The coal black skies of night glimmered with a reddening glow, screams echoed in the distance, and tears fell on the burning land. A boy stood there with his eyes wide, fire hissing and crackling before him as a wild beast. Licking the air with the satisfaction of others fears, crawling closer to the child every moment the flames fed upon them.
Tears fell from his face as the ash burned his eyes, still standing in the fiery killer's path. Not a soul took him by the hand, to drag the poor child away from the sight.
Looking about there was no signs of his parents, the wonderful actor his mom was, his father was nothing of the sort...spending days with the ones he loved, unemployed yet always in a happy state.
"You...took them from me..," the boy's bottom lip quivered, the tears still flowing on his pale face. The fire edged nearer, the red arms thirsting to turn everything to ash.
"Olaf!" A voice cried, he turned to see a young woman in a vibrant dress, taking his cold hand into her own. Olaf was taken from the lot of which his beautiful home had been built upon, now the grounds forever burnt.
--
He was at such a far distance the fire seemed only as a speck of red in the distance, Olaf felt the embrace around him of the woman he never knew. Her chocolate filled with tears brightened when seeing the boy before her was untouched, not a wound on the poor child.
"I'm so sorry, there are....well... times in one's life where it isn't fair. I have lost so much already," She laughed quietly, hoping to see the child brighten a bit. "You have a home, wherever you may be there will always be a place for you, do you know where?"
Olaf shook his head, uncertain of what the fair looking woman was speaking of, "Right here," She took his hand and placed his palm right on her chest, he could feel her heart beating.
"Your mother and I, 'were' very close friends," She touched his face, he still found himself with his hand on her. "I know that you will be fine here with us, my daughter and husband will love you so much," She kissed him atop his head.
"What's your name?" He seemed foolish of asking such a question, her face flushed red at this, "Sorry, I haven't introduced myself have I? My name is...Adiana Baudelaire," Olaf whispered that name to himself, Baudelaire....
--
"Count?" Esme called to him, without a reply the snobbish woman made her way into the musty room. How strange the house was, eyes on every wall, tapestry, and door. She marveled such an unspeakable 'in' fashion, beaming with the delight, an idea of a new dress came to mind.
Her heel nearly slipped on a picture covered with dust beneath her foot, scowling Esme picked the picture up from the ground. Waving the paper in the air until not a speck of dust was on the image, looking down she nearly choked on her tongue.
There was a young boy with dark brown hair and gleaming hazel eyes, beside him was a girl laughing on a swing.... a ribbon tied in her hair. Esme couldn't seem to speak, her mouth agape in shock and confusion.
"Esme dear?" His familiar voice was calling her name, Esme bit her lip, wrapping a lock of wavy black hair around her finger. There was nothing she could do, this was the forbidden tower and here she was hearing Count Olaf below her.
Quickly the frantic woman tucked the picture into her purse, nearly toppling down the old musty staircase. "Yes I'm here my darling!" Esme cooed, brushing off the dust on her clothes quickly. Just in time to see him looking at her with wide eyes. She gulped feeling her knees wobbling madly.
"Olaf..." She fumbled with the dress she wore, looking up with him as she bit her lip nervously. He stood there feet away from her, looking as if he was in no hurry the scraggly clothed man listened.
"Nothing, forget it...." With that she rushed past him, hurrying outside but to breath, to bring air into her lungs. The feeling of anxiety had vanished, her whole body shook from the thought of it all, who was that girl? Violet the brat wasn't born that long ago, no, it must have been...
Could it possibly be Mrs. Baudelaire? Yes, that made perfect sense to her, just the thought of it all...so he did know her at a young age didn't he? That look on his face made her mind want to cry out in an enraged scream. He was smiling, the boy she took as Olaf was so cheery in that photo.
--
"I'm so sick of them," Olaf muttered as he stabbed the meat on his plate harshly with the butter knife for the bread. Esme passed on that, her stomach churned as she forced food to slide down her numb throat.
"Where are they now...?" She said aloud, the henchmen, even Count Olaf dropped their dinner utensils.
"Didn't you hear a word I said?" He replied, never had Esme acted so strange before, her eyes looking hard at the food she ate. "I'll bring them here by their hair if I have to."
Esme dropped her fork looking at him, shaking a finger furiously, "Hair pulling is not in anymore, strangling is." She didn't even sound the least bit excited when speaking of strangling someone. She felt even more unlike herself, seeing the ones around her were completely silent.
