Here's a new chapter! And the penultimate chapter of The Insidious Island! lol
ENJOY!
Chapter Twelve: Reach for the Sky
As the glass shattered in the tent, I rose and stared at Ishmael's standing figure. I felt the Medusoid Mycelium drift into my body, each tiny spore felt like a tiny ant walking down my throat. I could not believe that the Medusoid Mycellium had returned. Now its poisonous qualities would effect all of us, not just Sunny. I could not believe such a terrible thing was happening and it was my fault that I could not prevent it from occurring.
"What happened?" Friday cried. "I heard glass breaking!"
"Never mind the breaking glass," Erewhon said. "I feel something in my throat, like a tiny seed!"
"Never mind your seedy throat," Finn said. "I see Ishmael standing up on his own two feet!"
"Never mind Ishmael standing up on his own two feet," Marlow said, "That harpoon mysteriously stopped as soon as Jamie got in the way!"
I could hear Count Olaf cackling from the white sand where he still lay. With one dramatic gesture, he picked up the shattered helmet from the ground and threw it at Ishmael's clay feet. "The sound you heard was the shattering of a diving helmet," he sneered. "The seeds you feel in your throats are the spores of the Medusoid Mycelium, the man standing on his own two feet is the one who has slaughtered you all, and although I can't explain what happened with the harpoon, my henchwoman will certainly be given a special position when I become the King of Olaf Land!"
"The Medusoid Mycelium?" Ishmael repeated in astonishment, as the islanders gasped again. "On these shores? It can't be! I've spent my life trying to keep the island forever safe from that terrible fungus! I should have known Jamie was your associate. It seems Murrays can never change."
"Nothing's safe forever, thank goodness," Count Olaf said, "and you of all people should know that eventually everything washes up on these shores. The Baudelaire and Murray family has finally returned to this island after you threw them off years ago, and they brought the Medusoid Mycelium with them."
Ishmael's eyes widened, and he jumped off the edge of the sleigh to stand and confront us. As his feet landed on the ground, the clay cracked and fell away, and I could see that the facilitator truly did have a tattoo of an eye on his left ankle, just as Count Olaf had said. "You brought the Medusoid Mycelium?" he asked. "You had a deadly fungus with you all this time, and you kept it a secret from us?"
"You're a fine one to talk about keeping secrets!" Alonso said. "Look at your healthy feet, Ishmael! Your dishonesty is the root of the trouble!"
"It's the mutineers who are the root of the trouble!" cried Ariel. "If they hadn't let Count Olaf out of the cage, this never would have happened!"
"It depends on how you look at it," Professor Fletcher said. "In my opinion, all of us are the root of the trouble. If we hadn't put Count Olaf in the cage, he never would have threatened us!"
"We're the root of the trouble because we failed to find the diving helmet," Ferdinand said. "If we'd retrieved it while storm scavenging, the sheep would have dragged it to the arboretum and we would have been safe!"
"Omeros is the root of the trouble," Dr. Kurtz said, pointing at the young boy. "He's the one who gave Ishmael the harpoon gun instead of dumping it in the arboretum!"
"It's Count Olaf who's the root of the trouble!" cried Larsen. "He's the one who brought the fungus into the tent!"
"I'm not the root of the trouble," Count Olaf snarled, and then paused to cough loudly before continuing. "I'm the king of the island!"
"It doesn't matter whether you're king or not," Violet said. "You've breathed in the fungus like everyone else."
"Violet's right," Klaus said. "We don't have time to stand here arguing. 'A single spore has such grim power, That you may die within the hour,'" he said. "If we don't quit our fighting and work together, we'll all end up dead."
The tent was filled with ululation.
"Dead?" Madame Nordoff shrieked. "Nobody said the fungus was deadly! I thought we were merely being threatened with forbidden food!"
"I didn't stay on this island to die!" cried Ms. Marlow. "I could have died at home!"
"Nobody is going to die," Ishmael announced to the crowd.
