𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝐊𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐗 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐎𝐂

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖 - Aunt Josephine

"Here we are, children!" Mr Poe smiled and looked up to analyse the sign above the dock of where he and the children disembarked from the boat. The children watched in awkwardness. "Deemo...Dimmo...Dudy Damo...Democlay...Dimoclath...Dimoclat...Deemaca...Dock." He said as he tried to read the sign. Veronica scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Actually, Mr Poe, it's pronounced Damocles." She corrected the banker and tried to hold back her anger. "After the probably apocryphal figure in Sicilian mythology." Klaus added with a small smile. "Well, I don't have time to learn things." Mr Poe stated as he looked at his watch. "The banking day has already begun. In any case, I'm sure you'll be off on some exciting adventure with your new guardian. Remember, you can always rely on us at Mulctuary Money Management." He said and handed Klaus his business management card. "Now if you'll excuse me, I will leave you alone on this mostly deserted dock to wait for your taxi to your Aunt Josephine's house." 

Veronica scanned around with a raised eyebrow. "She's not meeting us here?" Violet questioned to him. "Strangely, she said she'd be unable to come to the dock, and I didn't think it was polite to ask why. Perhaps she's planning a surprise party for you four!" Veronica rolled her eyes as that would've been likely. Josephine wasn't there to give them parties, she needed to give them answers. After all, Jacquelyn had told her that she was fierce and formidable. "I know you've had a frightening and mystifying time with that horrible man, what...um...Count..." Veronica rolled her eyes again. "Count Olaf." She said. "Olaf. Who knows where he came from?" Mr Poe said. "You put the Baudelaires in his care while I had to suffer him for many years." The brunette growled. She remembered the bruises and cuts all over her body, but didn't choose to look at them. It would only hurt her more. "I wouldn't exactly call it care. He's a thief and a murder and so far has completely escaped capture." Mr Poe responded. "And that's why I call him a snake..." Veronica whispered under her breath with a small chuckle. Mr Poe then reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag. 

"But I have something that just might turn things around. Peppermints!" Veronica could see the Baudelaire's eyes widen in fear. "Delicious peppermints! My favourite candy when I was a boy. You can eat them in the taxi on the way to meet your dowager aunt." Mr Poe handed the sweets to the kids and Violet asked "What's that?" Mr Poe gave a concerned look towards the elder Baudelaire. "Oh, Violet, I'm surprised at you. A girl your age should know that a taxi is a car that takes you someplace for a reasonable fee." He said. "And this should just about cover it. Cheers, Baudelaires and Veronica!" And with that, Mr Poe walked back to the boat. The four children waved goodbye to him before looking at each other. "Dowager means widow." Veronica clarified for the elder Baudelaire and she knew that's what her question was for. "Thank you." Violet smiled. "Should we have told him we're allergic to peppermints?" Klaus asked his sister. She threw the bag of peppermints into a trash can. "It didn't seem worth mentioning." She replied. "Nice shot!" Veronica complimented. "Thank you and we have a lot more important things on our minds."

"Like asking our Aunt Josephine if she can explain all the strange and mysterious things that keep happening to us." Klaus said. "If she could help me find out about this photo." Veronica added, taking the photo out that Monty had gave her, moments before his death. Violet patted her shoulder to show small sympathy for the girl. "And how to get a taxi." Violet said. Just then, a yellow taxi pulled up next to the four and the driver stuck his head out. "Does anyone need a ride somewhere for a reasonable fee?" The children looked at each other before climbing into the car together. Veronica had a look at the town and noticed that there weren't barely any people. "Doesn't seem very crowded around here." She said. "It's the off-season." The driver replied. "When the weather's nice, this town is crowded as can be. But around now, things are dead as the cat I ran over this morning. I hope your Aunt Josephine has enough food and supplies when Hurricane Herman arrives. It's supposed to be a doozy. I'm gonna sit it out in a cabin with the works of Herman Melville and a large pot of vegetarian chili."

Veronica and Klaus look at each other with furrowed eyebrows. "Hurricanes only occur near oceans." Klaus explained. "With a body of water as large as Lake Lachrymose, anything can happen." Veronica sighed and crossed her arms, looking out the window as the driver went on about Herman Melville's work. She could see that the lake was big and it went on for miles. The water was dark and eery. It looked like you could fall in and never come up for air.

~~~~~~~

The taxi had stopped in front of an old house, the young Bella surprised that it hadn't fallen over from seeing over a cliff. The taxi driver gave the children their suitcases and looked up at the house in awe. "Your aunt must be a remarkable lady to live all the way up here by herself." He gasped. "Well, I've been told Aunt Josephine is fierce and formidable." Veronica explained to the driver. "She must be." He replied and slammed the trunk and drove off. The children waved goodbye to him and Veronica pulled out the photo again, staring at the people in the photo. She hoped that Aunt Josephine would be the one to tell her about the photo she held close to her. "I really hope Aunt Josephine can answer all our questions." She told the orphans. "There's so much we don't know." Klaus added to the brunette's statement. "It's like we're standing on the edge of a precipice with no idea what lies below." Veronica nodded in agreement. They walked to the porch of the home and Klaus read the sign on the cyan door, "Please go away."

Violet pushed the doorbell but no ring could be heard. Veronica assumed it was broken and went to knock but then the door opened in all of a sudden, making the children jump a little. "Don't knock. You might get splinters. This door is made of wood, which is teeming with tiny shards, which in turn is teeming with infection. You must never knock." A woman told the girl. "Oh...I'm sorry..." She apologised with a concerned face. She didn't think it was possible to get splinters from a door. "We're looking for our Aunt Josephine. I'm Violet Baudelaire, and these are my siblings-" But the woman cut her off. "Klaus and Sunny, of course! Come in, come in!" She said with a massive smile, gesturing for the four to come in. They walked in with caution. "You must be Veronica Bella, I was told I was getting another child." She stated. "Yes, I am." Veronica replied. "The doorbell didn't appear to be working." Klaus clarified to the woman. "It's disconnected. There is the danger of electrocution and be careful not to bump into the phone."

"I've read quite a bit about electricity and I'm reasonably certain that doorbells are telephones are safe." Klaus explained to her. "Not if you have a faulty pacemaker." The woman replied. "Does anyone here have a faulty pacemaker?" Veronica questioned. "No but you can never be too careful." Veronica gave a concerned look towards her. "Do you live with our Aunt Josephine?" Violet asked. "I am your Aunt Josephine." The woman smiled, clapping her hands together. Josephine looked at a mirror and then screamed once seeing her reflection. Veronica was now wondering if Jacquelyn meant what she said about this woman. Josephine seemed far from fierce and formidable. She was full of fright and jumpy. "You are?" Violet asked with doubt on her face. "Yes, of course." Josephine replied to the inventor. "Are you sure?" Klaus asked. "Of course I'm sure, although I prefer the word 'certain.' Follow me." The four children then began to follow them down the hall. "But mind the rug. You might trip and break your necks." 

"Fierce Aunt Josephine." Veronica mumbled.

"Formidable Aunt Josephine." Klaus sighed.