„Edmund, this is stupid... They will never let you!" I exclaimed looking pointedly at my younger cousin. His black hair was covering his eyes, but not enough to prevent me from seeing him roll his eyes at me. „And what id they do? This is war Ed, not some kind of fairy tale you read..." I stopped myself before going further into it.
"I have told you before, I'm a king! I've been in battle..." he stated making me smile sympathetically at him. Lucy and her brother have told me many stories of their adventures in Narnia. At first, I had thought it was only a game, but as it went on I never actually believed all that happened. Talking mice and battles against a witch? It sounded like something that would come out of the books I read. But unlike my younger brother, I hadn't said anything. Most of the time I even enjoyed listening to their stories, seeing them so happy once they talked about it.
"Even so, you have told me that was swordplay, these are much more dangerous if you look at it..." I explained, but to no hope. He was always stubborn.
"Stop worrying and just let me go!" he exclaimed before walking away and through the double doors. I sighed looking after him as I leaned on the wall beside it deciding to wait. I feared of the outcome if they did believe his lies. What if he did get into the army? He most likely wouldn't last long. After a few minutes I saw Lucy walking over to me.
"Where is Edmund, you two are supposed to be helping me you know?" she raised her eyebrow at me questioningly. I sighed pointing to the double doors knowing Lucy would need no explanation. She rolled her eyes before pushing it open and walking in her eyes searching for her brother. And soon we both saw him, standing at the front of the line talking to a soldier sitting at the desk.
"Edmund, you're supposed to be helping me with the groceries." She spoke loudly catching everyone's attention. Soon after the other men in the line started snickering and laughing at Edmunds failed attempt.
"Better luck next time, squirt..." the boy standing behind him commented with a snicker. Edmund walked past us exiting the room with a smug look on his face. He helped Lucy and I as we carried the bags to her bike with him constantly fumbling.
"Squirt! He barely had two years on me!" he stated insulted by the name. "I'm a king! I've fought battles and lead armies!" not this again.
"Not in this world..." I stated hoping it would shut him up.
"Yeah, instead I'm stuck here doing battle with Eustace Clarence Scrubb!" he commented making me smirk at him. The two always did fight, and whenever that happened Lucy and I had to stop them knowing it was most likely Edmund would crush my brother with only one blow. However Lucy wasn't even listening to him anymore as she looked behind him at a soldier flirting with a blonde girl. The girl gently put her hair behind her ear and I noticed Lucy doing the same making me smile at her. Ah, my little cousin is growing up...
"What are you doing?" Edmund asked sounding confused as he didn't notice a thing.
"Uhhh... Nothing! Come on than!" she exclaimed starting to pull the bicycle down the road back to my house. Edmund sent me confused look to which I only smiled. He was such a guy... Once we had gotten home Lucy and I went to leave the groceries in the kitchen.
"We're home!" I exclaimed as we moved through the house with little help from Edmund.
"Hello Uncle Harold..." Lucy greeted my father who sat in his chair completely ignoring her. My father has the ability to ignore anything under the age of twenty. Which I guess helped with the whining of my brother around. Though he ignored me as well. "I tried finding some carrots, but all they had were turnips again!" Lucy always tried making conversation hoping that one day he would reply.
"Father?" I lightly asked trying to catch his attention. However it never works. I looked at the floor before turning to go back to the kitchen. I caught Edmund pointing his tongue at the man in the chair making me giggle quietly though the fun of it soon ended as Eustace appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Father, Edmund is making faces at you!" he exclaimed making me roll my eyes. He threw one of his spit balls at Edmund causing him to explode with anger as he climbed quickly up the stairs towards my brother.
"Why, you little—" he was about to hit him just as Eustace said it thinking our father would do anything about it, but he was interrupted by Lucy.
"Edmund! Look," she happily exclaimed causing all of us to look at her questioningly. "It's from Suzan!" she stated showing us the letter. The two siblings and I moved into Lucy's and mine room as she read the letter aloud.
"I wish you were here with us. It's such an adventure, but nothing like our times in Narnia..." Lucy read. Seriously, she was believes in this Narnia story as well. I've gotten used to expecting it from Edmund and Lucy, I wouldn't even be surprised if Peter stated something like that, but I never expected it from Suzan. "America is very exciting, except... We never see father, he works so very hard." The letter went on as Suzan explains something about a naval officer, but the next sentence catches my attention. "Mother hopes you both won't mind another few months in Cambridge... Another few months?!" Lucy exclaimed questioningly. I could tell they weren't happy about staying. A part of me felt slightly bad for them... Being away from their family for so long now must be really hard, but another part of me was happy they were staying a little longer since I have actually grown fond of their company.