"It depends on how you look at it," Rabbi Bligh said. "Eventually we're all going to die."
"Not if you follow my suggestions," Ishmael insisted. "Now first, I suggest that everyone take a nice, long drink from their seashells. The cordialwill chase the fungus from your throats."
"No, it won't!" Violet cried. "Fermented coconut milk has no effect on the
Medusoid Mycelium!"
"That may be so," Ishmael said, "but at least we'll all feel a bit calmer."
"You mean drowsy and inactive," Klaus corrected. "The cordial is an opiate."
"There's nothing wrong with cordiality," Ishmael said. "I suggest we all spend a few minutes discussing our situation in a cordial manner. We can decide what the root of the problem is, and come up with a solution at our leisure."
"That does sound reasonable," Calypso admitted.
"Trahison des clercs!" Sunny cried, which meant "You're forgetting about the quick acting poison in the fungus!"
"Sunny's right," Klaus said. "We need to find a solution now, not sit around talking about it over beverages!"
"The solution is in the arboretum," Violet said, "and in the secret space under the roots of the apple tree."
"Secret space?" Sherman said. "What secret space?"
"There's a library down there," Klaus said, as the crowd murmured in surprise, "cataloging all of the objects that have washed ashore and all the stories those objects tell."
"And kitchen," Sunny added. "Maybe horseradish."
"Horseradish is the one way to dilute the poison," Violet explained, and recited the rest of the poem we had learned when Sunny had been poisoned. "Is dilution simple? But of course, Just one small dose of root of horse." She looked around the tent at the frightened faces of the islanders. "The kitchen beneath the apple tree might have horseradish," she said. "We can save ourselves if we hurry."
"They're lying," Ishmael said. "There's nothing in the arboretum but junk, and there's nothing underneath the tree but dirt. The Baudelaires and Jamie are trying to trick you."
"We're not trying to trick anyone," Klaus said. "We're trying to save everyone."
"The Baudelaires and Jamie knew the Medusoid Mycelium was here," Ishmael pointed out, "and they never told us. You can't trust them, but you can trust me, and I suggest we all sit and sip our cordials."
"Razoo," Sunny said, which meant, "You're the one not to be trusted," but rather than translate, Violet and Klaus stepped closer to Ishmael so they could speak to him in relative privacy.
"Why are you doing this?" I heard Violet ask. "If you just sit here and drink cordial, you'll be doomed."
"We've all breathed in the poison," Klaus said. "We're all in the same boat."
Ishmael raised his eyebrows, and gave the children a grim smile. "We'll see about that," he said. "Now get out of my tent."
"Hightail it," Sunny said, which meant "We'd better hurry."
Violet and Klaus nodded in agreement and they began to hurry for the exit, but they stopped when they realized I was not with them.
"Aren't you coming Jane?" Violet asked. "We have to hurry if we're going to find the antidote."
I shook my head. "You go on without me," I said.
"Jane—" Klaus started.
"Don't you get it?" I said. "I'm the root of all the trouble. We would never even be on this island if I hadn't killed Dewey Denouement. Things could have turned out differently. Maybe Esmé wouldn't have turned away from me. Maybe we would be somewhere safe like at the last safe place, discovering the answers to questions we've been asking for months now. Maybe Count Olaf would have been brought to justice as well as all of those other villains."
"Noroot," Sunny said firmly meaning, "We're the root of the trouble. You never would have done those things if we believed you about Madame Lulu."
"That wouldn't have mattered," I said, "You didn't make me do all of those terrible things. You tried to stop me."
"None of that matters right now, Jane," Klaus said, "Your life is what matters."
"I'm a terrible person, Klaus," I said, "it's my fault Dewey died. It's my fault that Jacques Snicket died. It's my fault that Madame Lulu is dead. It's even my fault that the bald man is dead. Esmé was right to leave me when she did."
"Please, Jane," Klaus begged, "come with us."
I shook my head, sadly. Tears poured from my eyes.
