Chapter 32
Finding or concealing yourself into small dark places can be a very good or very bad thing depending on your current situation. If you are a rabbit that is being pursued by a rather large wolf, jumping down into a tiny, darkened burrow where you know your enemy cannot get to you will make you feel safe and protected… with the added benefit of wolves preferring not to get their paws dirty just before a meal. Or perhaps you are a spy who is concealed within a dumbwaiter, a place in an old house that used to be able to send food up and down to the various levels of the house with a minor risk of receiving dust or splinters in your meal. This tiny space provides you with the hiding place to conceal yourself and the perfect cover to eavesdrop on crucial information that will help you on your mission to avoid the theft of a very valuable item. Such tight quarters would make you feel confident and accomplished because your mission will succeed due to your excellent hiding place. One can see dark places as a bad thing, especially if you are an explorer of a cave and you have just encountered a hibernating bear that will certainly not be pleased if it is woken up. Facing this dangerous and grumpy creature will likely make you feel nervous and fearful because the slightest sound could awaken it and leave you running for your life. Or you could be a young person or two who were pushed down into a dark space by a villainous group who have the intention of keeping you there until a certain auction will occur and then smuggle you out of town. Being in the clutches of a horrible villain would make you feel frightened and helpless, leaving you only able to hope that your friends or the police will come to your rescue.
For Holly Snicton, her concealment in that dark place was both a good and bad thing and left her feeling many things. She was not a rabbit being pursued by a wolf, nor had she encountered a bear in the trunk of this taxicab, but she did consider herself a spy listening in on conversations and she was planning to do her very best to avoid being held prisoner by a villain. It was a good thing because this small, dark space kept her hidden and secure while she was being taken where she wanted to go, but it was also a bad thing because she was nearly being crushed by suitcases, when the cab went over bumps she had to avoid hitting her head and knowing she was likely proceeding towards a dangerous situation.
However, the danger did not matter as the thoughts of her friends in the clutches of Count Olaf left Holly feeling brave and determined to do whatever she could to help. She was finished with running and hiding… for the most part.
The taxicab served hard to the left, sending Holly slamming into the side of the trunk and a suitcase sliding into her ribs to ensure she stayed pinned there for a while. The girl was forced to bite her lip to avoid screaming out or grunting from the pain of the suitcase digging into her ribcage. She attempted to push it away, but the several luggage items were stacked against each other, making it almost impossible to shift it far enough for her to be comfortable.
Perhaps she should have simply called and ridden in a taxi herself… perhaps, or it might have drawn too much suspicion of a child taking a trip on their own
To take her mind off the discomfort, she leaned her head closer to the front of the vehicle, hoping to eavesdrop on the two people she was "travelling" with, if by travelling you mean stowing oneself away with Edith Telltone on her way back to the city and the driver who is taking her there. She pressed her ear against the dark and cold surface of the trunk, trying to hear better as the roar of the engine made it much more difficult to hear.
"What's the town like this time of year?" the cab driver had asked his passenger.
"Mostly quiet because it is the off-season," Edith answered.
"What's it like in the summer?"
"Very busy, it becomes a sort of resort town. The Fjord is a very popular place for beachgoers, even if the water is rather cold."
"Never really been out this far, but the town is rather nice looking. I think I should take my wife out here some time on my day off."
"Oh, you will not regret it," Edith gushed, a word which here means speaking much enthusiasm.
"What do your parents do there?"
"My mother and father own the grocery store there. They've been running it for 35 years."
"Really? Well, I applaud them for keeping it going all this time. Is it a family business?"
There was a pause as the cab comes to a stop, likely at a stoplight or stop sign. This stop in the journey does benefit one's ability to eavesdrop, but it was unfortunate at that moment that neither Edith nor the driver chose to say anything. When the cab lurched forward again, Holly struggled to stay close to continue listening. She was forced to grab the lining of the trunk to prevent her from sliding. The good thing was the pull forward had removed the suitcase from her ribs and allowed Holly to breathe again.
