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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Nov 22, 2008 21:41:03 GMT -5
The Beginning of the End Kit Snicket, Beatrice Taylor, and Esmé Salinger are the best of friends. Kit and Beatrice are each in a loving, steady relationship, and Esmé has just met the man of her dreams. But fate has other plans in store… Players Col. ‘O Neil Warner Emma Squalor *** “Hurry up! I don’t want to have to tell you again!” Count Olaf glared forebodingly over his shoulder at the nineteen-year-old, who had insisted on dragging her feet the entire walk up the mountain from the car. “I told you you were an idiot for wearing those ridiculous pumps,” the Count scolded. “If you fall off a cliff and break your leg, don’t expect me to come to your rescue.” Esmé said nothing, and instead adjusted her grip on the two enormous suitcases in her hands. They had parked Olaf’s long, black automobile at the bottom of the Mortmain Mountains nearly an hour ago, and still they didn’t seem to be getting any closer to their destination. “Where did you say this place was?” Esmé dared to ask. Olaf cackled nastily. “If you were smart,” he said, and stroked the edge of his beard in thought, “then there would be no need for you to ask me such a stupid question, would there?” Esmé shook her head. “No, Olaf. I suppose not.” Satisfied with her answer, the Count nodded. “Come along. If we’re going to reach the headquarters by sundown, then we can’t waste time standing around these Godforsaken woods. If you do a little less complaining and make more of an effort to keep up with me, then I might give you your own plate at dinner tonight.” Esmé waited until her guardian’s back was turned, and then stuck her tongue out at him. She knew that if he saw her do it, then all it would get her was a hard, painful smack across the mouth like it had the last time.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2008 8:05:57 GMT -5
[Nice intro, Emma, now my turn! Sorry for the really short one, don't have any ideas] She had been Olaf's adopted child for nearly a year now, but she still hated him. She thought abandoning herself from her parents was going to make her life better, she could get richer, but now all she wanted was to be in her nice warm bed at home, with her friends. "I told you to hurry up, brat!" Olaf roared, "At this rate, we'll never get up there!" They trudged on in silence untill Esmé manged to work up the courage to ask "Will The Baudelaires and the Snickets be up at the headquarters?" "I don't know you little brat, now stop asking questions and walk faster!
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Nov 23, 2008 13:18:12 GMT -5
[Thanks, Dewey! Your post was great, too. ] Esmé made more of an effort not to speak after that. It had been over twenty-four hours since she had last eaten— Olaf allowed her breakfast, and lunch only if she completed all of her chores. As for dinner, that was a rarity. The only way he would allow her to have any was if he was in an especially good mood, which was almost never. Esmé felt her stomach grumble, and she tried to remember if she had any mango-flavored candy left in her pocket. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger,” the Count said. “You’d do best to remember that.” The phrase rang true to Esmé, and she was reminded of all the times she’d rushed home from school in tears. Sometimes her mother would be at home, at which point she would always fix her daughter a dish of strawberry ice cream to make her feel better. The two of them would then sit down together at the kitchen table, where Esmé would tell her mother of how the other girls had teased her. Adelle Salinger had then assured Esmé that things would not stay that way forever, right before reciting the words Olaf had just uttered. Esmé had believed her mother, of course, but in a positive light. She’d had no idea that when things changed, it would be a change for the worse.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2008 17:43:19 GMT -5
They never did have any money. Even though they didn't, the Salinger family always made do with what they had. Esmé had no idea why she had left her family. Money? Power? And then when she had learned that her parents had died in a fire. She was distraught.
The two trudged on and on in silence. Not stopping for dinner or sleep. Esmé was growing hungrier by the minute. There was a howl in the night. She pulled her jacket closer to herself. And then she saw it. At first it was hard to see what it was, but as she got closer, she could make out the spires and buildings that were there. The V.F.D. headquarters.
She gasped.
"Beautiful, I havn't been here in years." There was a glint in Olaf's eyes as he said this, as if he actually loved it.
