"I'll never forget the day we found out our parents were dead. It was one of the worst days of our lives." Violet said as she and Klaus began their story. As they described that day on Briny Beach when Mr. Poe told them the terrible news and their feelings as they saw the ashes of their once beautiful home, the four ghosts couldn't help but feel sorry for these three children.

"Oh my word, I am so, so sorry for you." Carolyn said.

"So all you have is each other now?" Gilbert asked them.

"Yeah, pretty much. We take care of each other and look out for each other." Klaus said.

"Well, surely you must have someone who cares about you." Dewey said.

"No, we don't. All our guardians have either been mean and abusive or are dead." Violet said.

Sunny piped in with "Blas." which probably meant "Especially Count Olaf. He's a meanie and I will always hate him."

"What's she saying?" Sally asked.

As soon as she asked that, Violet and Klaus had worried looks on their faces, since they too had a deep hatred for Olaf. Taking a deep breath to collect himself first, Klaus said "Oh, she's saying our first guardian, Count Olaf, is the worst."

"How bad can he be?" asked Carolyn. "He's evil, he's abusive, and he will resort to anything to get our fortune." Klaus said, emphasizing that Olaf had indeed resorted to anything to try and get the Baudelaire fortune.

"Well, what has he done to you to try and get it?" asked Gilbert. Now came the longest part of the Baudelaires' story: telling the ghosts about all their guardians and how Olaf had ruined their lives with each one in an attempt to get their fortune.

Violet and Klaus spent a fair amount of time telling Sally, Carolyn, Gilbert, and Dewey everything that had happened since they first met Olaf: how he had tried to marry Violet in the play and kill Sunny, their times with Uncle Monty and Aunt Josephine and how Olaf had murdered both of them, how they had been forced to work at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill, their time at Prufock Prepatory School and how Olaf abducted their new friends Isadora and Duncan Quagmire, their adventure with Esme and Jerome Squalor, their time in the V.F.D. village, and how they were on the run because they were accused of murdering Olaf, who happened to be very much alive and well. "And that's why we have to hide until our names are hopefully cleared." Violet said, finishing the story.

"Oh my, those are truly unfortunate events." Carolyn said, pacing back and forth across the floor. "Makes what happened to us seem not so bad." The other three nodded in agreement, the accident that happened 60 years ago was indeed a bad accident but compared to the woeful lives of the Baudelaires, it was nothing.

"And just how is that possible?" Klaus asked, really wanting to know what happened to them and if it was the reason the hotel had been condemned.

"Well, even though I haven't seen my parents in 60 years, I still have my nanny." said Sally. Since Gilbert, Carolyn, and Dewey obviously did not look like they could be a nanny for Sally, the Baudelaires looked at her with confusion. Sally laughed when she saw how confused they looked and said "Oh, none of them are my nanny. Miss Partridge is."

"That's right, children." a woman's voice called out as a plump, older woman stepped out from behind the concierge desk. Sally immediately ran over to Miss Partridge and wrapped her arms around her waist in a huge hug.

Miss Partridge stroked Sally's head and smiled at her. "I am all this child has now, until I get her back safe with her parents." she said. "And I agree with Miss Carolyn over here, what happened to us is nonsense compared to what you three have gone through."

"It's nice you think that, but what did happen to you?" Violet asked Miss Partridge.

"Oh lass, it was a horrible night that night." Miss Partridge responded, still holding Sally close to her. "It was Halloween night; a grand party was going on at the Tip Top Club that everyone was invited to." "

We were in the elevator, on our way there. All of a sudden, it jammed one floor short. Then there was a flash of lighting, everything went black, and here we are." Carolyn said, gesturing to all of the ghosts.

"And that's why you're all ghosts?" Klaus asked.

"Yes, sadly. All dressed up and no way to get there." Gilbert said.

The Baudelaires looked at each other with amazement and enlightment, everything they had discovered all came together now. The lighting burn, the jammed elevator, the Tip Top Club sign, and the abandoned suitcases. Everything now made sense according to the story they just heard. Lighting had indeed struck the hotel all those years ago, and when it struck the elevator it had caused these five to disappear into limbo between the real world and the underworld, causing a mass panic.

"If we could just get up to the top floor, everything would be right again. But we can't and we need help to do so." Dewey said sadly, wringing his hands.

It was his sad face, plus the look of despair on the others, that made Violet, Klaus, and Sunny realize they could try to help them get back upstairs. There were no rocket scientists, but if they could just at least get an idea of what they might be able to do, it would go a long way. Plus, they were perfect for this job. Violet could try and invent something, Klaus could read up on ideas, and Sunny could bite things apart for invention parts.

"Would you like it if we tried and helped?" asked Violet.

Dewey perked up and said "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes we do, my sisters and I are willing to try and help you." said Klaus, emphasizing how sincere they were.

The ghosts were so happy at Klaus' promise, the happiest they had been in 60 years. Finally, they had a shot at going home! "Oh thank you, thank you" Carolyn said.

Violet laughed happily and said "Hey no problem. Like I always say: There's always something."