"Yes, it was. My two brothers, my sister and I, we would all work there in the summers."
"How come none of you stayed to help run the place?"
"Well, I suppose it's just that you cannot live in a small town forever. Eventually, you grow up and want to explore the world. Our family likes to be on the go and we don't like to slow down. My brothers and their families travel abroad quite often, and my sister and her partner live in the city and travel back and forth to the countryside. The two of them are helping rebuild and restore a local dairy that was struck by lightning and burned down several years ago. I work in the financial district and all of us agree that the city is where all the action is,"
"Isn't that the truth," the driver chuckled. "You have to see what's happening right now."
"What?"
The man chuckled again. "I'll let you see for yourself. We'll be there soon."
This comment left both passengers, one present and one hidden wondering what he had meant by this. A city is always busy and there was always something happening, but the fact that the driver brought it up must mean it was something rather important. Holly wished that he would just say it, she hated the fact that she and Edith were being kept in the dark. If something was going on, would this impact her mission?
The young girl continued to try and listen until her ear was sore from pressing against the back of the trunk. Sadly, the taxi driver did not elaborate any further on the situation in the city and the conversation resumed to idle things such as the weather, family members and current stock prices, all things that could cause a child to be bored, especially on long car rides. How adults were able to talk about these things and find them interesting was and still is something Holly could not understand. She did her best not to fall asleep and avoid hitting her head on the roof of the trunk whenever they hit a bump.
…
Eventually, the sounds surrounding the cab became louder, telling Holly that they were finally reaching the city. While it was still rather early in the morning, a city like the one the Baudelaires once lived in was awake for the sun rose because the night workers ended their jobs and went home to bed, and the day workers began their days with coffee and traffic jams. Horns honking, people shouting, sirens blaring, and the occasional stray eagle screeching began to fill the tiny space. Typical sounds of the city which is both a good thing and a bad thing.
However, as the cab seemed to get closer to the bustling city, Holly noticed that the sounds of sirens were much more frequent. Every other sound was the wail of a siren. It appears that there were more police cars or fire engines out than usual.
"What's with the police cars?" Edith asked in shock as she watched another one drive past her window. The red lights flashed around could even be seen within the cracks of the trunk.
"Haven't you been following The Daily Punctilio?" the driver asked.
"Not daily because it's usually full of awful lies and inaccurate information. The only part I read is the financial section and I trust it because my boss has a consultant who brings the results of the day's finances directly to the paper to ensure it's accurate."
"In any case, two twins were kidnapped recently from Prufrock Preparatory School and the city has launched a citywide manhunt for Count Omar, the man believed to be the kidnapper."
Holly bit her lip in annoyance. Almost everything that the driver had said was completely wrong and she knew that inaccurate information would likely hinder the rescue of the Quagmires rather than help them.
"Oh, my goodness, how awful!" Edith said in shock and worry.
"Yeah, this Count Omar guy is after the kids' fortune, so the police have put up wanted signs and are patrolling the streets day and night to try and find them."
"I hope they do find them, poor children. What has happened to the world?"
"Wish I knew. We're coming up on a checkpoint here, just answer the police officer honestly."
The taxi came to stop, forcing the luggage into Holly's ribs once again. She ignores it and tries to hear what is being said.
"Where are you coming from sir?" an officer asked.
"Arcanum?"
"Who's the lady in the back?"
"I'm Edith Telltone. I work in the financial district. Here's my card"
There was a pause as the officer presumably checked the card.
"What was the purpose of you leaving the city?"
"A small holiday to visit my parents,"
"All right, we just need to do a quick check of the trunk to ensure there are no children inside, specifically the kidnapped children."
"Go ahead, I have nothing to hide."
