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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 17, 2010 18:08:26 GMT -5
Thank you, Emmz and Dante. I'm preparing the following chapter(s) of The Mysterious Manor, there should be a new chapter out on friday or on saturday.
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Post by Dante on May 18, 2010 2:03:45 GMT -5
I'm glad to hear that; thanks for putting so much effort in.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 18, 2010 10:26:06 GMT -5
Yes, you're doing a splendid job and we really do appreciate it.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 20, 2010 20:29:02 GMT -5
Chapter Seven One of the worst feelings there are is the feeling of loss. You may lose your keys, and go for days without finding them to discover you forgot them inside the freezer. You may lose your favorite book, only to discover a villainous relative used it to start a fire. You may lose lots of things in life, and with each loss, you end up having less and less. You may lose your cousin to a fire, your home to the sea, or your pet to a wild wolf, specially if your pet is a rabbit, in which case you should have cared more for the safety of your rabbit. Losing things never gets any easier, and the feeling of loss that struck Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice Baudelaire after Violet wandered into the darkness of Montague Manor was almost too much to bear. They had not actually lost her, as Violet was still somewhere in the manor. But Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice Baudelaire had no idea where Violet had gone after they heard what seemed like the sound of a wall opening and closing, just where Violet took a wrong turn. Violet Baudelaire was now lost somewhere in the manor, and her family would not waste a second in finding her. Klaus put Sunny and Beatrice on the floor, as carrying them would prove to be too tiresome for just one person. 'Sunny, Beatrice, we have to find Violet. Someone in this manor means to kill us, and we should best not give them any more chances to do so.', said Klaus to his little sisters. Sunny then reminded him, 'Klaus, but we have to find Cindry too! How are we supposed to do so in this dark, enormous manor?'. Beatrice agreed, saying ' Collossus' a word by which here she meant 'This place is enormous, not to count the yard and the property around the manor!' 'I know, but - ' and here Klaus was interrupted by two people. Two people that had lurked behind them in the silence and darkness of the manor. Two people that were awfully familiar. Two people that were two women, and two women that were two maids, and two maids that interrupted Klaus' conversation with Sunny and Beatrice in this particular moment of the story. 'May we ask what you three are doing in the middle of the hallway?' said the first maid, putting on a familiar pout on her lips and a frown on her forehead. The second maid then said 'More importantly, what are you three doing here, at this time?' The two maids were awfully familiar, yet neither Klaus, nor Sunny or Beatrice could quite place where they had seen them before. 'Haven't we met before?' Klaus daringly asked, carefully calculating the tone in his voice to not give away how afraid he really was. The two women dressed as maids stood in front of them, holding each other's arm. They wore little make-up from what the Baudelaires could tell in the dimly lit hallway. The first maid, the one to their right, started speaking. 'I don't believe so, no. We have been working at this manor for quite a while.' she said. The second maid, to the left, looked at the one on the right and asked her, 'Since when was that, darling?' to which the one on the right replied, 'Winter, I think'. The two then stood there in silence, staring at the Baudelaires, who had to take a moment to swallow and breathe, something that can be quite dangerous if you do not pay attention to it while you do it. There are moments, however, when one has to do so, no matter how dangerous it can be. 'Do you need tea to sleep, is that it?' asked the one on the right. The one on the left then asked 'Do you want your sheets changed? Did one of the two boys wet their beds?' and then both women giggled. 'Grudge!' uttered Beatrice, a word by which here she meant 'I resent that!I haven't done so in quite a while, I'll have you know!' 'No. We couldn't sleep because our room was invaded, by snakes!' said Klaus, raising his voice perhaps a little bit too much. 'Snakes? Really? Interesting.' said the woman on the right. 'We also don't know where our sister is. She must have taken a wrong turn down the hallway.' Klaus added. He did not know if he was doing the right thing to tell them that Violet had lost herself way ahead, but then one of the women, the one on the left, said 'We can help you with that. You see, after Ms. Rice arrived, our master, Mr. Montague has been immitating her.', to which the woman on the right added 'He wants to be in too, you know how old men can get.' And then the two exchanged a quick look and giggled again. 'He's probably up right now, coming up with new ways to scare his guests. We'll take you three to his room. This manor is old...And like many old places, it's full of passageways, vaults, secret rooms...' said one of the two women as they moved to accompany the Baudelaires to Mortimer Montague's room in the third floor of the manor. 'If you ask him, Master Montague will probably tell you how to find your sister, and who knows, what else you might find.' added the other woman. And following the two maids, Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice felt that somehow those women knew what their true goal was, and it seemed that they wanted to help. After such a long while spent in darkness, feeling as if they had lost everything from their home, their parents, friends and now their sister - the last one, if only for a few hours as it later turned out - it was good to feel as if they were being helped, and it was even better to feel that what was lost could still be found, which is, by far one of the best feelings there are.
