Through The Shadows - Klaus Baudelaire FF

XIII

(Lets just pretend it's Ellis and Lilian)

On my eleventh birthday, it was raining. I remember being grateful for it and begging my parents to splash in the puddles with me. When I turned twelve, mother bought me a necklace. It was a small panda charm that hung on a silver chain. My favorite animal. My thirteenth birthday was the first birthday without my parents. Aunt and Uncle didn't even know. It was the same the next year.

As I sit in the back of the taxi, hands connected to Klaus and Lilian, I remember my birthday is arriving. With my luck, I'll most likely be on the run or stranded on some strange island. But a part of me has hope that I'll be in a safe place when the day comes.

"Where exactly are we going?" Lilian leans from the passenger seat.

Kit Snicket, who drives recklessly to lose the car behind us, answers her. "The Last Safe Place. It's at the Hotel Denouement." She motions towards the picnic basket sitting on the floor. "Open it. There's a secret compartment." Violet follows her instructions, revealing several uniforms. Concierge uniforms, for the hotel.

Placing the hat on my head, I step out of the car. Since the five of us had to change, we took turns, the others turning away. "Let me get this straight." Kit raises her brows at me. "You want us to find who this J.S. person is and see if he's good or bad? All for V.F.D?" The young, very pregnant, woman nods. "Why? We're just kids."

Kit steps forward, shaking her head. "You're not just kids, Ellis King." Why do all these people know who I am, even though I don't know them?

"S'cuse me, but last I checked, I'm only 15." Lilian scoffs. "And I'm not a part of this whole secret organization crap. I ain't doing anything." She stubbornly crosses her arms over her chest.

Kit sighs at my sister. "Ellis, your parents were once members of V.F.D., there was a reason they joined."

"But there was also a reason they left." The young woman looks down defeatedly. "And I wanna know why. What made them leave?"

"That's not a conversation we should be having right now. We have bigger things to worry about." She tells all of us the mission, but I pay no attention. There was a reason my parents left. I know them. They wouldn't have left -given up the sugar bowl- for no reason. And I'm tired of being kept in the dark. So, until I figure out the answer, I refuse to do anything to help V.F.D.

After informing us which of the twin managers will help us, Kit ushers us inside. Once getting past the revolving door, we are lead to the main lobby, and my jaw drops in amazement. It's huge, incredible. But there's a downside. In a place so large, finding this J.S. person is going to be difficult.

"Bellhop! Take the luggage to the room." Cheese and rice. Is there no where we can go that Count Olaf isn't already there?

While the Baudelaires hide behind a piano, Lilian and I hurry to the nearest sofa for shelter. "How is he already here?" Lilian whispers to me. "We left him hours ago."

My shoulders shrug. "He always seems to be three steps ahead of us. That's how he manages to capture us and ruin our plans."

"Man, you really were in some serious shit." I nod my head. "I have to confess something, at first I didn't really believe you. But the first night you stayed with Dad and I, I heard you crying. You were having a nightmare. It was about Olaf and what he had done to you, wasn't it?" I have that nightmare every night. I relive the pain and the torture every day.

"Are you eavesdropping on our guests?" Our attention turns to the Baudelaires, who spin around to face one of the managers. This could either be good or bad, depending on which twin this is. "You must be our new concierges." Standing from our hiding spot, Lilian and I make our way over to them. "Welcome to the hotel. I'm one of the managers."

Violet raises a brow. "Frank or Ernest?"

"Exactly." I can practically feel Lilian roll her eyes. "This way please." Sharing a glance, our small group follows the man. He stands in front of hundreds of what look like small bells. Before he can tell us what they mean, a bellhop gains his attention. The twin disappears, only for the other one to take his place. This new twin doesn't tell us his name either. And after leaving to speak with The Daily Punctilio, his brother returns. And after trying to keep up with the two, my head begins to hurt.

As he's explaining what the bells mean, five go off at the same time. Heading to the elevator, we split up. Violet goes to the roof, Klaus the sixth floor, Sunny the third, Lilian the forth, and I go to the eighth floor.

Room 842 is my stop. After knocking, the door swings open moments later, and my eyes widen. Because standing before me, is someone I know very well. "Carolyn?"

The dark haired girl smiles. "Ellie? Is that really you?" Carolyn opens the door wider, inviting me inside. "Appa! Eomma! You'll never believe who's here!"

Her parents appear from around the corner, both smiling and pulling me in their arms. "Ellie, it's so good to see you."

"Not to come off rude or anything, but why are you guys here?" The Jung family leads me further into their room.

Mr. Jung is the one to answer my question. "We're here like everyone else is, to find out who this J.S. person is."

"Does that mean you're a part of V.F.D.?" My question is more directed towards Carolyn, who twirls her dark hair on her finger.

"We believed what your parents believed." Mrs. Jung tells me. "We believe in peace, harmony, but we don't believe in V.F.They used to be good people, but things changed."

I lean forward, eager to hear more. "What happened? Why did my parents leave? Why did they tell Olaf where the sugar bowl was?"

The family shares a hesitant glance. "Ellis." Mr. Jung speaks softly. "Your parents...they were the leaders of the resistance."

So I skipped the last half of the grim grotto. I had no interest in writing it so I left it out. Also (cause I know there's going to be someone who asks) yea, her parents were the leaders, but before Olaf was, and I'll explain that in the next chapter.

Also, do any of you want more flashback chapters? Let me know if you do.

Speaking of, who remembers Carolyn from one of the flashback chapters? She was briefly mentioned but I decided to bring her back.