"I'll do it this time", Lemony thought to himself, "I'll actually do it." And yet, he broke his promise to himself... he didn't knock on the door. He lowered his shaking fist, and slowly shrank away from the enormous door. Even with the thought of the lovely treasure that lay just inside the door, he couldn't will himself to knock on the door. He had been waiting... waiting far too long to mess this moment up.
Suddenly, as thought his hand was not connected to his mind, he formed a fist, and knocked loudly three times. His heart began beating like a drum, pumping faster and faster, until at last, he heard footsteps. The door opened, and the woman inside stared out quizzically at the not-so-young man waiting on her doorstep. Lemony stood there for a minute, examining her beauty. Her dark brown hair fell lightly over her shoulders. Her skin was pale and flawless, as it had always been. As he looked into her deep brown eyes, he knew that, at last the moment had come.
"Violet..." he whispered, scarcely able to breathe. She stepped back a bit, in shock, at the mention of her name. "Hello..." she said, her voice trailing off, "Can I help you?". Lemony stared at her, a faint smile on his face. It had been so long since his weary face bore a smile. "Yes." he said, taking a step closer, "Yes, you can help me... may I come in?"
Violet hesitated a moment. Even at the age of 22, she could remember the simple rule we are all taught as children... to never let strangers into your home. But, she considered, this man looks harmless. He wasn't frightening looking, and Violet was usually able to tell an evil person [since she had certainly seen more than her share]. She made up her mind, and said to the stranger "Yes... come in."
Lemony walked in, and sat gingerly on the soft, white sofa. The white sofa was almost as pure and virginal as Violet herself, Lemony mused to himself. When Violet sat down on the couch next to him, she cleared her throat, and asked "So... who might you be?". Violet knew that it was a rude question, but since this cloaked stranger had not yet introduced himself, it seemed only fitting to ask.
"I-I am... well my name in Lemony- Lemony Snicket" he said carefully. "You may not know me... but I know you. I know you very well." His lips curled into a weak smile once again, and he once again was silent. It was better, he thought, not to give away too much at once.
Violet inched away at once, the minute Lemony had finished speaking. "What does he mean?" she wondered. "How can he know me 'very well'?". He interrupted her thoughts by saying " You look so much like your mother." he muttered. For it was true, Violet was almost a dead ringer for her deceased mother, Beatrice. " You-you knew her?" Violet asked, seeming very surprised. She hadn't thought of her parents in a long time- a long, long time. She had wanted to forget.
"Oh yes, I knew your mother" he paused, giving her a look as though he knew something that she didn't. "I knew Beatrice." They sat for a moment, in awkward silence. Suddenly, Lemony turned to Violet and asked "Would you like something to drink?". It was an odd question, Violet thought, to ask her if she wanted a drink in her own house. "Sure." she said "I'd like a red wine- but I can get it." Lemony quickly stood up, blocking the path so she couldn't get up. "I'll get it," he said forcefully.
He got up and ran to the kitchen. Violet, leaned over in her chair, so she could watch him. He seemed to know is way around. He knew his way around extremely well for someone who had never been in her house before. Violet turned around in her chair, so she was no longer watching... it seemed odd to her, very odd.
About 2 minutes later, Lemony finally came back into the room. He grinned, brandishing two full glasses of red wine. "Here," he said, not taking his eyes off her, "Exactly what you wanted." And then Violet did something... something she realized was not a good idea, far too late. She took a drink from a man she barely knew. A man who could have added anything to the wine. She took a large gulp of the wine... and she instantly blacked out.
When Violet finally awoke, she heard a light crackling sound. Though her eyes were closed she could sense the brightness in the room. The blinding brightness... Violet's eyes fluttered open, and she let out a blood curdling scream. The whole room was engulfed in flame. There was only a thin layer of fire in every direction... but It was enough to block every entrance and exit way. Violet realized with gut-wrenching terror... that she was trapped. Trapped with no way out.
Her eyes searched frantically around the room, until they met that of Lemony's. He was smiling a bit maniacally at her. "Now," Lemony said, in a raspy giggle "I can never lose you again..." Violet stared at him "What? What do you mean you'll never lose me again? What? What do you-" But she was interrupted insentience.
"Violet," he said, "I've followed you around since your parents died... in the fire. You were the last trace of the Baudelaire family. And yet as I followed you, from place to place, murder to murder..." he paused here to clear his throat. "I've gotten to know Klaus, Sunny, and especially... you. Every curve in your body, every delicate finger and toe. You are so lovely."
"What?!" Violet screamed in utter shock, "I don't even know you! How can we get out of here?". "We can't" he said simply. I've set fire to every possible way out, just like in the mansion..." he laughed a rough, cruel-sounding laugh. "The Baudelaire mansion that I burned down so long ago. Beatrice, I knew that you loved me. And if I couldn't have you... no one could." he smiled.
"My name is Violet!" she screamed, "VIOLET! I'm not Beatrice! Please let me out! Just let me out!" she pleaded anxiously. "No, but Beatrice," Lemony continued, still speaking as calmly as if he was talking about the weather, "You came back! You came back to me... in your daughter. We shall never, ever part again, now." He got up off the couch, crawling towards Violet. "No one will ever know you have come back to me," he said, trying to stroke her chin, as she pulled away.
The flames now swirled around them, and if either of them had moved even an inch, they would have been burned. "Till hell do us part," he said slowly, for he was getting intoxicated by the smoke of the flames. Violet's tears sizzled and cracked as they hit the flames. She got up a bit, and let herself fall into the fire. The pain was like nothing she had ever felt before. She screamed as the flames took over her, and she hoped that hell would part them. For hell couldn't be worse than this.
