MATILDA (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

CHAPTER 19: HANDFULS OF A CHESTNUT JACKET

Floorboards shrieked into the silence of the house under his weight; the count stalking the corridors. Matilda's breath hitched - the cobra, picking up on her worry, tensed its powerful muscles slightly. Frantically, she glanced around for somewhere to hide, finding Monty's room void of viable options, Matilda steadied her position. Her feet shoulder width apart, her spine straight, supporting her weight and the weight of the grand snake. Ready to face whatever was to come. To protect the Baudelaires from whoever who had entered their home.

Peering around the corner, a bald man with a long white beard and an equally long white lab coat, manifested a smirk.

"Ah," he sneered. "I thought you'd be round here somewhere." The glint of the large knife he wielded was mimicked by the glint of rage in his eyes. Despite his new appearance - the hairstyle change, the facial hair façade and the boggling glasses, Matilda would also be able to recognise those familiar eyes. Her strong stance faltered. Taking a step backwards.

"You think you could get away from me?" He snidely chuckled, advancing towards the girl, knife brandished before him. "You cant get rid of me," his cruel smile diminishing as his anger heightened.

"You belong to me!"

His bubbling fury blinded him. As he reached forward to snatch the girl, the androgynous cobra poised up on the girl's shoulder in a threatening display. At the sight of the snake, which seemed to appear from nowhere, Count Olaf jumped back with a sharp, screech of fear. The cobras tongue flicked in the air, tasting the air between itself and the cowardly man before them. Its' hood flared up. Ribs and scales splayed out; its' size magnified at the presence of a threat. Their hissing vibrated through the room, causing the man to take frightened steps backward, staring fearfully at the snake while trying and failing to simultaneously scowl at the girl.

Briefly giving the snake a thankful glance, Matilda once again squared her shoulders and presented the snake further forward. Jesting forward, she made the Count jump back, a ghost of a smirk lingering on her lips. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, trying and failing to mask the fear in his voice. "Get that damned beast away from me, you cretin!" Jerking forward once more, he took another step back. "Just wait until I get my hands on you." The threat was framed with determined brows and a gravelly voice that had Matilda supressing a shiver. Without saying a word, she approached the man, step by step, until he was outside of the bedroom.

Matilda's glare only solidified as she slammed the door shut. The count stabbed his knife into the door in frustration with a muffled yell of frustration, causing Matilda to flinch, breaking her brave face.

In the reptile room on the lower floor, the Baudelaires heard the echoing slam. Their brows pinched in concern and slight panic as they hoped that Matilda was out of harm's way.

With the door between herself and her tormentor, Matildas breath lost its' rhythm. Moving to lean against the window, trying to get some fresh air to soothe her frantic chest, Monty's yellow car appeared in the driveway. A spike of fear flashed through Matilda as Count Olaf stood to greet the kind man. White, cold, and vile against brown, warm, and gentle. Yanking the door open and rushing down the stairs, she briefly contemplated setting the androgynous cobra down somewhere safe. Despite the shield they provided, Matilda couldn't put the reptile at risk. She hurriedly but carefully tried to usher the snake onto the stick-like perch near the stairs. However, the cobra refused to move. Tightening itself around Matilda's arm even more. With time being of the essence, she moved to the front door, waiting for the two men to enter.

Monty swung open the door with 'Come in, come in!', eyes falling on Matilda instantly, and her wide-eyed, fearful expression. Count Olaf fiddled with his pants and taking longer than necessary to ascend the steps. In this time, Monty shot Matilda a concerned gaze. Not finding the ability to speak, Matilda could only shake her head. "Welcome to my home," Monty spoke politely. As 'Stephano' stepped in the threshold of house, Matilda bolted to Monty's side, not letting her eyes leave her previous guardian. Monty looked at the girl with a mix of surprise yet understanding. Even tough Matilda admired and adored Monty, she did not often display physical affection - unless it was from the Baudelaires. Monty placed a secure and sturdy arm around her shoulders, his anger with his new 'assistant' rearing. Olaf glared at Matilda.

"And who might this be?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Monty's jaw tightened; Matilda could see the twitching muscle as he tried to contain his fury. His hand securing the girl became even tighter. "My bambini." Gruffly answering Olaf. Matildas heart swelled with his protective stance. "This is..." Monty tried grasping for his name. As both men fumbled over the Count's fake name, Monty was able to reign and disguise his anger, while Matilda's palms found handfuls of Monty's rough, chestnut jacket. He directed 'Stephano' up to his room, while the girl and her current guardian approach the seemingly intricate door. Monty placed himself between the child and the stranger, his eyes and jaws setting once more. Aware of the grubby eyes peeled on them, Monty executed the rigorous unlocking of the Reptile Room.

The Baudelaires stood tensely behind the door, vaguely hearing the movements and mumbles of conversation from the other side. They almost stumbled back as Monty shoved open the door. They brightened at the sight of Matilda and their guardian safe and unharmed. Klaus and Violet were stunned by Monty's expression; his usually kind and inviting eyes turned cold and furious. Before they could reach Matilda and ensure she was alright, Monty grasped the girls hands and uncoiled his jacket from her tight grip before he turned her shoulders to face him.

"As long as I live," he spoke softly despite the tensed brows, the Baudelaires just missing his quiet words. "He will never hurt you again." So resolutely he spoke, leaning his forehead against Matilda's in a shallow embrace. A rush of air left her and shining eyes peering at the wonderful man in front of her.

Unknowing that his demise was just around the corner.

A/N

Hiya!

Sorry for the slow updates! I'm halfway through the semester at the moment so updates will be sparse until the end of the semester. Thankyou all so much for reading! Please continue to vote and comment! Also, if there are any grammatical things missing, please let me know! When I copy and paste it into Wattpad it removes all the ' and " for some reason.

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for 15.1k reads and 442 votes! Thankyou my lovelies!

(also if anyone knows any good apps or programs for covers, could you pop it in the comments? That would be amazing. And also if you have any ideas for the cover, let me know ;) I'm thinking of changing it :))