"But that was imposible" Esmé thought, "Olaf doesn't love." When they reached the door, it opened automatically. She walked through, and she smiled for the first time in a long time.
"Kit! Beatrice!" She shouted, and hugged her friends. The two looked shocked and were not looking at her, but at Olaf.
"he's your new gaurdian?!" Beatrice blurted out, "When you wrote to us to say you had left your family, and moved to another caretaker, we never expected you to live with Olaf!"
"Stop talking about me, brats." Olaf snarled, "Esbrat, take my luggage." as he walked away.
"Where are you staying?" Kit asked?
"Room 201, two doors down from him." She replied.
"Me and Kit share a room, when you know Olaf is asleep, come find us in room 223"
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Nov 23, 2008 19:05:40 GMT -5
[“Esbrat”. I love it!]
So that she wouldn’t be overheard by her guardian, Esmé nodded in reply to Kit and Beatrice. It was a daring risk to take, but if it meant spending a few hours with the two best friends she had not seen in three years, then so be it.
Kit and Beatrice seemed to have obtained their friend’s silent message, and wondered off. Esmé watched them, unable to keep the frown from her lips as she spotted Lemony and Dewey standing on the other side of the room. Her frown only deepened as Kit and Dewey kissed, while Beatrice did the same with Lemony.
“Pardon me,” said a voice that Esmé thought she recognized. “But you look a little lost. Would you like any help?”
Glancing over her shoulder, Esmé found herself face-to-face with a boy she hadn’t seen since her days at Prufrock Preparatory School. “Bertrand!” she exclaimed.
“Esmé!” he said in an equally enthusiastic voice, his almond-colored eyes widening behind his spectacles. “Is it really you? It’s been so long!”
“Too long,” she agreed.
“The last time I saw you, you were dating Jerome Squalor. Is he here with you?”
The very mention of her former boyfriend’s name caused the brunette to hang her head sadly. “No. We parted company shortly after graduation.”
Bertrand knew that was just another way of saying “broken up”, but he didn’t push Esmé for details. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I would never have guessed. From what I remember, the two of you were very much in love.”
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2008 19:21:13 GMT -5
[Thanks Sorry for the short post] "Yes, he was going off to learn accounting from his father, so he could follow in his footsteps, and I joined V.F.D." "Oh, would you like a tour of the headquarters?" "Sure!" They walked around the building, Bertrand showing Esmé the library, the observation tower, and the kitchens, dining rooms, ice cream parlours, gymnasiums, the ice rink and the bathrooms. But Esmé was not entirely paying attention. She was thinking about being with all her old friends again. She was so happy. But the thought of leaving Jerome was sad, and she felt alone again. "And we're back where we started." Bertrant finished with a smile. "Thank you, Bertrand, you're not so much of a loser than before." Esmé said, "Thank you for the tour, but I'm going to check out my room." And she kissed him on the cheek.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Nov 24, 2008 12:21:21 GMT -5
[You’re very welcome. And short posts are absolutely fine, so don’t worry. Also, I love the fact that you referred to Jerome as “Jeromy” in your last post. It’s like Jeromey-rome (my nickname for him).] “Then I suppose I’ll see you later,” Bertrand said, blushing deeply. “Perhaps we can sit together at dinner.” Esmé smiled, although she knew that such a thing was unlikely. Olaf was fiercely observant of everything she did— he didn’t even like her conversing with people of the opposite gender. Esmé waited until Bertrand had sauntered off and disappeared around a corner before turning toward the rows of doors occupying the rooms. It didn’t take her long to locate Room 201, and she was amazed to see how spacious it was. The walls were painted a pale green, and the carpet was pearl white. There were two twin beds with plenty of space in between. On the other side of the room was a bathroom with a large tub, which Esmé would be sure to take advantage of later. She felt grungy from walking around the woods all day, and her limbs ached from being forced to carry a pair of suitcases that amounted to almost the same weight as she was. Esmé set Olaf’s suitcase down on one of the beds, and took the bed next to the window for herself. She knew she would be expected to unpack both suitcases, but there was no law that said she couldn’t take care of her own first. And that was exactly what she did. Once she had finished putting both sets of clothing away in the large dresser, she glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was nearly seven, which meant that it was almost time for dinner to begin. Hoping she could remember where the dining hall was, she stood up and left the room.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2008 14:29:12 GMT -5
[That was a typo, I'll fix that later...]