"I don't deserve it," I said, "I don't deserve to live like you three do. I killed a man. How can I live with myself knowing what I did? I just want the guilt to go away. It's like that saying 'an eye for an eye.'"
"'An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind,'" Klaus pointed out.
"I don't deserve to live, Klaus," I whispered. "I've done so many terrible things."
"So have I," Klaus said sadly. "But that doesn't matter. Being a villain isn't our destiny."
"Then what is?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
"When are you going to realize?" I cried when he didn't speak. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but he had to know the truth, "I don't belong with you three. I don't belong anywhere. It's always been that way. Wherever we went these past months, I've always ended up feeling like I'm the odd ball. I mean look at that ring. Its like a family heirloom to you. I'm not a brilliant inventor and I'm not as good at being a researcher. I don't have four sharp teeth to bite things and I can barely cook. I'm useless. All I'm good at is getting kidnapped. You're better off without me."
"No you're not useless," Klaus said, "You're—"
"I'm not the person I used to be Klaus," I said, "Somewhere along the way I lost a part of me and after everything that's happened, I'm not sure if I'll be able to find it again. I've already lost everything important to me."
"You haven't lost us," Klaus said firmly, repeating the words he had said a few days ago.
I glanced at him and tried to pretend his words didn't have an affect on me.
"You don't mean that," I said.
"I do," Klaus insisted. "I mean every word."
I looked away. I wasn't sure what to say.
"Klaus we have to go," Violet said as she coughed. "We need to find the antidote."
Klaus looked from me to Violet. Then he nodded and looked back to me. "I'm going to come back for you, Jane," he said. "If you won't come with us, then I'll bring it to you. I'm not going to let you die. I'm not going to let you go this time."
The Baudelaires headed for the tent's exit. Klaus turned to give me one last pleading look before they were gone. I felt tears in my eyes as I too rushed out of the tent. I didn't go after them. I just made my way out to the sandy shore, sinking down onto the sand as I coughed again. I heard a strange noise coming from behind me and saw that it was coming from Count Olaf. In the midst of everything, he had made his way out onto the beach. The sound I heard was him laughing in the midst of a coughing fit. I got up, wanting to get as far away as I could from him.
"What are you doing out here?" he said. "I thought you went with the Baudelaire brats to find a cure." He laughed wickedly, collapsing onto the sand as he did.
I coughed some more. "They went without me," I said.
"They abandoned you again?" Olaf asked.
"No," I said, "I told them to go without me."
"Why would you do that?" Olaf said with another laugh, which caused him to cough some more.
"You probably wouldn't understand," I said, "but I just don't deserve to keep living. I killed a man."
"Who?" Olaf asked.
"Dewey Denouement," I said softly. "It's my fault he's dead. Well it's also yours but I didn't stop it when I had the chance."
"You really are like your mother," Olaf said with a chuckle. "The first time your mother killed a man she swore she'd never do it again." He laughed mockingly. "Of course, she quickly broke that promise. Once you've done something that villainous, it's almost impossible to turn back."
His words filled me with despair. I feared that I would do it again. After all, first I had almost decided to kill Madame Lulu, and then, with Dewey I was successful even if it was an indirect killing. What if my villainous deed only spiraled downward until I was as terrible as the man laughing wickedly beside me? Also, there was nothing out there for me. The Baudelaires had each other, at least. All I had was pain, misery, and loneliness. And now, the Medusoid Mycelium would probably kill us all.
"I have nothing left to lose," I whispered. "Nothing has ever really been mine to lose to begin with. I already lost most of my family before I even knew they existed. "
"I suppose you're not so different from me," Count Olaf managed as he burst into more laughter. "Neither of us have anything to live for."
