So uh, never really expected to do this. I love ASOUE, but it's one of those things I didn't intend to write for, seeing as it's a books series and because of how long it's been since I read through them all.
I think I was 7 or 8 when I read through them. Maybe 9, but whatever. And that was third grade... so maybe 10 years ago?
But, now the Netflix series is out, and I still love it as much as third grader me loved the series. So, since the Miserable Mill was always my favorite when I was little, why not write the conversation that likely took place after Violet said, "we need to talk,"?
Ah, fair warning: this DOES contain spoilers for the Miserable Mill episodes for the Netflix series, and there are some things in there that you really should watch for yourself instead of finding out online.
We Need to Talk
"...an inordinate amount of money,"
Klaus blinked. The world around him clearly came into focus as he looked around. The familiar weight of his glasses hung on the bridge of his nose; that answered the question of why he could see clearly. But... that wasn't right. Last he remembered, he didn't have them, so when did he get new ones?
Wait... why was he in the mill? And why was the debarker dispenser tipped over and broken? And why was everyone staring at him like he was a monster rather than a human being? Did something happen?
He closed his eyes to try and think back. He remembered being near the wood chipper—though why he'd been there or how he got there escaped him—and then talking with Violet before following her to a fancy looking door when the foreman had told them they'd had visitors. But then there was nothing. Had he imagined that?
A look down at his shoeless feet led him to believe otherwise. He could remember commenting on that.
Had he been unconconscious? The area around him looked a wreck. Maybe he'd been hit by something? The more he thought about that though, the less sense it made to him. He hadn't been on the ground when he 'came to', and he didn't feel any pain anywhere. He wracked his brain, trying to think of a book he'd read long ago that could explain this strange occurrence to him, seeing as he didn't have any answers himself, but he came up with nothing.
What happened to him?
He looked to his left, and though he had to try and ignore another nasty glare sent towards him, he found his sisters. They were standing near the entrance, or sitting in a basket in Sunny's case, watching as someone who looked to be Charles walked away. If anyone could explain, he hoped it would be Violet.
"I don't understand. Everyone is staring at me like I'm a pariah." Seeing the look on Violet's face, he quickly added, "'Pariah' means 'outcast'."
Violet gave him a look of relief. "Klaus, it's you," she said. He raised a figurative eyebrow at that. That was a strange thing to say, and if he thought about it, the second time that she'd said that sort of thing to him today.
Klaus looked back when something squeaked behind him. Laying on a very loud gurney was Phil, who had a tarp over what appeared to be an injured leg. He looked back at to his older sister. "What happened to Phil?" he asked, alarmed.
"I'm ok!" Phil assured them optimistically, the Klaus highly doubted that.
"We need to talk," she responded. On her face she wore a deeply concerned expression that immediately troubled him. He said nothing, but gave a solemn nod in agreement. He was missing something here, and by the looks of things, it was rather big. She reached down and picked up Sunny before beckoning him to follow her. Klaus spared the mill one last glance as he exited.
They went back to the dorm room, partially because they knew no one would be in there, but also because Klaus still needed to put his shoes on. Violet turned to him after she closed the door.
If Violet had a worried expression before, her current one trumped that by a magnitude of ten. "Klaus, what's going on? Back there, that wasn't like you," she asked.
Back there... he still wasn't sure. He shook his head. "I... I'm not sure I follow. Violet, what happened? Why is Phil's leg broken?" He had so many questions, but that was the one freshest in his mind. Violet and Sunny shared a look of incredulity before looking back at their brother.
"Bek," Sunny said, which Klaus understood as, "What do you mean, "what happened"? You were there,"
"I know I was but..." He sighed and rubbed his nose in irritation. "I know I was THERE, but I can't remember that. At all," he admitted.
Violet and Sunny shared a look before continuing. "Klaus, you operated the stamping machine and caused an accident. It went haywire and knocked Phil onto the boards and well..." There was no need to finish.
His eyes widened. "I-I did what?" He couldn't believe it, he'd hurt Phil! But he knew Violet wasn't lying. He'd seen Phil, as well as the looks the millworkers had given him. "That's ridiculous. I don't even know how to operate such a machine! Why would I agree to use it in the first place...?"
"Klaus, you've been acting strangely ever since you got back last night. What happened at Dr. Orwell's?" Violet asked, sitting next to him on the bunk.
Klaus could remember many things. He could remember the smell of the Baudelaire library before it went up in smoke. He could remember how to tell the difference between crocodiles and alligators. He could remember what the average flight speed of winged lizards was. He could remember many things, but the span of time between visiting Dr. Orwell's and now was hazy at best.
"I... I'm not sure. I can't remember that either," he let out a frustrated sigh. "I remember going there with Phil, but after that... maybe a chair but- augh," He winced and rubbed his temple. He was giving himself a headache.
"Don't strain yourself," Violet said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and shook his head. This shouldn't be happening.
"I should be able to remember this! This is..." He let out a huffy, disgruntled sigh. He wasn't sure what to say anymore. He reached down and finally pulled on one of the boots. "Maybe you should fill me in, seeing as I can't remember a thing,"
"Well... where to start,..."
"Start with when I got back last night. What happened from there on?" Klaus suggested. Violet seemed to agree, and readjusted Sunny on her lap before beginning the tale.