Esmé left the room, looking up and down the hallway. Nobody was around to help her if she got lost. She thought back to what Bertrand said to her.
"I should have paid more attention to him!" She cursed herself for not taking advantage of the tour. She wandered around, down the hallway, through a left, right, left, through a door, and found the dining hall.
"Yes! My luck!" She said to herself, "Bertrand!" She shouted, waving to her friend. She sat down next to him, he had evidantly been saving her a seat, as he lifted his hand off of the chair as she came towards him. She sat down next to him, only to jump when she heard her name being shouted.
"Esbrat!" Olaf shouted, "You sit with me, you don't get to sit with friends."
"Olaf! What's going on?" Someone she had never met came up behind him.
"Jack, this is my orphan kid, Esbrat." Olaf said cruely.
"You mean Esmé?" He said, "Hi, Beatrice talks about you all the time."
Esmé took a mental note that Beatrice's dad's name was Jack.
"Come, brat." Olaf said again.
"No, I'm staying with my friend."
"You're not taking her." Bertrand piped up.
"Come sit down, Olaf. We're about to start eating." Jack Taylor said, pulling the Count by the arm to his chair. Olaf glared at Esmé as he was dragged away.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Nov 24, 2008 17:12:28 GMT -5
[Oh, O.K. Sorry for the misunderstanding. ^^;;]
Even though Esmé knew that she would be paying the price for her behavior later once she and Olaf were alone, she tried not to speculate on such unpleasant matters. Instead, she smiled at Bertrand and waited patiently while they were served their food.
There was no way in which Esmé could help herself. As soon as the roast beef, mashed potatoes, roll, and carrots were spooned onto her plate, she immediately dug in. Bertrand just stared: half amused, and half astonished. Why was she behaving as though she hadn’t eaten in days?
It wasn’t until now that Bertrand took notice of just how incredibly thin Esmé was. She was thinner than she had been at Prufrock Prep, a matter that was in no way a good thing. He knew she had suffered from bulimia back then, and he would hate to think that she was still suffering from it.
Bertrand would have to make sure to keep a close eye on Esmé, and ask Kit and Beatrice to do the same when he wasn’t around.
“You eat as much as you want to,” Bertrand told Esmé. “There’s plenty more where that came from, and the cooks tend to get annoyed if your plate isn’t completely empty.”
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2008 7:50:51 GMT -5
"Seconds please." Said Esmé, hiding a burp.
Bertrand couldn't stand it any longer. "Are you still puking after dinner?" he blurted out, cursing himself as he did it.
She looked at him, for a minute Bertrand thought she was going to slap him, but she didn't. She laughed.
"No no, I stopped that ages ago. Olaf just hasn't fed me in a while, and I'm starving." and she turned back to her food.
"He what?" Bertrand shouted. Many people looked over at them.
"Keep your voice down, Bertrand." Esmé said quietly, "It's nothing to worry about."
Bertrand looked at her, then at his food, shrugged and ate in silence, contemplating what he could do about Olaf.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Nov 25, 2008 13:58:51 GMT -5
Count Olaf had taken a seat with Jack Taylor on the other side of the table. The Count’s shiny, shiny eyes had remained focused on his adopted daughter, and every now and then darted in the direction of the boy sitting next to her. Olaf hated the fact that Esmé was talking to someone other than him, and even more so that she was looking so damn happy about it. The idea that he was beginning to lose control of her for the first time caused a fierce anger to build within him. He threw down his knife, stabbing at his roast beef and imagining that it was Bertrand Baudelaire.
“Something wrong, Olaf?” Jack asked.
Olaf shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “I just thought I saw a bug.”
Jack raised an eyebrow, and then followed Olaf’s eyes. “Esmé and Bertrand look as though they’re getting along quite nicely.”
