*cover image drawn by me
Afterword (noun): a concluding section in a book, typically by a person other than the author.
Afterwards (adverb): at a later or future time; subsequently.
Chapter 1
The sky was cloudy above the boat. The waves were getting higher. "I hope there isn't a storm," Violet commented. "We've been pretty lucky so far, but that could change."
Klaus was looking at a map. "We should be reaching the mainland soon. Maybe we will get there before the storm hits."
"Really?" Violet asked.
"It feels like we've been waiting on this boat for years," Sunny added.
"Are we even ready to go back into the real world?" Violet asked. She smiled down at Beatrice, who was sitting in her lap. "I think Bea is about ready to get off this boat. Beatrice smiled back.
"It's good that we're almost there," Sunny said. She was on the other side of the boat, looking through boxes. "We might run out of food soon."
Violet peered at the sky. "I think there might be a storm." She gently lifted Bea off her lap. "We should probably pack up the boxes, just in case."
At that moment, a thick blanket of fog rolled in. They could only see about 8 feet of ocean in any direction. They heard a rumble of thunder in the distance.
They packed up the food in watertight boxes and put them in the small storage space below the floor. They could hear thunder again, but it sounded closer. Beatrice whimpered.
"Remember what to do if we need to navigate in a storm?" Violet said. She tied back her hair with a ribbon, which she did to help her concentrate. "Sunny, you steer the tiller and watch Bea, Klaus can read the maps, and I'll work the sail."
"Just like on Lake Lachrymose," Klaus mentioned.
Violet nodded, and just then they heard a BOOM of thunder, very close this time, and a flash of lightning immediately after. Rain pelted down on their heads, and they were soaked in an instant.
Sunny grabbed Beatrice and got in position by the tiller. Klaus shouted directions while reading the atlas. Violet pulled various ropes in an attempt to navigate the thick storm.
The waves around them grew higher. The boat tilted alarmingly to the side, and Sunny and Beatrice almost fell in the water. "Sunny!" Violet cried, but Sunny was staring past her. "Look!" she said.
On the horizon was a green smudge of land that was growing larger. As the Baudelaires got closer, they could make out caves, beaches, cliffs… and rocks. Very sharp rocks.
Lightning flashed again, and Violet continued wrestling with the ropes. "Klaus, do you think the storm will let up any time soon?"
He wiped his foggy glasses with a cloth. "I don't think so," he replied, squinting up at the sky.
"Then I hope we can get by," Violet said grimly. The icy green waves were as big as a building now, and all around them. The wind blew in all directions. Their little boat rocked in the midst of it all, but Violet was able to control the sail, and Sunny to steer the tiller, all with the help of Klaus's directions.
"I think we are going to make it," Klaus gasped. Up ahead was a large, dark cave, with pebbles covering the sand below. Inside, for a second they could see indistinct shapes fluttering around, like shadows, before they disappeared.
The four children were almost to the shore when their boat crashed into a rock, flipped over, and split into pieces.