The Quagmires

Chapter 16: The Adverse Auction

There are many terrifying things in this world, including heights, needles, deep waters, insects, storms, and so much more. What the Quagmires were about to discover, is that they were about to develop claustrophobia, which means a fear of enclosed spaces. The Quagmires didn't just develop this fear for common reasons. Instead, this fear was developed from being trapped in small, enclosed spaces, like a red herring statue, or a fountain.

"What are you doing?!" yelped Isadora.

"Stuff them in the statue."

Duncan and Isadora were indeed pushed into a statue of a fish. A very small statue of a red herring fish. 

"Let us out!" demanded Duncan as he and his sister banged on the walls of this statue.

They were stuck inside, with barely enough space for two. They were very close and could barely move. To add to their misery, there was only two breathing holes, which made it very difficult for them to breathe.

They felt the statue tilt horizontally until Duncan and Isadora were practically laying down inside it. They then felt the statue being moved somewhere that they expected to be the In Auction.

"I can barely breathe in here."

"Me too, Isadora. What do we do?"

Duncan felt his sister's hand begin to shake and sweat, adding to his worry.

"Are you alright?"

"I can't breathe, Duncan," she said, gasping for air. "I just can't," she trembled.

"It's going to be alright, Isadora. I need you to calm down. It's alright. We're together, and we're alive."

"You're right," she sighed as she slowly caught her breath, "We'll find a way out of here. I don't think Count Olaf will keep us in here for too long. He only needs to smuggle us out of town."

"The Baudelaires already know that. I just hope they figure out that we're in the statue."

"Agreed. Do you think anyone can hear us?"

"I guess we'll have to try."

The two triplets began banging on the walls of the statue and screaming, but no response came to them.

"We're all alone," Isadora said.

After a long while of moving, the Quagmires felt themselves come to a stop.

"Do you think we're at the auction?" asked Isadora.

"Maybe. Do you think the Baudelaires are here?"

"I hope so."

"Sold!" they heard a familiar voice say.

"I guess we are at the auction, Isadora."

"But the red herring just got sold to unknown person, which means that the Baudelaires couldn't make it or they just didn't know we were here."

The Quagmires were not moved for a long time, and even though they heard a lot of yells and panics from people they did not recognize, they didn't bother talk. They only cared when they heard the voice of a familiar person.

"Red Herring!"

"Duncan, isn't that-?"

"Violet!" he exclaimed, "And Klaus! Do you think they figured it out?" 

"Even if they did, it's too late, we're being moved again." 

Indeed, they were. They were being tied to the back of Count Olaf's car by his troupe and driven far away from the city.