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Post by Dante on May 21, 2010 2:18:00 GMT -5
Thanks for the new chapter, Tiago - and happy birthday, too! I hope you enjoy your day. The opening of today's chapter is particularly Snickety.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 21, 2010 8:13:04 GMT -5
Thanks for the new chapter, Tiago - and happy birthday, too! I hope you enjoy your day. The opening of today's chapter is particularly Snickety. Thank you Dante! ^^ That means a lot to me!
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 21, 2010 9:48:01 GMT -5
It is, isn't it? That's the first thing I thought, too, when I read it. And what a wonderful chapter that was! I loved the interaction between the Baudelaires and the two maids. It was so rude when one of them mocked Sunny and Beatrice like that - I would have been mortified! Though it's good to see that Beatrice isn't afraid to stick up for herself. And I wonder where Violet has ended up? Hmm... Also, happy birthday, once again! I hope you're having the best one you've ever had.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 22, 2010 11:10:28 GMT -5
Chapter Eight After reading the last chapter, one might wonder, amongst many things, where had Violet gone after straying from her siblings into the dark halls of Montague Manor. The reason why is because there were no other witnesses there that night, and if there were, they are either too scared to talk, or did not survive the events that befell the manor that same dreadful night. What I can tell you, however, is what Violet found after a wall opened and she made a wrong turn into what she discovered to be a well hidden secret passage. 'What a well-hidden, secret passage. No use going back now' she said after examining the wall behind her. A paiting representing an ancestor of Mortimer Montague hung on the wall, the deathly pale man seeming as if he was staring at Violet. 'Creepy...I better walk now, I have to get back to Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice.' After realizing there was no point in talking to herself, Violet became silent and proceeded through an even darked hallway. There were copious ammounts of spider web and dust and Violet sneezed multiple times, having to cover her mouth and nose with her sleeve eventually. The air was stale and cold, and Violet felt utterly alone, there in the darkness. As she proceeded through the hallway, the wood of the floor creaked and made other creepy sounds. The faint lights given by electric lamps was barely enough for her to be able to see, and Violet could not wait until she had left that place. That was, of course, until she felt a sudden gust of cold wind coming from down the hallway ahead of her. 'Maybe it's an exit.', Violet thought to herself, and walked towards the wind. It was chilly, and Violet crossed her arms in an attempt to warm herself. Ahead, the hallway made a sudden turn, and Violet found herself in a small room-like environment. She saw three armchairs covered with dusty white fabrics, and an old table that still had a tea set on top of it, the only thing missing being a sugarbowl. Behind the armchairs a red, dusty velvet curtain hung from the ceiling. Violet could see it moving due to the wind. 'That's the exit right there.' Violet than opened the curtain to reveal a door that could only be described as a door that would be more fitting in a maximum security prison. A sturdy, wooden door with a window-like hole with bars and an outlet on the lower half that looked like a mail box outlet. She then heard a noise coming from inside. Approaching her ear to the wood of the door, Violet heard a familiar voice. A sweet voice, the voice of an aspiring actress the Baudelaires had befriended and who was specially dear to her brother, Klaus. Violet could not believe her ears as she listened to the sound of Cindry Fulfillment's voice. 'To be or not to be, is that the question?' Cindry's voice sounded. She appeared to be rehearsing her lines for a play, almost as if she was back at her theater, in her family's factory. 