Night after night, the Baudelaires go onto the track while the Quagmires sneak out of Nero’s recitals and watch their friends to see what Count Olaf is up to. While the first S.O.R.E. training session was all about running laps, the subsequent ones are about running laps and not sleeping the night before. And training doesn’t improve with repeat experience since they’re more tired and hurt a lot more. Their school and administrative work ate taking its toll and they’re falling behind. As Lemony Snicket said, “As I’m sure you know, a good night’s sleep helps you perform well in school, and so if you are a student you should always get a good night’s sleep unless you have come to the good part of your book, and then you should stay up all night and let your schoolwork fall by the wayside, a phrase which means ‘flunk.'” They’re also getting quite cranky since Klaus lashed out at Isadora and called her a “cakesniffer” like Carmelita Spats. Yet, the Baudelaires keep going even though they don’t know how they’re able to do so and for 9 nights. And they’re not closer to figuring out what Count Olaf is doing.

The song I used for this grind would be “One Stage Before” by Al Stewart from his Year of the Cat album. The original version is an enigmatic song about reincarnation and show business, which is considered one of the finest tracks on it. In this version I have Violet and Klaus singing about how their subsequent S.O.R.E. training is taking a physical and mental toll on them.

“One Track Before”

Sung by Violet and Klaus Baudelaire

Violet:
It seems to me as though I’ve run upon this track before
And sprinted away the night around the same old “O”
We run all night for training, after not sleeping much before
S.O.R.E. tasks don’t improve with every night we go
The Quagmires sneak out to watch us all run
But don’t know Olaf’s plan as well as I
We know he has us run all night but why now I just don’t know
Yet, all the sleepless days blur my tired eyes
For infinity

Klaus:
I can’t remember the last time when I had a good night’s rest
My schoolwork suffers since now I can’t stay awake
Don’t know what’s the point of S.O.R.E. while I’m failing tests
Or how long I could press on without any break
But for nine nights, I run while my body’s weary and aches
Don’t know why I am not even dead
And why do I still run in circles or how much more I can take
The route is still locked inside my head
For infinity

Violet:
Since Olaf made us run laps, I’ve wet myself each time
And now I’ve got menstrual cramps and bleeding stains

Klaus:
I’ve got stomach aches and already have puked twice
My patience thinned while my temper’s inflamed
There must be a way we can escape from all this constant hell
So we don’t have to run this track again
But until then we run while everything’s is not well
In a glowing circle that seems to never end
For infinity