Klaus listened intently as they recounted his strange behavior from the night before, with him calling his sister 'sir'.
"Sir? But you're my sister," he said, more to himself than anything else. Violet gave him a small but sad smile; a common sight for them more days than not lately.
"That's what I said when you called me that. Really, any request asked of you, you'd do it with a 'yes sir', regardless of what it was. That's... how the accident with Phil happened. Foreman Flacutono asked you to operate the machine and well..." All three siblings frowned. That was... more than a little disturbing to Klaus, especially considering he still couldn't remember any of it occurring.
"Shap!" Sunny cried, which meant, "And you also took me near the mulch machine when it was asked of you, and that was frightening," Klaus's look of horror returned to his face. He'd brought Sunny near what!? He would never do that...
But he thought he would never hurt Phil either. He shook his head. He couldn't focus on that right now, he still needed the rest of the details. He could feel bad later.
"What about Count Olaf? Have you seen him yet?" He asked. He couldn't remember seeing the vile man, but he was hoping Violet had.
Violet shook her head, but then thought better of it. "Yes, we've seen him and well..."
"Ick!" Sunny shrieked, which meant, "He's disguised himself as Dr. Orwell's female receptionist named Shirley,"
"You mean, Shirley Count Olaf?" Klaus couldn't help the quip. It was too obvious. A smirk formed on his face when Violet and Sunny smiled. "Sorry, that just seemed easy,"
"No, it's just, I said the same thing to him." They both let out a tiny laugh. It was hard to enjoy the humor when they were talking about a man that had killed two of their previous guardians and utterly terrified all three of them. A silence followed after that.
"That's... quite a bit to take in," Klaus then commented. How could he have missed so much, but still supposedly been moving around?
"I might have an idea." Violet perked up. "Phil mentioned something that got me to think... what if you were hypnotized?"
Klaus stopped as he thought it over. That would explain a thing or two: his strange, zombie-like behavior, his willingness to follow any order, his lapse in memory. It matched up with what he'd read in the Encyclopedia Hypnotica the year prior. All it would take was a single word, and he'd be back into that state that had frightened his sisters so very much.
And he'd no idea what that word even was.
"I can't believe it," Klaus finally said, pulling on his other boot.
"It does sound like something from a scary movie," Violet said, misunderstanding his words.
"I believe that part; I read the Encyclopedia Hypnotica last year. I can't believe I hurt Phil," Klaus clarified. Phil, even if his optimism was annoying at times, had been nothing but kind to him and his siblings. He even looked at Klaus kindly as he was being wheeled away and tried to assure them that he was fine. "And I almost hurt you, Sunny. I didn't mean to,"
"Eyeh," Sunny babbled, which translated to, "I know,"
"Charles will be back soon. He wants to help us," Violet told him. Klaus shook his head though. This was a matter that didn't involve Charles.
"No," he said firmly, then stood up from the bed. "If Dr. Orwell did something to my brain, I have to fix it." How he was going to do that, he had to admit he wasn't sure of, but he'd figure something out.
"You can't go back there, it's too dangerous," Violet argued.
"I don't care. I have to know," Klaus insisted. Violet's stern expression softened.
"What if you get hurt?" she asked quietly.
"What if... I cause another accident, and hurt more people?" Klaus countered. He knew Violet was right, but at the same time, he had to do something. He could slip under trance due to any particular word, and if e didn't figure out what it was soon, they could have serious problems. "You're the one who wanted to stay here. You wanted to find out what our parents were doing in this town," he reminded her.
"And I'm sorry I put us in danger. I don't know why they blame our parents for the fire, and I don't care anymore. I just want you to be safe," Violet said, giving him an apologetic look. "Count Olaf is here, we have to leave." Klaus gazed into his sister's eyes, which were showing with the sincerity in her words with full force. A part of him wanted to acquiesce to her request, but he thought better of it.
"And we will," Klaus turned from Violet and made his way for the door. "After I get back from Dr. Orwell's."
Klaus peeked around at the main yard of the lumber mill. No one was in sight, which would make things easier. Not that he could honestly say any of the workers would want him in the mill right now anyway. He walked toward the main doors, trying to think of what exactly he was going to do.
That was when he felt a hand grasp his own. He looked back in surprise as Violet, then down at their hands. "What's that thing Samuel Beckett said?"
"'I can't go on. I'll go on,'" Klaus quoted. That was always how his sister got to him: asking him to quote those he'd read about. Even now, he couldn't force himself to be upset about that.
"Let's go on. Together," she said. Klaus wanted to tell her to go back in, but he couldn't deny that he felt more comfortable with Violet and Sunny by his side, and who was he to tell his sisters off for worrying about him? Instead, the three of them walked forward together to the door.
After all, through all the misfortune that'd befallen them, they'd managed to overcome it all together. Klaus had a feeling that this time would be no different.
You know, this became less of me posting the conversation that ensued after Violet said they needed to talk and more me just writing the scene but from Klaus's (kinda) point of view...
Eh, oh well. It still didn't turn out poorly, and it was good practice if nothing else.
Also, SEASON 2 WAS JUST ANNOUNCED TODAY! THIS I'M SUPER EXCITED!
Ahem... sorry, I get overly excited at times. I dunno, tell me if anything seemed super funky in this story, other