Holly froze in place and her heart seemed to stop. If the police searched the trunk and discovered she was hiding in there, not only would she get Edith and the driver in trouble, but she did not doubt that she would be forced to go home again! She couldn't let that happen. She'd come too far for it to all fall apart.
Thinking quickly, she curled up into a ball and laid down to make herself appear smaller. Like she was hiding from a wolf, she pressed herself deeper in the darkness and moved the suitcases around her to keep her hidden. She shut her eyes and waited.
The sounds of footsteps could barely be heard over the sounds of sirens, but eventually, there is a jolt in the back, meaning the policeman was trying to open the trunk.
To the man's surprise, it was already partially open.
Sunlight shone into the dark space and Holly remained as still as she could, hoping that she would not be noticed. She held her breath and closed her eyes, thinking of what her plan of action would be if they did see her.
"Did you know this thing wasn't fully shut?" the lawman called to the driver.
"Really?"
"Yeah, this piece of cloth was jamming it I suppose but it's only luggage back here, you're good to go."
The officer slammed the trunk again and Holly let out a sigh of great relief. Sure, the trunk was now fully closed, but she had not been discovered and she could continue with her mission to help her friends.
"An awful lot of luggage there Ma'me for such a short holiday," the policeman commented.
Holly froze again, but Edith did not even give it a second thought.
"What can I say, I do not travel lightly," she laughed.
"You're clear to head on through," the officer declared.
"Thank you," the driver replied.
"I hope the search goes well and you can bring those children back to their parents," Edith said.
"From what we've been told they're orphans," the policeman said before waving the cab on through.
The car starts moving again and Holly does her best to move up into a more comfortable position.
"Oh, those poor children," Edith muttered to herself.
The car travelled further into the city with the sirens still present whatever street they were driving along. While they turned corners, Holly moved towards the front of the trunk and fumbled around in the dark to find the cable she knew would open the hatch from the inside. While her plan had been derailed by the police search, she knew that all cabs were the same and had a safety latch for escapes from trunks. She'd used it before when she had been helping clean her father's cab and the trunk hatch shut by accident while she was cleaning, and the keys were in her pocket at the time. While extremely afraid, her father told her not to panic and walked his daughter through finding the cable and releasing herself. At the time, she was afraid of being in that small dark space and felt such great relief when she saw daylight and could hug her father again. He comforted her and offered to buy her an ice cream as a reward for cleaning the trunk and being brave in a difficult situation.
She found the latch and was prepared for when the car stopped, she would open it and get out.
Finally, the taxi stopped moving.
"That will be…" the driver said, calculating the cost of the trip.
Knowing that this was her chance, Holly pulled the cable and opened the trunk just enough for her to slip out and not draw any attention.
The cold air hit her face, but she had no time to enjoy it as she had to get her things out.
However, the door slammed.
"Let me get your bags," the driver offered.
"You're too kind," Edith said.
The payment had happened much quicker than Holly anticipated. Trying not to panic, she crouched down and pressed herself against the side of the cab, out of sight from the windows and away from the people she had been travelling with.
The driver noticed the trunk was already half-open.
"Crazy police," he muttered, assuming they hadn't shut the trunk properly and it popped open.
He removed the two suitcases that were Edith's and while he turned to set them on the curb. Holly took that moment to grab the rest of her things and slip across the street.
"I'll just get the rest of your bags," the driver said.
"The rest?" Edith said with a puzzled look. "I only had two suitcases."
"Are you sure? Because there are a few more bags back there"
"There shouldn't be."
"Come and see," the man grunted. He and the passenger walk to the back of the cab, but the man stopped short when he saw an empty trunk.
"See, I told you," Edith said.
The man rubbed his eyes to ensure he was seeing things correctly.
"I've been working too hard, maybe I should take that vacation to your small town."
A/N: So sorry that it's been such a long time, but here is a new chapter for everyone to enjoy. Holly is now in the city. Please feel free to leave a review. if you have any suggestions for how Holly should begin her search for the Quagmires, please let me know.