I didn't like to think of myself as being anything like Count Olaf. But maybe he was right. Maybe I was more like him than I wanted to believe. It seemed no matter where I went or how many times I tried to escape, I always wound up back in Count Olaf's clutches or as one of his henchpeople, or in this case, sitting next to him. I'd always be the odd ball. It seemed any one or any thing I ever touched was destroyed in some way or another. Even Esmé perished because I tried to reach out to her. I couldn't even save her, either. Or Jacques Snicket for that matter. I was too weak.
My hand slid into my robe's pocket, searching for my notebook. I held onto my notebook even though I had chosen a simple life while in the arboretum. I was glad I did. I wanted to leave the Baudelaires a note in case they got to me when it was too late. But I pulled out Klaus' dark blue notebook instead. I had also held onto his notebook. I remember him asking me to read it. I opened the notebook and began to read it.
His journal was not as detailed as mine since he only had a few days to complete it. It appeared he focused mostly on the parts that were important to him. I read about the first time we met and how he began to crush on me that night he cheered me up after Stephano threatened us. I read about his determination to rescue me during Hurricane Herman and was amazed at his courage. I read numerous times at the New York Boarding School where his crush grew. I was also saddened at the thought that Klaus had tried to ask me to the dance and I wasn't paying attention. I couldn't imagine how hurt he must have been when I agreed to go with Connor. Suddenly I felt horribly guilty for being angry with him over Fiona. Sure, maybe I never kissed Connor, but it didn't mean it hurt him any less. I continued reading about how upset he was when Count Olaf, or Alfonso at the time, kidnapped me and how happy he had been to see me in Prufrock Prep's cafeteria. I smiled sadly as I read about our stay at 667 Dark Avenue when I was forced to stay behind with Esmé Squalor and Gunther. I sobbed when I read about how devastated he had been when he saw me in that cage and later on when I was gone. I read about his version of the night we sat in the unfinished wing of the hospital and how he was comforted by my presence despite our horrible circumstances. I read about how happy he had been to see me on Mount Fraught and how he wanted to tell me then and there how he felt. I cautiously read about his first encounter with Fiona and how betrayed he was when he thought I had murdered Madame Lulu. I read about his kiss with Fiona and how he had secretly wished it had been me.
When I finished reading everything he had written, I had tears in my eyes and felt tremendously guilty. Motivated by a strange impulse, I pulled out my own journal and opened it to some of my best and worst memories with Klaus during our stay at the New York Boarding School:
As I reached the dorm, I noticed someone sitting at the bench outside. It was Klaus. He looked up from the book he was reading and smiled. I plopped down beside him.
"Hi," I said, miserably.
"What's wrong?" Klaus asked. He realized what he just said and rephrased it. "What happened at the office?"
"Mr. Lance expelled me," I admitted, "Mr. Poe showed up and they started talking about my situation. Then Mr. Lance concluded that I wasn't welcome here anymore."
Klaus frowned. "Well if they're going to kick you out of here then tell them we're coming with you," he said, firmly.
"Klaus…" I faltered, "you can't come. Don't make me be the reason why you're unhappy."
"Are you going to be happy if you leave?" Klaus asked.
I shrugged. "I don't mind leaving this school," I admitted, "but I do mind leaving you and your siblings."
"So it's settled," Klaus said, "we'll come with you."
"They wouldn't allow it," I disapproved, "but thanks anyways."
"It's not so bad," Klaus said, "besides, Christmas is next week and isn't the holiday about being with family?"
"Yes," I admitted, "which is exactly why you three should stay here. I'm not family to any of you."
"You're close enough, Jane," Klaus said, "Family doesn't mean you're related. It just means a group of people who care a lot about each other and work as a unit."
"I think you read too much," I muttered, though it still brought a tear to my eyes at the thought. Family was the one thing I never had and have been trying to find for a long time. Klaus was right as usual. I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. "But I like you anyways."
"See?" Klaus said, brushing a strand of hair back and tucking it behind my ear. "Maybe that's the difference between us and Count Olaf," Klaus continued thoughtfully, "I think the reason why we've been able to survive him for so long is because we had each other. And we have been like a family. Count Olaf doesn't have that."
