One Kiss Later (K. Baudelaire)

Chapter 12

Candie

I nod. I run out of the tent picking up Sunny, catching up to the other two Baudelaires. We hear a scream. "That sounded like-" Klaus starts. "Olivia." Violet finishes staring back at the tent. "Olivia." I say looking back at the tent, stopped dead in my tracks. "Come on." Violet says, grabbing my arms pulling me out of my trance.

We run into Madam Lulu's tent and put Sunny down. "Olivia's dead. Olivia's dead and it's our fault. It was our idea to push Count Olaf." Klaus gulps. "We can't think about that." Violet says. We walk around the tent to find anything useful. I walk over to the back of the tent. I see a book I that I know all too well. I hesitantly reach for the leather book. Romeo and Juliette I graze my hand over the cover and a bitter-sweet smile emerges to my face. I open up the book to a note written into the book along with a bracelet.

Dear Candie,

I found this book not in the bookshelf all the way and thought of you. Take this book on all the adventures of yours. A little bit of myself will be with you then. I hope you find your Romeo, whoever that might be, Duncan, Klaus, whomever. And yes, I do know about them. A librarian always knows. You have such a creative mind, angel. I hope you can use it to your advantage and use it for good. Creativity in the wrong hands can be a dangerous thing. And I am very pleased you ended up with the gift. Never forget angel, you are more powerful than you realize, and have more potential than you'll ever know. My bracelet, it has been with me through a lot of adventure and now it's up to you.

With you forever and always,

Ms. Caliban.

I smile and start tearing up. I look down at the bracelet and promptly put it on. "The book." Klaus says holding a large book in his hand. I run over and loom down on it. "Olivia promised she'd find it for us." Klaus says looking a the book. "Olivia doesn't lie." I say quietly placing my hand over the cover. "She was a great person and a great librarian." Violet comments. "The show's not over yet." We hear Count Olaf outside the tent. "Count Olaf." Klaus warns. They quickly pick up their costumes off the ground and put them on. I grab Sunny in one hand and my book in the other.

"What are you cowards doing here? Esmé asks us with a wide grin oh her face. "They may be coward but I'm ready to offer them a place in my troupe anyways." Count Olaf sneers at us. We look at each other. "That's very kind of you Count Olaf, but you don't want cowards like us in your troupe." Violet says with a fake sad voice. "Sure we do. You never know when you might lose an associate. Just look at Madam Lulu." Esmé says with a smirk. I tense up and grind my teeth.

"Besides, you don't have a choice. We're burning down this Carnival, starting with the rickety rollercoaster. See for yourself. Esmé laughs. Count Olaf then walks over to the entrance of the tent and opens up the tent to reveal almost the whole carnival on fire. My eyes widen in shock. Esmé laughs. "You see, if you don't join us, where can you possibly go?" Esmé asks us. "Were are you going?" Klaus asks the 'happy' couple.

"Oh, hello." Count Olaf says reaching for the map of V.F.D headquarters. Esmé looks to me then to my bracelet. "Oh, how... charming." She says evilly, smirking at me. "I haven't seen one of these in years." Count Olaf says looking at the map. "That brown stain, you saw that this morning." Esmé comments. "Code Stain. It's to mark a secret location without anyone else noticing. And this mark happens to mark the spot to V.F.D headquarters." Count Olaf explains, "I haven't been there is years. Not since that masked ball. When I failed to push a woman in a dragonfly costume off a cliff. Who knew the wings actually worked?" "A map to the V.F.D. headquarters." Esmé thinks out loud. "Yes. That must be where the survivor of the fire is hiding." Count Olaf guesses, "It seems like Madam Lulu gave us one last answer after all." Esmé sighs. "I'm really going to miss her." Esmé lies.

"Hmm. Pack your mittens, kitten. We're going to the Mortmain Mountains." Count Olaf announces. "First, search this tent, there could be something useful." Count Olaf orders. "I don't see anything useful." Klaus interjects. "I think you're lying to me." Count Olaf sneers, leaning into Klaus. "My other head is telling the truth." Violet comes up and says. "Well, then what is that box of food doing there? Don't you think food would be useful on a long journey?" Count Olaf yells at us. Sunny growls at him making him step back from Klaus. "Chabo compliments you on your cleverness. We hadn't noticed." Klaus insults. "That's why I'm the boss, and I boss you to take that crate of food to my car." Count Olaf says turning around. He stops and turns back to us.

"But first, I want you to burn this tent down." Me, Klaus and Violet look to each other. "Really?" Klaus asks for clarification. "Yes, really. You're with us now freaks. Really light this tent on fire. Really destroy all these papers and notes and the rest of Madam Lulu's clutter, and then really meet me at the car when you're done. Chabo, you're coming with me." Count Olaf orders. Sunny growls at Count Olaf making him step back in fear. "Chabo would prefer to stay with us." Violet defends. "I could care less what Chabo prefers. I am the man in charge here, not this feral little monster." Count Olaf yells at Violet. Sunny keeps growling at Count Olaf. Count Olaf groans. Esmé walks over to me. "Nice wolfie." She says picking Sunny up from my arms. She walks off with Sunny as Count Olaf turns to us. "You're lucky there are so many books and films in here..... They're highly flammable. Burn this tent down then you can join that little wolf baby in my acting troupe." Count Olaf says handing us a lighter and a stick. My breath became shaky.

Me and Violet start to cry. "We're not going anywhere with Count Olaf." Klaus says looking at the lighter. "He already has Sunny, and he burned our ride out of here. And riding with him is the only way to get to the mountains." Violet says, voice shaky. "If we burn this tent down we're just as bad as he is." Klaus says closing the lighter. "If we don't we'll never find out if one of our parents survived." Violet says shedding a tear. I hug my book closer to my body. "I know just how you feel. My first time was hard, too." Count Olaf says taking the torch and lighter. "Let me help you with that." He said wickedly. He pulled us down to our knees and lit the torch. Placing the fragile flame onto The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations. We stared at the flame, unsure of what to say or do. "Get the food." He orders us.

"You three can get into the gift caravan. We are going to attach it and pull it behind it us. All these new recruiters we're getting mighty crowded. "The knot, the devil's tongue might hold better. I can tie it." Violet offers. "That's a relief. I have no idea what I'm doing."

As we sit in the caravan, I try not to cry. I suddenly break down in tears. Tear after tear rolling down my face. Klaus, still connected to Violet, sits next to me as I cry.