Post by Isadora Is a Door on Mar 24, 2021 6:56:15 GMT -5
March 3rd 2016
Beatrice and Esme were in the main atrium of Fortuna Juvat. Beatrice was studying the pendulum intently.
'What is this for?'
Esme smiled at her. 'The watch is one way of tracking The Beast, and this is another. The watch could tell us about the convergence of time, and this we could use to track it's movements. There seems to be some kind of magnetic pull relating to the beast, and the pendulum would work like a compass, telling us which direction to go. However, after the events of recent days it does seemed to have stopped working.'
'What's happened to the watch?' said Beatrice. 'You gave it to me, you said I needed to have it.'
'It has been left with Lemony's body. It will find it's way back to you, in time, I can assure you of that.'
'You seem very different to how I imagined.'
'And how did you imagine me?'
'More like in Mr. Snickets books. Perhaps he wasn't a reliable narrator.'
Esme laughed. 'Oh, he was meticulous in his research, down to every detail. Of course he was reliable. I seem different because I am different Beatrice. I uses to be vain, and feckless. I tried to make myself important, not understanding how important I already was.'
'So what changed?'
There was a noise coming from the water. The Beast was sat in the water, languishing in its depths. This was not unusual - The Beast would often rest in the headquarters of Fortuna Juvat, where it was almost revered. Before answering the questions Esme went over to the water and sat by its edge, looking out at The Beast.
'There was a fire' Esme answered. 'And in order to escape I jumped into a pond. As I sank down into the water I thought I was dying. I could feel the life pouring out of me, my very being unravelling, but then I saw it. The Darkness. It called out to me, and I realised the truth. I had first seen The Beast when I was a young woman, but I hadn't understood then. It's easy to run away from the truth, but when the truth catches up with you you're left with no choice.'
Esme stretched out a hand, and The Beast moved towards it. Beatrice stared intently. This was the clearest she had ever been able to see it, she could see its black mottled skin, its large luminous eyes, and she could see long, sharp teeth protruding from its jaws. Esme gently stroked its skin, her hand coming away inky black.
'But you know so much.' said Beatrice. 'How do you know all these things. The Pendulum, the watch...you knew where to find me, after I'd lost my family. You told me everything that I needed to do to bring them back. How can you be sure? How do you know these things?'
'I have seen the future, and from that I gleamed some information. But as for the rest of it...' Esme pulled the aged leather notebook out of her pocket, with the image of a caduceus on its cover. 'This book contains everything I needed to know. It was written by someone who had seen everything that was going to happen. Someone who had seen past, present, and future. Much of it is in code, and even more of it in a language that only I have managed to decipher. But everything I need to know is here. So that's how I know I things.'
'Why should I trust you?'
'Because we all the face same end. You, me, your siblings, my parents, Lemony, Ellington, all of us. Our end is as inevitable as our beginning. It up to us how we face it. And it is my hope, Beatrice, that you and I can face ours together. Do you trust me, Beatrice?'
Beatrice looked to her left, she could see the steps were Lemony had fallen when he had died. She could still picture the blood pouring out of him, and she could still hear the sound he made as the knife entered him, echoing in her ears. She looked at Esme who was kneeling down beside The Beast, the leather notebook in one hand, the other stroking the beast gently, and she knew her answer.
'No.' she replied. She reached out quickly, wrenched the leather notebook from Esme's grasp, and pushed her into the water. She turned and ran, and she heard Esme shout as she fell into the jaws of The Beast. Beatrice ran as fast as she could, not daring to look behind her. As she made it past the iron door she turned and wrenched it shut behind her, and the last thing she heard were Esme's screams.
Beatrice and Esme were in the main atrium of Fortuna Juvat. Beatrice was studying the pendulum intently.
'What is this for?'
Esme smiled at her. 'The watch is one way of tracking The Beast, and this is another. The watch could tell us about the convergence of time, and this we could use to track it's movements. There seems to be some kind of magnetic pull relating to the beast, and the pendulum would work like a compass, telling us which direction to go. However, after the events of recent days it does seemed to have stopped working.'
'What's happened to the watch?' said Beatrice. 'You gave it to me, you said I needed to have it.'
'It has been left with Lemony's body. It will find it's way back to you, in time, I can assure you of that.'
'You seem very different to how I imagined.'
'And how did you imagine me?'
'More like in Mr. Snickets books. Perhaps he wasn't a reliable narrator.'
Esme laughed. 'Oh, he was meticulous in his research, down to every detail. Of course he was reliable. I seem different because I am different Beatrice. I uses to be vain, and feckless. I tried to make myself important, not understanding how important I already was.'
'So what changed?'
There was a noise coming from the water. The Beast was sat in the water, languishing in its depths. This was not unusual - The Beast would often rest in the headquarters of Fortuna Juvat, where it was almost revered. Before answering the questions Esme went over to the water and sat by its edge, looking out at The Beast.
'There was a fire' Esme answered. 'And in order to escape I jumped into a pond. As I sank down into the water I thought I was dying. I could feel the life pouring out of me, my very being unravelling, but then I saw it. The Darkness. It called out to me, and I realised the truth. I had first seen The Beast when I was a young woman, but I hadn't understood then. It's easy to run away from the truth, but when the truth catches up with you you're left with no choice.'
Esme stretched out a hand, and The Beast moved towards it. Beatrice stared intently. This was the clearest she had ever been able to see it, she could see its black mottled skin, its large luminous eyes, and she could see long, sharp teeth protruding from its jaws. Esme gently stroked its skin, her hand coming away inky black.
'But you know so much.' said Beatrice. 'How do you know all these things. The Pendulum, the watch...you knew where to find me, after I'd lost my family. You told me everything that I needed to do to bring them back. How can you be sure? How do you know these things?'
'I have seen the future, and from that I gleamed some information. But as for the rest of it...' Esme pulled the aged leather notebook out of her pocket, with the image of a caduceus on its cover. 'This book contains everything I needed to know. It was written by someone who had seen everything that was going to happen. Someone who had seen past, present, and future. Much of it is in code, and even more of it in a language that only I have managed to decipher. But everything I need to know is here. So that's how I know I things.'
'Why should I trust you?'
'Because we all the face same end. You, me, your siblings, my parents, Lemony, Ellington, all of us. Our end is as inevitable as our beginning. It up to us how we face it. And it is my hope, Beatrice, that you and I can face ours together. Do you trust me, Beatrice?'
Beatrice looked to her left, she could see the steps were Lemony had fallen when he had died. She could still picture the blood pouring out of him, and she could still hear the sound he made as the knife entered him, echoing in her ears. She looked at Esme who was kneeling down beside The Beast, the leather notebook in one hand, the other stroking the beast gently, and she knew her answer.
'No.' she replied. She reached out quickly, wrenched the leather notebook from Esme's grasp, and pushed her into the water. She turned and ran, and she heard Esme shout as she fell into the jaws of The Beast. Beatrice ran as fast as she could, not daring to look behind her. As she made it past the iron door she turned and wrenched it shut behind her, and the last thing she heard were Esme's screams.