I sighed. "I should have realized that earlier," I muttered, "maybe things would be different. Maybe we would've stayed together."
"Don't be silly, Jane," Klaus said, "we all make mistakes and like a family we're going to endure the outcome together whatever it costs."
"I still think you read too much," I muttered again, "besides, I don't even celebrate Christmas."
"Hanukah?" Klaus asked.
"No," I said, "I don't mean it like that, I mean, I like all of the Christmas things such as the songs and the movies like 'Frosty the Snowman' it's just that…well…I never really believed in Santa Clause. When I was really young I did but all I ever got was a candy cane and no miracles. But maybe I'm complaining…I did end up leaving that place eventually which was what I had been wishing for. And I also found a 'family'. But now it's going to be taken away from me again and I'm scared of losing you all."
Klaus placed an arm around my shoulders. "I'll make sure you have a nice holiday this year," he said, "and you're not leaving without us so stop worrying. I know last time it might have been hard to leave since you barely knew anything else but remember what we've been saying. This time when you leave, you won't be alone."
"I hope so," I whispered, though I knew in my heart that could never happen.
I felt tears come to my eyes as I remembered the first time I felt like the Baudelaires were my family. Maybe I had lost most of my family in some way. But Klaus was right…I still had them—the Baudelaires. They were my family. I turned a few pages and reached the Company Show:
"Hi everyone," Klaus began, sounding nervous. He cleared his throat. "I've, um chosen this song for a special reason. This is dedicated to someone who's become closer to me over these past few months. If it wasn't for her, I'd never have the courage to do this."
Alfonso stood in front of me, blocking my view.
"Let's go, now," he demanded, "I'm not waiting for bookworm to sing his stupid song."
"It's not stupid," I argued, stepping forward and pushing past him to see.
"…Jane Rumary is her name and I hope she's listening."
He began to play a song that sounded nothing like Desperado, which is what I was expecting to hear.
"Lying beside you, here in the dark
Feeling your heart beat with mine
Softly you whisper, you're so sincere
How could our love be so blind?"
I felt breathless all of the sudden and butterflies swarmed in my stomach but I wasn't sure why.
"We sailed on together
We drifted apart
And here you are by my side"
"It's time to go," Alfonso said, growing angrier. He grabbed my arm and began steering me towards the door. I tried to resist.
"Let go," I cried, "I need to see this." I tried desperately to escape, but it was no use and no one else was around to stop it. My mind was numb at the moment, trying to fully understand the song, and it was hard to concentrate.
Alfonso dragged me out the doors to the backstage hallway that was a way of exiting for the performers. I could still sort of hear Klaus but it was muffled slightly and I couldn't make out some of the words.
"So now I come to you, with open arms
Nothing to hide, believe what I say
So here I am with open arms
Hoping you'll see what your love means to me
Open arms "
We were in the foyer outside of the auditorium now. I kept struggling to free myself as Alfonso dragged me to the exit.
"No!" I cried, "Let me go! I need to listen!"
"Your boyfriend's little love song isn't important right now," Alfonso said, irritated, "we're leaving whether you want to or not. I'm your father now and you'll do as I say."
But I wasn't listening to Alfonso. Well, I had been but I just zoned out after a bit. My mind was still frozen and I was feeling breathless again. But this time…I understood why.
"…Love…song?" I asked in a whisper, freezing to the spot. My heart thumped louder than I'd ever heard it.
"Well, of course," Alfonso said, sounding aggravated. He paused in dragging me to the front doors, "Why else would he sing this song?"
I felt like I'd been hit by a ton of bricks. Love. 'He liked me!' my mind screamed.
And before I could think, I had shoved past Alfonso and raced towards the doors of the auditorium not caring what kind of trouble I would get in later. I swung open the doors and froze in the back of the center aisle as the boy I liked more than any other sang to me. Me!
"So now I come to you, with open arms
Nothing to hide, believe what I say
So here I am with open arms
Hoping you'll see what your love means to me
Open arms."
