MATILDA (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

CHAPTER 24: THE COOL DEADNESS OF DOCTOR MONTGOMERY MONTGOMERY

Monty's shoulder fell limply from Klaus' grasp, any hope of life promptly diminished.

"How could this happen?" He questioned, rubbing his fingers together that still ached with the cool deadness of Doctor Montgomery Montgomery.

"We know exactly how this happened." Violet replied without her eyes moving from the marred corpse in front of her.

"It was too easy." Matilda whispered gloomily. Matilda went to comfort the siblings, subtly moving her hands towards their own, hesitating. She looked between the boy and girls side profiles before thinking they perhaps didn't want to be touched for comfort like she did. Reluctantly, she went to move away. Before she could get too far, Klaus, was nudging her hand with his finger. Without looking at her, Klaus interlocked their pinkies. Matilda's breath released at the touch, before hitching again as Violet's hand reached back blindly to hold her in a similar way.

It didn't matter who was comforting who, they were there for each other in that traumatic moment. Matilda would protect the Baudelaire's with everything she had, and in turn, they would protect her from her own dissipation. Just with the touch of their little fingers.

"My, my, my, my, my." 'Stephano's' voice gradually degraded into the Count's. "What a terrible accident. Whoever discovers this will be very upset." At his appearance, Matilda unlocked their pinkies, swiftly grasping Klaus and Violet's wrist and pulling them behind her. Her expression was blank. However, within, she was tormented with hurricanes of pain, rage, and despair. "'For in that sleep of death what dreams may come.'"

"You murdered him." At Klaus' painfully true words, a tear finally fell silently from Violet's eye.

"Why, Klaus, I'm surprised. A smarty-pants boy like you ought to be able to figure out that jolly old Uncle Monty died from a snakebite, not murder." The Count's sarcasm and insincerity was palpable in the expired air. Look at the teeth marks on his cheek. "Look at his cold, waxy face." His slight chuckle floated through the air as his eyes met Matilda's. "Look at his unblinking eyes." That's exactly what Matilda was trying not to do. Her bones ached at the reminder of Monty's empty eyes. But her gaze did not waver from its blank stare on the personification of maleficence.

"Stop it!" Violet's resolve broke. "Stop talking like that," but it wavered, her voice less furious than she anticipated.

"You're right. There's no time for chitchat. We have a ship to catch, and I'd like to board in time to have a bottle of wine before lunch." Any previous excitement Matilda held for their trip fled like a mouse in the sights of a cat. "Peru. We're going to Peru." Count Olaf's sneer sharpened as he turned towards the door.

"We wouldn't go to the end of the driveway with you, much less international waters!"' Violet's rage had finally solidified, the fierce words leaving her in an almost roar; her body moving to follow her sharp words. Matilda's hold prevented her from moving much closer to the man, however. In contrast, Klaus stood still, with an expression could only be described as forlorn. Matilda was so proud of Violet's bravery, but she knew the conniving mind of Count Olaf – he had a scheme up his sleeve.

"Well, then I guess Ill have to take my own luggage." With the shuffle of his suitcase, and the cry of an infant, all three children rushed forward, Klaus calling his younger sister's name. They followed the Count to the driveway, cautious of the precious cargo he held in his hand.

"Let her out this instant." Violet called.

"She won't be able to breathe!" Klaus pleaded.

Matilda remained silent.

"I'm so tired of having to explain everything to you. You're supposed to be so smart, and yet you persistently seem to forget about this." He turned promptly, the knife glinting in his hand. The sight had Violet and Klaus moving backwards. Matilda stayed put, staring at the Count unflinchingly. In all honesty, Count Olaf was quite put off by the girl's stare. He couldn't look into her sharp eyes long before he was forced to look away. Clearing his throat, he spoke. "I'll leave some breathing holes for her."

Stabbing into the suitcase jarringly, he punctured holes in the material. Violet and Klaus instantly called for him to stop. Matilda knew Sunny was in the other case – unlike the other children she had had extensive experience in remaining observant during traumatic experiences.

"I'm kidding. That's not the suitcase she's in. I don't think."

"Please don't hurt her." Violet begged.

"Then get in the car." The Baudelaires weren't moving fast enough for Count Olaf. He plunged the knife forward, coming to rest the tip against Matilda's unfaltering chest. "I am not less inclined to hurting her." Klaus and Violet quickly got moving around to the side of the car.

"Now look what we have here." He moved closer to Matilda, his sneer smelling vile. "A little rebel." His teasing voice quickly changed to one of contained anger. "You think you could get away from me? Now you're just another thing that will help me to get what I want. But after that, you'll just be another thing in my way." He moved Matilda by the tip of his knife to the passenger seat before shoving her in.

As soon as she was sat, she turned to face the Baudelaire's – before she could speak, Violet lurched forward.

"Matilda!" She hissed quietly. "Get in the back here with us!" Her eyes panicking. Matilda only shook her head. For a second, Klaus and Violet thought she had been brainwashed in the seconds they were apart.

"Quickly!" Klaus urged. Matilda only smiled sadly before shaking her head again.

"It's better that he hurts me before he hurts any of you." Violet and Klaus were stunned into silence, their still damp eyes beginning the well once more at Matilda's whisper.

With Count Olaf in the car, Matilda turned back around, but simultaneously kept her eye on the Count and the children through the rear-view mirror. "Really, there's no one to blame but yourselves. If you hadn't stranded me at the movies, I wouldn't have had to kill Monty and we'd all be on our way to Peru, where I would have had to kill Monty." He struggled with the grinding gears pathetically. "God, I hate driving stick!"

"You're just going to leave him there?" Matilda had to agree with Violet, yet Monty was not happier anywhere else than with his precious reptiles.

"Trust me, he doesn't mind." Count Olaf smirked insensitively. "Of course, after they discover he's dead, you'll be long gone, and I'll be taking advantage of Peru's extremely lax guardianship laws. Why won't –" He grumbled a while longer with the car. "There we go."

"You can't take us out of the country." Matilda almost smiled at Klaus' quick-thinking mind. "Can he?" The doubt and fear that was thread through his tone as his glanced at his older sister, deflated Matilda more than that knife ever could.

"And who's going to stop me?"

A/N

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