Author's Note
I do not own A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The three sisters hurried to the small, rotten, side gate that led in and out of Count Olaf's filthy backyard. Violet shook it a little, forcing the the rusted bolts holding it shut back and herding her sisters out. They ran down the drive and sprinted for the end of the street, where they were met by a frantic and unhappy looking Dog.
"What now?" Sofia asked.
"We get to a police station so we can find the boys," Violet replied.
"What about Justice Strauss?" suggested Indigo.
Sofia scowled. "Justice Strauss won't help us."
Violet bit her lip." Sofia's right. We can't rely on Justice Struass; she's enamoured with Count Olaf. We need to get to the police, or the authorities, or something. Then we can get the boys."
"What if-" Sofia choked on the words, shifting Noah against her as she ran.
"The boys are clever," Violet said. "They'll be alright."
They had been driving for several hours when the Bald Man hit the breaks so hard Finn jerked forwards and slammed into the front passenger seat. He blinked, rubbing his head, dazed.
"Hey! What gives?" Elias snapped.
Loki peered past Kyra out the window. "I don't think we can park here."
"The Boss gave me money for treats." The Bald Man opened his door and stepped out. Leaning further over Kyra, Loki yanked on the handle to her door and she tumbled out, landing in a heap on the train tracks the car was currently sitting over. The Bald Man apparently failed to notice and slammed the door shut again, clicking the button on the key. "Wait here."
Loki banged on the window. "Hey!"
"Let us out!" Elias shouted.
Klaus put his arm round Finn. "Are you alright?"
"I think so. My head hurts a bit though."
Loki banged harder on the window. "Kyra! Open the door!"
"Kyra?" Klaus asked dumbly. "Why's she outside?"
"She fell out when I opened the door."
"That's great!" Elias leant over him, looking down at their younger sister. "Kyra! Go to the shop and get help!"
"No, wait! The Bald Man will be in there!"
"Oh, right. Kyra, get a rock and break one of the windows!"
There was an odd rumbling that seemed to shake the ground and shudder their very bones. Loki peered into the distance. "Elias, what's that?"
Far down in the distance, a faint black cloud could be seen, rising up into the morning sky. All four boys stopped to look out the window.
"That would be the reason we can't park here," said Klaus.
Meanwhile, somewhere out in the very vast, very barren Hinterlands, Damien, Lavender and Phoebe had just woken up and were taking turns taking long drinks of the cool water. Once they were sated, Damien nibbled on the meat they had cooked the night before. "I think it's still done."
Lavender narrowed her eyes. "You better be sure."
"Cha!" shouted Phoebe. Lavender passed her a piece of meat.
The three of them quickly finished the food, half wary of leaving it any longer. Lavender ran an anxious hand through her dark hair and opened the shutters of the window to gaze out at the desert outside. "I hope the others are alright."
"Violet's smart. She can take care of them," Damien replied.
"Ka!" shrieked Phoebe, which could have meant many things, but in this situation probably meant 'and Sunny and Noah will bite Count Olaf and all his henchpeople!'
"Ka indeed Phoebe. Let's get us some more water and make an early start. It won't be so hot while it's early."
Violet, who was carrying Sunny, Indigo, and Sofia, who was carrying Noah, ran until they couldn't run anymore, and then forced themselves to run further. They ran until dawn broke, making their way deep into the city. Dog ran at their heels, panting. He didn't even stop when they ran through the meat district, where the butchers had started to bring in deliveries of meat, or the flower district, where there were many sweet smelling flowers, of the sculpture district, where enormous looking statues loomed over them. Even though there were shopowners starting to open their places of business, none of them stopped to look twice at the three girls, two infants, and one dog who were running like Hell was on their heels and still wearing their nightgowns.
"Maybe one of these people will help us," gasped Indigo, whose legs were aching from the run and burning from the long climb up the tower and then back down again, and whose shoulder was beginning to bleed again.
"No one will help us," Sofia replied sulkily.
They entered the publishing district and Violet stopped at a shop on the corner, the only one that appeared to be open. It was old fashioned looking, with a wooden sign outside.
"Come on. Let's see if there's a phone we can use."
Her sisters followed her inside. The shop was small, with shelves lining the walls and hundreds of books on display. Many of them looked old – some of them impossibly old, Sofia thought as she stopped to look at one of the displays.
"Can I help you there?" asked the man sat at the counter. He was kinda short, with white blonde hair and a grey jacket.
Violet jumped slightly. "Oh! We were just wondering – I mean, I was just wondering – do you have a phone we can use?"
"I'm afraid I do not."
"Oh. Well, thank you anyway."
"Have you seen an ugly brown car?" Sofia asked suddenly. "With four boys and a little girl in the back?"
"I'm afraid not. Have you lost them?"
"Not- lost. Just… temporarily separated from," Indigo replied.
Like Damien and Lav and Phoebs, Violet thought bitterly. "Come on. We need to get to the police station. Thank for your help sir."
"You are quite welcome."
The bell rang as Violet opened the door and guided her sisters out, stepping back into the street last. The three of them hurried to the end of the street.
"We're not far from the authority district now. Then all we need to do is talk to the police."
They kept moving, alternating between running and hurrying. Dog stayed close to Indigo, snapping at anyone who got too close to her. At last they turned right towards the authority district, which was marked by the large, red fire station at the end of the street.
For a moment their hearts lifted, and then a tall, tall figure came around the corner, flanked by four others.
"Oh no," said Indigo in a very small voice.
"Hello hello hello orphans. A nice morning, isn't it?"