I was so stunned that I couldn't stop the hands that grabbed me and dragged me away from the auditorium. Not even when Alfonso dragged me outside into the cold night did my look of utter shock and realization fade. I don't know why I was acting like this but it was like I had been awakened from a deep sleep to something that no thousand words could describe.
I frowned to myself. I was such a terrible person. The entire time he had tried to tell me how he felt yet something always seemed to get in the way. How could I have treated Klaus that way at our boarding school? I should have been honest with him from the start. I should have trusted that his feelings were real and not been afraid to confess. With a heavy heart I turned a few pages and continued to read:
"Keep up," Olaf growled as he pulled me along, "you're slowing me down."
I didn't say anything but tried to keep up. His long strides made it difficult to.
"No!" I heard Klaus cry in despair from behind us, "Jane!"
I whipped my head around. Klaus was running, trying to catch up to us. Mr. Poe shouted useless warnings for Klaus and Count Olaf to stop.
"Remember our deal," Olaf warned.
Klaus sped up and almost reached us but we were almost to the gates. Tears brimmed my eyes, knowing that this was the end of the small amount of happiness I had.
We reached the car and the driver's seat door was already open. A man opened the door to the backseat of the car. He had hooks for hands and looked like my math teacher. I realized he must have been disguised as Mr. LaFont. No wonder he had been such a bad teacher. The hook-handed man got into the passenger seat.
We reached the car at the same time Klaus caught up to us. As Olaf started to shove me into the backseat, Klaus grabbed my arm and started to pull me out.
"No!" I cried when Count Olaf was about to hurt Klaus.
"Get the boy out of my way!" he snarled.
"Let go, Klaus," I demanded.
He looked at me like I was crazy. Olaf kept trying to shove me inside.
Klaus shook his head. "Never," he said, firmly.
Olaf was still trying to push me in.
"Wait," I said, "let go of me for a second."
"I'm not falling for that," Count Olaf said.
"I can deal with this," I insisted. Olaf reluctantly let me go and I stepped away to Klaus.
"Why are you doing this?" he said, sounding broken as tears slid down his cheeks, "What difference would you going into his clutches make?"
"He promised to leave you alone," I managed through my own tears, "He said if I don't, he'll hurt you. So I have to go."
"N-no," Klaus disagreed, "no, no you don't." He pulled me into a hug, "you can't leave me here, Jane. I-I won't let you."
"I don't want to leave," I sobbed, "but you…you can't be in danger anymore. I have to go. I can't hurt you anymore."
Klaus pulled me in tighter. "I can't leave you," he sobbed, "I can't let him take away another person I care about. I almost didn't get a chance to say g-goodbye…again."
I sniffled and we were both silent as we sobbed in each other's arms.
"Hurry up, orphan," Count Olaf complained, growing impatient.
I pulled back and took Klaus' face in my hands.
"Sometimes life doesn't go the way you want it to," I whispered, "and sometimes you can't fight it. You just have to hold on," I sobbed, "Promise me you'll be strong. But if I don't go…if I stay here, your life will be in danger for as long as Olaf is still alive. He won't leave you alone. So you have to let me go Klaus."
"No don't say that," Klaus said, weeping, "I don't care about that as long as you're safe. I can't let you go like that. Remember back at Aunt Josephine's when you almost fell?"
I nodded. "I could never forget it."
"You told me to never let you go," Klaus pointed out, "that's what you said to me and I promised you I would never let you go. So that's what I'm doing. I'm not going to break my promise…I'm never going to let you go."
"You have to," I whispered, I sniffled, "it's the only way."
"I don't want to lose you," Klaus said, in a small voice, "not now. Not ever."
"You can't hold on to me forever," I said, "after all, nothing does last forever."
"I won't let go," he said again.
"Klaus, if I leave I need you to know something," I said, "I-"
"You're not going anywhere," Klaus said, firmly.