'Oh, shoot. I can't remember my next line.' Violet could not contain herself anymore, after confirming that it was indeed Cindry on the other side of that door. 'C-Cindry! It's Violet Baudelaire! I found you!', said Violet, knocking on the door. Violet suddenly felt tears running down her face, as this reminded her of that time when she along with Klaus and Sunny found their friends, Isadora and Duncan Quagmire, at the bottom of the elevator shaft at 667 Dark Avenue. Were they to find all their friends trapped in the darkness like that from now on? Violet wondered. 'WHAT?', Violet heard Cindry shout. 'V-Violet! Is that really you?' Cindry's voice suddenly sounded happy, scared and sad at the same time. The same rush of mixed emotions hit Violet with equal strength as she knocked on the door and confirmed that yes, it was really her. 'Oh, Violet! I missed you! Where are Klaus, and Sunny, and Beatrice? Are they there with you too?' Cindry's hands came from the other side of the outlet on the lower half of the door. Violet crowched and looked through the hole to see Cindry's blue and teary eyes. Violet was crying too, and the two attempted to hug due to the intensity of the moment, which proved to be a failed, awkward and painful attempt. 'No, but they are here too, in Montague Manor, near the town of Tedia. That's where you are right now, did you know?', Violet asked. Cindry shaked her head 'I did, unfortunately. She told me. Oh, Violet, do you know where my uncle Ferdinand and my aunt Victoria are? I'm so worried! Esmé showed me the Punctilio, they think everything is alright with us, but it's so no alright! It's 'alwrong'!' said Cindry, sobbing, and making up a new word while she was at it. 'I want my dad, Violet! His name is -', Cindry started to speak but Violet interrupted her, saying 'First we need to get you out of there! Is there a key?'. Cindry blinked and replied, 'Y-yes, I think. But if I heard right, Esmé hid the key to this door inside the mouth of her dead polar bear coat. She's planning to do terrible things, Violet, you have no idea!' 'I think I can open this door by myself, Cindry.' Violet rose up and took her hair ribbon out of her pocket, proceeding to tie her hair up so she could invent a mean of removing the lock, or the door, and in sequence, remove Cindry from her confinement. 'No, Violet! Look up!', Cindry warned her. Violet obeyed, and what she saw as she looked up sent cold shivers down her spine. A mechanism connected to the lock of the door held together a boobytrap cage containing several snakes. Violet immediately understood that grim invention. If she tried to forcibly open the door, the cage would open releasing what she knew were very poisonous, lethal snakes on top of her. 'That awful man explained it to me. The only thing that can open this door is Esmé's key.' Cindry said. Violet crouched back down and held Cindry's hand 'Cindry, I'll get the key, and we'll escape this Manor together.' 'Please, Violet...If things don't work out-' 'They will! They have to' Violet interrupted. 'But if they don't...I want you to tell Klaus I...' But Violet never heard what Cindry wanted her to tell Klaus. Suddenly, a hole opened beneath Violet's feet, where she was crouched, sending her into another fall into the darkness, much like the fall she had experienced in the elevator shaft of 667 Dark Avenue. 'VIOLET!Nooooo!' Violet heard Cindry scream through her own scream, as she fell in a downwars spiral into the darkness. Violet had fallen into another trap, another trap in what seemed to be a life trapped by a never ending series of unfortunate events. And now, one might wonder, if this series of unfortunate events would ever have an end.
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Post by Dante on May 22, 2010 12:30:26 GMT -5
What luck! Both good and bad. This was a great chapter, Tiago; it had just the right amount of interruptions of crucial information.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 22, 2010 17:00:48 GMT -5
OMGTHESUSPENSSSSE!!!!!!