“No need to rub it in, Taylor.”
“You’re too overprotective,” Jack said. “I was, too, when Beatrice first started dating the Snicket lad. But after a while I realized that—”
“Shut up,” Olaf muttered, and began to carve away at his roast beef.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2008 14:58:33 GMT -5
Kit, Beatrice, and Lemony were sitting together, a short distance away from Olaf and Taylor. Lemony was feeding Beatrice some of her chicken off of his fork.
"Hey Lemonhead, have you said hi to Esmé yet?" Kit said, breaking the romance between him and Beatrice.
"What? Esmé joined V.F.D.? I thought her parents died?" he replied, giving Beatrice a kiss on the cheek.
"You could show a bit more tact, 'citrus' - using the name that their old headmaster at Prufrock Prep called him - and yes, she's now in the care of Olaf." She said, glacing over at the greedy man at the head of the table.
"what?" Lemony shouted loudly. Olaf looked over at him.
"Be quiet, orphan." He snarled, "Some of us are trying to enjoy our meals."
Lemony looked away, discusted at the man.
"We have to get her out of his care."
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Nov 25, 2008 15:28:07 GMT -5
“Beatrice and I have asked Esmé to meet us in our room tonight,” Kit explained, being sure to keep her voice low so that Olaf wouldn’t overhear the conversation. “You come, too, and we’ll all discuss a plan of action.” “I’m rooming with Bertrand,” Lemony said. “I’m sure he’d be interested in joining us.” “Then it’s settled,” Beatrice said. “Our room. Tonight. Ten o’ clock.” Lemony nodded. “I’ll be there.” *** “How long has it been since Olaf last gave you anything to eat?” Bertrand asked Esmé. Esmé finished off her mashed potatoes and set her silverware down on her empty plate. “This is the first meal I’ve had since breakfast yesterday,” she said. Bertrand’s eyes widened. “Why does he insist on starving you?” Esmé lifted a finger to her lips. “Ssshhh!” She then continued in a soft, quiet voice. “He does it because he thinks it’ll help me to become more disciplined.” “By denying you food?” Bertrand said, and made sure to keep his voice as hushed as possible. “Esmé, don’t you see what’s happening here? He’s abusing you.” Esmé’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “And just what am I supposed to do about it?” she asked. “My parents are dead, and Jerome is gone. I have no one else to turn to, and no place to go. Olaf is the only person in this world I have to depend on.” “You’re wrong, Esmé.” Reaching down, Bertrand laid his hand gently on hers. “Now, you have me.”
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2008 7:05:40 GMT -5
[Can you change my name, Emma?]
It was night time, and Esmé was slowly climbing out of ed. Olaf merly glared at her as he came in the room. She slowly walked to the door, the floor creaking ever so slightly under her feet. Olaf grunted in his sleep. Esmé froze. After a minute or so his snores subsided. She slowly turned the cold, metal doorknob and pulled, only enough for her to squeeze out of the room.
Slowly she walked down the hallway, reached 203, and raised her fist to knock. The door flung open before she had a chance, and a pair of hands flung her inside.
"Esmé!" Kit whispered in the dark
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Nov 28, 2008 18:02:45 GMT -5
[No problem. I’ll get right on it right after this next post. ] “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here,” Esmé whispered back. “But I had to wait until Olaf was asleep, and—” “Don’t worry about that,” Kit assured her in a hushed tone. “You’re here now, aren’t you?” “Who else is here? Anyone besides you and Beatrice?” “My brother is here. And Dewey.” Kit paused, and smiled to herself in the dark. “And Bertrand.” Esmé felt herself blush, thankful that Kit couldn’t see. “Come this way,” Kit said, and Esmé felt herself being tugged gently forward. “Lemony, turn on that flashlight.” There was a low clicking sound, followed by a light that was so bright Esmé and Kit had to squint and shield their eyes with their hands. “Lemony,” Kit hissed. “Turn that thing down! Honestly. Are you trying to blind us?”
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