"Goodbye, Klaus," I whispered, kissing him on his wet cheek. I stepped back towards the car.
"No, no," Klaus kept saying, shaking his head. He reached for my hand again.
Olaf growled and despite my protest, he grabbed Klaus by the shirt and shoved him onto the ground. Olaf pushed me inside the car before getting into the driver's seat. The car was already running so he started for the exit. I looked out the window and saw Klaus running after the car as we turned the corner. I watched Klaus stand there looking at me through the back window. Tears stained his cheeks and it broke my heart. Tears leaked from my own eyes and I watched until he disappeared completely out of my sight. Out of my life.
I stared at the page, and suddenly it was as if my entire life was flashing before my eyes. I was brought back to the moment Klaus had rescued me from falling to my death during Hurricane Herman. I could feel the despair I had felt as Count Olaf took me away from the Baudelaires to be in his clutches. I could remember the fear I felt when I found myself trapped at the bottom of the elevator shaft and the hope that had filled me when Klaus had arrived to try to save me. Of course, a warm, fuzzy feeling filled my gut as I recalled the night Klaus and I spent in the unfinished half of Heimlich Hospital. I remembered the grief that had filled me when I thought Klaus and Violet were dead and the pure joy that consumed me when I saw that Klaus was okay. I remembered all the happy memories we shared from the New York Boarding School and I could feel a fluttering in my stomach. It was if I had been awakened from a deep sleep. I was wrong. Olaf was wrong. Maybe I lost a lot of people in my life, but no matter what, I still had the Baudelaires, especially Klaus. And that thought made me forget all of my anger and fear over Klaus and whether I could trust him again. Also reading about his performance at Company reminded me of how much he meant to me. I knew him. I knew Klaus. He was my best friend and…I loved everything about him. I thought of my parents, Faith, Jacques Snicket, and Esmé—each one of them had been taken from me. I couldn't let the same happen to the Baudelaires. They were my family and even if I were going to die today, it should be with them. They were my home. I cared about them more than anything in this world. I would do anything for them.
Suddenly, Klaus' journal slipped out of my hands and I noticed he had written something that looked like a poem. I realized that it might be a song:
"Watch you waste away
You were born to shine but left behind
Slowly fade to grey
Yet, you say you are fine but I fear you are blind
How could you believe that you done wrong
You don't believe in yourself
So reach for the sky,
I would pick you up if I could
Open your eyes,
I would pick you up if I could
Listen to the sound
Of your days passing by while you live a lie
Watch you turn around
Watch you say "Goodbye" while there's no reply
How could you believe that your not strong
You don't believe anything
So reach for the sky,
I would pick you up if I could
Open your eyes,
I would pick you up if I could
Then I saw your face, you were left alone
But you're not alone,
you're not alone,
you're not alone
Reach for the sky
I would pick you up if I could,
Open your eyes, I would pick you up If I could
You're not alone,
You're not alone,
You're not alone,
You're not alone,
You're not alone..."
"What am I doing?" I whispered to myself, which caused me to cough. I looked from the book in my hands to the man chortling away. Did I really want to end up like Olaf? Even if he managed to achieve his goal of getting our money, he'd always be alone. "You're wrong," I said, shaking my head as I turned back to Olaf. "I do have something to live for."
Olaf raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?" he asked.
"My family," I said.
Olaf laughed. "All of your family is dead," he said.
I shook my head. "No," I said, "Not everyone."
However, his words reminded me of the deadly poison still inside us. I knew I had to save the Baudelaires. That idea was enough to send me running—running for my life.
I spent the first ten years of my life as an orphan—lonely and miserable. I had been waiting for something—anything to come and save me from such a horrible fate. I had wanted a fresh start or some kind of adventure. And then the Baudelaires came along and changed everything. Maybe I was still a miserable orphan. But I had three amazing friends. I still have the Baudelaires. I can't give that up. Not now. Not ever. They were my family now and I had to save them.