Lovelovelove the chapter, Tiago! I'm so glad that Cindry was reunited with at least one of the Baudelaires - if only briefly - and that Ferdinand and Victoria are safe, or so the Punctilio claims.
Your idea for the snakes being released from their cage if someone were to open the door holding Cindry prisoner was very clever, as was Esme hiding the key in the mouth of her polar bear coat. Man, this is just like a video game! ;D
And now Violet is trapped, too! What will happen next, I wonder? *gnaws nails nervously*
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Post by Christmas Chief on May 22, 2010 17:15:16 GMT -5
I got to read two chapters in a row, each as brilliant as the next; once more, you've done a fantastic job.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 22, 2010 17:46:56 GMT -5
Thank you Dante, Emmz and Sherry Ann. ^^ You keep me going! ^^
Chapter Nine will probably be out tomorrow!
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on May 22, 2010 18:50:00 GMT -5
Yay! I look forward to it with euphoric enthusiasm! ;D
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Post by Hermes on May 22, 2010 20:33:35 GMT -5
Apologies for not commenting - I'm super-busy right now, and your work requires time to give it careful attention. I will comment in the fulness of time.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 24, 2010 20:51:21 GMT -5
Chapter Nine As the two maid women led Klaus, Sunny, and Beatrice Baudelaire upstairs to the third floor of Montague Manor, the Baudelaires realized two things. One, it was a night of crescent moon. The third floor of the manor was not as thickly covered by ivy and moss as the lower floors of the manor were, and the moonlight poured in through the tall windows of the manor. Two, the third floor was still nevertheless dark. The reflected moonlight gave everything a ghostly hue, and the dim lights did nothing to illuminate their surroundings. After ascending the stairs to the third floor, they walked through a series of halls. The halls were decorated with deep red carpets and a dark wallpaper, and the portraits of all members of the Montague family, most of them deceased, the Baudelaires could tell, by their old fashioned clothing. In this, Beatrice was particularly interested, but the maids led the Baudelaires out to a balcony-like, open corridor. 'This is right on top of the two open corridors of the manor...I wonder if there is a descending staircase as well.' Klaus whispered to Sunny and Beatrice, careful enough that the two maids could not hear him, but loud enough that the both of them could understand. 'Basement' said Beatrice, by which word here she meant 'If that is so, then we are close enough to where Esmé is executing her plan to get her gloved hands on the sugarbowl.' The uppermost, outer corridor that the Baudelaires now walked in was particurlaly more interesting than the lower two. That is because since the manor was not as covered by ivy up there, the Baudelaires could easily overlook the area around the Manor; an area of swamps, full of a dark and thick mud that seemed like oil to an untrained eye, and the sea, ahead in the distance, but not too far from the manor. Hazy Harbor was not too far either, as the Baudelaires had only turn their heads a little more to see it. 'Are we there yet?' Sunny asked the maids. They could not be bothered to answer Sunny's question, an expression which here means 'completely ignored Sunny in a blatant way'. 'There it is. The doors to Master Montague's quarters. You can knock on the door, he'll open. We have to go to our room in the first floor now.' Said one of the two women, when they abruptly stopped on front of the Baudelaires. Then, they saw a set of double doors across the hallway and taking a minut to breathe, Klaus knocked on the door. Of course, Klaus had too many things to worry about. He worried about what Esmé Squalor was doing in the basement, and what exactly was her plan. He worried about why Carmelita Spats was at the manor to begin with. He worried about his sister, Violet, now lost somewhere inside the dark manor. He worried about the two suspicious and familiar maids that stood now several feet away from he and his sisters in that particular hall of the manor. He also worried if Mortimer Montague, the owner of the Manor, could at all help them, or if he would just act immaturely like he often did, by scaring other people. And fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how one looks at it, Klaus realized he no sooner would have to worry about one of those things. Because not one second after he knocked on the door, it opened and Mortimer Montague jumped out, screaming. 