Suddenly, as thought his hand was not connected to his mind, he formed a fist, and knocked loudly three times. His heart began beating like a drum, pumping faster and faster, until at last, he heard footsteps. The door opened, and the woman inside stared out quizzically at the not-so-young man waiting on her doorstep. Lemony stood there for a minute, examining her beauty. Her dark brown hair fell lightly over her shoulders. Her skin was pale and flawless, as it had always been. As he looked into her deep brown eyes, he knew that, at last the moment had come.
"Violet..." he whispered, scarcely able to breathe. She stepped back a bit, in shock, at the mention of her name. "Hello..." she said, her voice trailing off, "Can I help you?". Lemony stared at her, a faint smile on his face. It had been so long since his weary face bore a smile. "Yes." he said, taking a step closer, "Yes, you can help me... may I come in?"
Violet hesitated a moment. Even at the age of 22, she could remember the simple rule we are all taught as children... to never let strangers into your home. But, she considered, this man looks harmless. He wasn't frightening looking, and Violet was usually able to tell an evil person [since she had certainly seen more than her share]. She made up her mind, and said to the stranger "Yes... come in."
Lemony walked in, and sat gingerly on the soft, white sofa. The white sofa was almost as pure and virginal as Violet herself, Lemony mused to himself. When Violet sat down on the couch next to him, she cleared her throat, and asked "So... who might you be?". Violet knew that it was a rude question, but since this cloaked stranger had not yet introduced himself, it seemed only fitting to ask.
"I-I am... well my name in Lemony- Lemony Snicket" he said carefully. "You may not know me... but I know you. I know you very well." His lips curled into a weak smile once again, and he once again was silent. It was better, he thought, not to give away too much at once.
Violet inched away at once, the minute Lemony had finished speaking. "What does he mean?" she wondered. "How can he know me 'very well'?". He interrupted her thoughts by saying " You look so much like your mother." he muttered. For it was true, Violet was almost a dead ringer for her deceased mother, Beatrice. " You-you knew her?" Violet asked, seeming very surprised. She hadn't thought of her parents in a long time- a long, long time. She had wanted to forget.
"Oh yes, I knew your mother" he paused, giving her a look as though he knew something that she didn't. "I knew Beatrice." They sat for a moment, in awkward silence. Suddenly, Lemony turned to Violet and asked "Would you like something to drink?". It was an odd question, Violet thought, to ask her if she wanted a drink in her own house. "Sure." she said "I'd like a red wine- but I can get it." Lemony quickly stood up, blocking the path so she couldn't get up. "I'll get it," he said forcefully.
He got up and ran to the kitchen. Violet, leaned over in her chair, so she could watch him. He seemed to know is way around. He knew his way around extremely well for someone who had never been in her house before. Violet turned around in her chair, so she was no longer watching... it seemed odd to her, very odd.
About 2 minutes later, Lemony finally came back into the room. He grinned, brandishing two full glasses of red wine. "Here," he said, not taking his eyes off her, "Exactly what you wanted." And then Violet did something... something she realized was not a good idea, far too late. She took a drink from a man she barely knew. A man who could have added anything to the wine. She took a large gulp of the wine... and she instantly blacked out.
When Violet finally awoke, she heard a light crackling sound. Though her eyes were closed she could sense the brightness in the room. The blinding brightness... Violet's eyes fluttered open, and she let out a blood curdling scream. The whole room was engulfed in flame. There was only a thin layer of fire in every direction... but It was enough to block every entrance and exit way. Violet realized with gut-wrenching terror... that she was trapped. Trapped with no way out.
Her eyes searched frantically around the room, until they met that of Lemony's. He was smiling a bit maniacally at her. "Now," Lemony said, in a raspy giggle "I can never lose you again..." Violet stared at him "What? What do you mean you'll never lose me again? What? What do you-" But she was interrupted insentience.
"Violet," he said, "I've followed you around since your parents died... in the fire. You were the last trace of the Baudelaire family. And yet as I followed you, from place to place, murder to murder..." he paused here to clear his throat. "I've gotten to know Klaus, Sunny, and especially... you. Every curve in your body, every delicate finger and toe. You are so lovely."
"What?!" Violet screamed in utter shock, "I don't even know you! How can we get out of here?". "We can't" he said simply. I've set fire to every possible way out, just like in the mansion..." he laughed a rough, cruel-sounding laugh. "The Baudelaire mansion that I burned down so long ago. Beatrice, I knew that you loved me. And if I couldn't have you... no one could." he smiled.
"My name is Violet!" she screamed, "VIOLET! I'm not Beatrice! Please let me out! Just let me out!" she pleaded anxiously. "No, but Beatrice," Lemony continued, still speaking as calmly as if he was talking about the weather, "You came back! You came back to me... in your daughter. We shall never, ever part again, now." He got up off the couch, crawling towards Violet. "No one will ever know you have come back to me," he said, trying to stroke her chin, as she pulled away.
The flames now swirled around them, and if either of them had moved even an inch, they would have been burned. "Till hell do us part," he said slowly, for he was getting intoxicated by the smoke of the flames. Violet's tears sizzled and cracked as they hit the flames. She got up a bit, and let herself fall into the fire. The pain was like nothing she had ever felt before. She screamed as the flames took over her, and she hoped that hell would part them. For hell couldn't be worse than this.