"Well, then I'll strangle them, then take the orphans here," Said Count Olaf, putting a smile on his face to cheer her.
"Good, my little Olafy!" She said in a fake ecstatic tone, rising from her seat she looked at him straight in the eyes. "I want them, alright Olaf dear?" Esme's voice now changed, harsh and serious.
"Yes dear," He replied wearily, looking over at the Hook handed man, the gender confused man, and the other henchmen of his. "Alright then you two," Pointing right at them, "We're going to have a little reunion tonight!"
--
Esme fell on the bed beneath her, she took a fistful of the blanket and scowled at the color of the cloth. Green. That color was not 'in' at the time, but from what she felt now, did it really matter?
"Why didn't he tell me?" She gruffly asked herself aloud, feeling insane in a room all by herself, not even talking to a soul.
The sound of Count Olaf ordering his henchmen to leave made her feel less tense, it was hard enough to look him in the eyes, and why was this a big deal after all? His past was nothing of her concern, but that woman, looked just like that... that Violet!
"Those orphans..." Esme took the photo out once more, looking into those hazel eyes and seeing happiness. Not a thirsty look of vengeance or evil in his eyes, he looked just like a normal boy should.
So that's why he is related to them...he was related in blood with the Baudelaire family It shocked her how different he seemed from any sort of Baudelaire, even a relative was hard to imagine....
--
The young boy sat wearily in the passenger's seat of the car, watching the scenery go by, the tears streaks on his face had finally dried. He didn't know how to feel, reluctant that there was still someone in the world for him, or to forever live in misery of his parent's deaths?
"You've been awfully quiet, young Olaf," Adiana said, he felt a small smile form on his lips, he liked her calling him that. This was really his new home after all, he wondered now if she had any children, someone he could talk to, and play with. That's right, she had a daughter, the car jerked forward and he worriedly looked over at his new mother.
"We're home," She opened the car door and made her way around to open the door for him, stepping out himself he looked up and gaped at the home before him. A mansion lay conveniently at the top of a hill, a young girl stood beaming down at them.
"Mom!" She cried, running towards her, her mother picked her up from her feet, twirling in a circle with the black haired girl in her arms. They laughed until the girl's brown eyes looked right at him, Olaf nervously looked back.
A smile slowly came upon her face...
"You're Olaf, right?" She asked, flattening her crumpled dress from twirling and being held at the same time. He nodded, she sorrowfully looked at her feet and her head hung sorrowfully. "I'm sorry, about what happened."
He smiled looking over at her, as much as he wanted to cry he held the tears back, "It's not your fault," Olaf tucked a strand of brown hair behind his ears, "Things happen...but... can I stay with you?"
Adiana was puzzled, looking over at the young boy with tear-glazed eyes. He had known there was now a home for him, but would they really wish to take up with him, was he a 'burden?'
"Of course, if... that's what you want Olaf," Adiana nearly whispered these words, this poor boy, he was so unfortunate. Of all the things that could happen, none could be greater than the loss of one's family.
--
Count Olaf cheerfully drove up to the tall building ahead of him, there before him was the victory of all his hard times. Now he would finally have the Baudelaire at long awaited last, he couldn't help but let out a laugh.
This building was for adults willing to have a foster home, to take in children such as the Baudelaires. This time he would lavish having their fortune, and only one measly brat to look after. The thoughts of what he could do to them for torture thrilled him.
Looking at himself in a hand held mirror he laughed once more, his hair neatly combed back with a very well made tux. Shades covered his gleaming eyes, just a small shaven piece of his unibrow made it look as if he had two eyebrows. Another shock was he actually bathed with such a flattering occasion ahead of him.
"Alright, wait for me men, I will come back shortly," And with that Count Olaf proudly made his way to the front door
--
Meanwhile Violet made her way over to a nice airy window, the curtains fluttered in the nice breeze as she looked out seeing a very formal man in a tux. Strange, now why would someone like himself invest in taking in orphans?
"Something wrong Violet?" Klaus asked his older sister, his eyes glued on the book, which he held tightly in his hands. Sunny crawled over to Violet, tugging her dress so she could look out as well, she lifted her sister in her arms.
Whatever path awaited them...Violet knew they could surely handle it
-End of Chapter. Now I must warn you reader that the next chapter I am to inform you on is a very terrible one indeed. With a new known secret, a 'special dessert, and the horrors of an actually nice Esme Squalor! The utter horrors!-