Village of Fowl Devotees. But Esme and Olaf captured us. I made a deal with Esme to get us out of jail. Jacques stayed behind. I went ahead to find our bravest agent in the field. This Carnival is a place that V.F.D gathers information. There is no real Madame Lulu. It's just an alias for whichever volunteer is stationed here. It's a rotating position. The previous Madame Lulu took my taxi to the hospital to retrieve a very important sugar bowl before Esme could get her hands on it. But she hasn't come back. And Jacques...well, I don't think he's coming back either."

"He tried to help us." Klaus comforted.

"He was very brave." Violet added. I suddenly gasped realising I hadn't told Olivia that he survived.

"Is." I corrected. "We managed to save him from Esme. He's laying low for now because Esme thinks he's dead, but he will come back for you."

"Maybe in three months' time." Olivia smiled hopefully giving me a knowing look.

"Maybe." I nodded. "And the Quagmires are safe now. My siblings managed to save them."

"I'm so glad to hear that. You truly are remarkable children. But Esme is here now and we're all in grave danger." Olivia warned.

"Aren't you worried about Olaf?" Violet asked.

"I was until I found that something he would never hurt is here." Olivia told them looking at me again, I looked down hoping my siblings wouldn't notice the slight blush coming to my face. "I've tried to stall them till the previous Madame Lulu can get back. She'll know what to do. But he's getting suspicious I don't know how long I can fool him."

"You fooled us. It's a great disguise." Violet complemented.

"So is yours. I almost didn't recognise you." Olivia smiled.

"How did you?" Klaus asked.

"A certain gleam in the eye indicating a sharp acumen. Volunteers have eyes like that." Olivia explained.

"Madame Lulu..." Violet began.

"Olivia." Olivia corrected politely.

"Olivia." Violet continued. "We found a message from Jacques Snicket saying one of our parents survived."

"You told Count Olaf it was true." Klaus finished.

"I'm sorry. I only said that to keep him here. But if Jacques believed that there was a survivor, then it must be true. His research is never wrong." Olivia comforted. She then got up and collected a book from a box in the corner. "I've been doing some reading."