Suddenly, it didn't matter that Klaus had kissed Fiona or accused me of something I didn't do. Because I knew Klaus. I knew the person he was before that. I knew him as my best friend. So why couldn't I trust him?
I ran up and over the brae, but I had to stop a few times to cough roughly. I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker, but I kept running. I had to keep moving. It was as if I were in one of those dreams where you're running as fast as you can to get somewhere, yet no matter how fast or how hard you run, that destination is still far beyond your reach.
I felt my head beginning to spin and I breathed heavily. I couldn't bear it anymore and I had to stop. My hands reached for my throat and I tried desperately to breathe. I knew I only had so much time left. I looked ahead and I could see the tree, with its enormous trunk and the apples growing from its branches. I kept moving. Slower now that it was getting harder to breathe. But I was so close—I could still make it, just a little farther…
"Klaus!" I cried, feeling the mushrooms as they grew in my throat. "Klaus!"
What if I was too late? What if the mushrooms had already done their damage? I couldn't fathom the idea. No. The Baudelaires couldn't die. Maybe I wasn't strong enough to save Jacques. Maybe I was too weak to save Esmé. But I wouldn't lose the Baudelaires. I couldn't. I couldn't live with that guilt. I couldn't live without them.
"Jane!" I heard his voice call. It was raspy and I could hear him break off into a wheezing cough. I couldn't see him. The roots blocked them from view, but I could tell they were just as weak as I was. "The apples!" I heard him cry desperately. "It's the apples!
Panicking, I surged forward, as fast as my legs could carry me, despite the pain it caused me. Tears streamed down my face because I knew I would be too late. All I kept hearing was Olaf's words. "You're too weak." Or "You'll have nothing." I could almost see the look of horror on Dewey Denouement's face as the harpoon tore through his chest. I could still smell the smoky air as those flames engulfed Jerome's comprehensive history of injustice. I could still hear my own cries as the elevator doors slammed shut on Esmé, separating us so that I could never know if I would ever see her again. I could almost taste that despair and guilt as the Baudelaires and I had gazed over the rooftop, as the world we once believed in went up in flames. But then…there was a change and I was standing in the barren landscape of Paltryville before those menacing gates that had towered over me like a sinister shadow, forever reminding me of how small I was. Too small. Too weak. Nothing.
I grew faint and lightheaded. Suddenly, the large tree morphed into a giant spider. It's mouth open as it prepared to prey on me. But I had to keep running towards it. A shiny, red apple hung over its head. I had to reach it. The illusion changed. I was at the tree. Reaching for the apples. But everytime I grasped one of the hard, red fruits, it seemed to melt in my hands until there was a giant red pool—blood red. Suddenly, I was back in the Village of Fowl Devotees jail cell. Count Olaf lunged for Jacques with the needle. I could hear myself screaming in pain. Jacques' eyes rolled back in pain, turning them crimson. There was blood—blood everywhere. "Help!" I screamed. "Please! Make it stop!"
"Jane!" Jacques called to me in pain and horror. "Jane!" But I was trapped behind the bars and I couldn't answer his cries. I couldn't. I couldn't. There was so much blood.
"I'm sorry!" I sobbed. "I'm so sorry!"
I sank to my knees.
I was beginning to fall through. I was falling. With a last burst of strength, I forced my hand back up, clasping onto the red apple. My vision was blurred and hazy so I couldn't tell the difference between reality and illusion. But I did see the long, black, sewer-pipe sized snake as it presented the apple to my yearning hands.
The last thing I remembered was staring into the lucid dark eyes of the snake and then, those eyes changed into a thousand eyes all around me, threatening to collapse on me so that I couldn't escape. They crushed me against the earth, and I knew they were going to win. Then, it was dark and with a final sigh, I felt a small sense of release.
Review! :)
In response to Asouelover and Asouewizard: Your story is great so far! Keep up the good work! :)
The song is Reach for the Sky by Secondhand Serenade! It's such a cute song!