𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝐊𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕 - Lucky Smells Lumber Mill

Veronica and the Baudelaires were still sat in the back of the truck; continuing its way to the lumber mill. "I hope Mr Poe isn't too worried about us." Violet muttered to the three. However, the three only looked at her with obvious looks. "Good point." She stated. Mr Poe would, in no way, be looking for the four of them. Veronica slowly looked to the front to see if they were getting any closer to the lumber mill but accidentally made eye contact with the driver. She gasped and immediately ducked. The driver stopped the truck and made the four of them get out, shouting "Get a job, hitchhikers!" and then drove away. "What now?" Klaus asked. "We walk." Veronica pointed their path.

~~~~~~~

The Baudelaires and Veronica eventually found their way to where they were looking for. Veronica took the photo from Violet, holding it up to the view in front of them. The photo looked nothing like it; it was more broken down and more, well, dull. It was sort of the running theme of their lives in recent weeks. "It looks like there was a fire here." Klaus stated. "Everything is gone." He added. "Not everything, maybe this is where all the clues lead us? The secret safe and the strange photographs at Aunt Josephine's." Violet said. Veronica thought back to the photo and the notebook, however, she didn't think that this would be the kind of place to find her family. "The secret message and the strange statue lady at Uncle Monty's." Klaus continued for Violet. "Count Olaf. He's just strange." Sunny babbled, making Veronica let out a smile. 

"Well...the only thing standing between us and all of our parents' secrets is an enormous wooden wall." Veronica gestured to the wooden gate. "What if we don't like what we find?" Klaus questioned to the brunette. "Knowing can be terrible, but not knowing is worse." Veronica responded with a look, full of optimist; something that she hadn't done in a while.

Violet put Sunny down, taking out her ribbon. "I bet I could invent a catapult to get us over." She tied her hair up. "I've read about walls. The Wall of Jericho, the Great Wall of China." Klaus added in agreement. "All I need is a lever, a counterweight, and a very large spoon." Violet started to look for objects. "Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'. Although, Mother wouldn't let me watch that one." Klaus went on. "Or we could just push the door, like Sunny?" Veronica pointed to the youngest Baudelaire, who pushed one of the gate doors right open. The two others followed where she pointed, Veronica picking up the baby. "That's my girl." She whispered to Sunny, who gave a toothy smile back in return.

The siblings and Veronica walked into the lumber mill, going past several rundown shacks and stacks and stacks of logs. Klaus noticed a sign that read 'WARNING! TRESPASSERS WILL BE PUT TO WORK!' and pointing it out to the girls. "Does this make us trespassers?" He asked them. "We're children." Violet responded. "Children aren't mutually exclusive. Then again, it doesn't specify." Veronica added, arching an eyebrow. "If we get caught, we'll just say we were on a school trip." She continued; Sunny placing her head on the brunette's shoulder. They continued to walk through the lumber mill; with the same view of multiple logs and shacks. "What exactly are we looking for?" Klaus asked. "It's like Father said about the fine art. We'll know it when we see it. I think we're in the right place." Violet explained to her brother. They continued, yet again, but this time they came face to face with a building that had an eye they were, oh, too familiar with. "Or, like anywhere that is, the wrong place." Veronica scoffed. "It could just be a coincidence." Violet reassured. "It could be Count Olaf. I think we should leave." The Bella girl sneered.

They looked up and saw a woman on the balcony. Was it Count Olaf? A normal lady? However, the four didn't want to find out, they wanted to leave. Right now! 

"Ah!"

A hand had grabbed onto Klaus' shoulder, which scared the boy. They all whipped around to see a man standing there, in a white suit but wearing a friendly smile. "Forgive me. I thought you might be trespassers." He said. "But now I see you're just children." The man also said. "W-We are on a school trip!" Veronica told the man. "Because...we're schoolchildren." She continued in a mutter, as she averted her eyes at the others, doing her best to play along with Violet's plan. "Well, this lumbermill is hardly a safe place for children. And I should know, I run it. I'm Charles." The now-named Charles replied. "Do you recognize any of these people?" Charles took one look at the photo, his expression changing at the sight of it. "I think you better come and see my partner."