'AAAAAAAHHHH!' Mortimer screamed, while wearing a monstrous african mask. The Baudelaires were so scared they retreated a few steps. 'Mr. Montague! That was really uncalled for!' Klaus yelled, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Beatrice was crying and Sunny comforted her and showed Mortimer her nevertheless sharp teeth, wanting to avenge her little sister. 'Oh, I'm sorry, children', said Mortimer removing his african mask, 'I just got this mask as a gift from one of my guests and I wanted to try it, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to wear it!' to which Klaus angrily replied 'Just because you got a new hideous mask as a gift it does not give you the excuse to scare others with it, Mr. Montague.' Mortimer, however, seemed oblivious to Klaus' protest, and invited the Baudelaires into his room. 'Here, come in, we are having tea!' said Mortimer, as he turned and ventured into the darkness of the room. Klaus picked up Beatrice and took Sunny's hand, following Mortimer. However, Klaus still found time to process Mortimer's words. ' We?Who's we?' and stopping suddenly, his question was answered. Not by Mortimer, however. Klaus' question was answered by what, or more specifically who he saw sitting in Mortimer's room. The room was very brightly illuminated, a total contrast to the rest of the manor, and the Baudelaires could see the details for the first time. Mortimer's room was a paragon of luxury, the word 'paragon' here meaning 'the most completely over the top example of something', something in this case being interior design. The room was richly decorated, and to say so is an understatement at best. From this one could assume just how richly decorated the rest of the manor would reveal itself to be if properly illuminated, but none of this crossed the Baudelaires' minds in that dreadful moment. Nothing could have prepared them for just who they would find sipping tea with their eccentric volunteer host. Mortimer's butler gave the Baudelaires a deathly stare as he poured more tea onto the cup of a certain young woman whose name is just as annoying as she really was. Carmelita Spats sat in an extremely luxuriant armchair right next to Harold Potter, the suspicious herpetologist the Baudelaires felt so uneasy around. And across the table from where they were, sat Carmelita's uncle, Bruce Spats. 'Oh, there they are. The cakesniffers.' said Carmelita as she noticed the Baudelaires' entrance. 'Don't you have some cakes to sniff downstairs?' Carmelita's voice tone showed just how much she despised everyone she considered to be a 'cakesniffer'. 'Oh, Beauregards. I trust you haven't run into any of my snakes. Somehow they escaped from their cages. How fortunate of you to not have met any of them. They are all pretty poisonous.' said Harold Potter, the herpetologist. The Baudelaires noticed he had something in his hands, but they were too shocked to point it out, which would later prove to be a source of great regreat for them. Because, if they had done so, things that night would have gone not entirelly wrong, instead of almost entirely wrong as they did not turn out to be. 'Where is Annabelle Rice? Isn't she staying up all night?' Klaus dared to ask, remembering Esmé's disguise name. 'Oh, yes she is. But she is doing so in other part of the manor. Apparently, drinking tea at night is out too, for her. She insisted that we should not go without our tea because of her. She is so adorable, isn't she?' said the butler. 'Sit and have tea with us. We were just talking about how lovely Annabelle is.' said Mortimer Montague, sitting on a purple armchair that was even more luxuriant than the others, his hands resting on his knight chess piece cane that he used to walk. Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice Baudelaire were shocked, in various ways. They were shocked that Mortimer Montague, who they had confirmed was a member of V.F.D., was so clueless about the kind of people he had let inside his home. They knew he was in great peril, and it shocked them to know that whatever the case was, they were all alone in a giant ivy-covered manor with a senile old man, at least two dangerous villains and their sister, who was lost somewhere in the darkness of the manor, not to mention Cindry Fulfillment, whose absence made Klaus' heart ache with regret. The Baudelaires were shocked, and I'm extremely sad to say that they would be shocked again that very night.
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