"How will we survive?" she added making me mock gasp pretending I was offended, while I did know they were actually talking mostly about my nuisance of a brother.
"You're lucky... At least you share a room with the normal one in the family, I'm stuck with mullet mouth." Edmund stated making me chuckle.
"I love you to cousin..." I mocked making him and Lucy smile slightly.
"Suzan and Peter are the lucky ones. Off on adventures..." Lucy told us and got up from the bed walking over to a small mirror hanging on the wall.
"Yeah, they're the eldest and we're the youngest..." Edmund scoffed. "We don't matter as much."
"Don't say that... You matter as much as your brother and sister and you know it... You're parents are only trying to keep you safe!" I reassured him with a smile which he didn't return this time.
"Do you think I look anything like Suzan?" Lucy asked us as she looked at her reflection.
"You don't need to look like her to be beautiful you know?" I reassured making her smile.
"Lucy, have you seen this ship before?" Edmund asked as he got up from the bed and walked over to the painting which has been in my room for as long as I can remember.
"Yeah, it's very Narnian-looking, isn't it?" she asked with a smile as she walked over to stand beside her brother.
"Yeah... Just another reminder that we're here and not there!" Ed stated sadly. From the stories I've heard and the ways the two siblings acted I gathered that even though it most likely doesn't exist this Narnia place is very important to them. Apparently to all four of the Pevansies, which only made me feel slightly jelous. Once we were kids Eustace was always stuck up and never wanted to have fun or play games like that. We never acted like brother and sister... Something Edmund and Lucy do all the time, they're unsperable.
"There once were two orphans who wasted their time believing in Narnian nursery rhymes." My brother appeared at the door making me jump as he spoke for I did not see him there. He mocked and teased the two wearing his usual smirk as Edmund glared at him.
"Please let me hit him!" Edmund asked as he started walking over to the door. Ok, so maybe I slightly twisted the truth before. If it were up to me, Eustace would've been beaten into a pulp by now though Lucy was never the one for violence so she stopped Edmund every time, encluding this one.
"Don't you ever knock?" I asked my brother before anything else could happen.
"It's my house I'll do as I please!" he stated making me roll my eyes at him. As if it wasn't mine as well! "You're just guests!" he added.
"You're forgetting I'm no guest!" I remarked sending him one of my death glares. Even though he probably knows I won't hit him or hurt he my brother is still afraid of me.
"What's so fascinating about that picture anyway? It's hideous!" he exclaimed making me scoff. He never understood any kind of art.
"You won't see it from the other side of the door!" Edmund commented obviously unhappy that Eustace was even here. Just as much as I was.
"It looks like the water is actually moving..." Lucy stated making me smile and get up from my bed as I stood on the other side of Edmund looking at the picture. Even though it has been in my room for a long time I have never noticed why, which was slightly surprising since I actually loved this picture.
"What rubbish!" my brother exclaimed and at the moment I seriously wanted to slap him. At least it would most likely catch the attention of my father. "See? That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels of yours and fairy tales." He commented making me sigh. I was just about to say something when Edmund beat me to it.
"There once was a boy called Eustace who read books full of facts that were useless." He stated making me laugh, which I didn't even bother hiding.
"People who read fairy tales are always the sort who become a hideous burden to the people like me... Who read books of real information." Eustace shot back causing me to turn around and glare at him.
"Hideous burden?!" Edmund spat at my brother and this time he actually looked like not even Lucy could restrain him. "I haven't seen you lift a finger since we have arrived..." he exclaimed making a fair point. My mother and I were the only ones that actually worked around this house, cleaned, cooked and everything else. "I have a right mind to tell your father it was you who stole aunt Alberta's sweets..." they were still arguing but my attention was caught once again by the picture. Were my eyes fooling me or was water actually leaking from it? It couldn't be...
"Edmund, the painting." Lucy called out to her brother though he was too distracted by the argument with Eustace. As the cold water slightly started splashing out of the painting I gasped in shock. This couldn't be happening.
"What's going on here?" Eustace's attention was caught as he got splashed with the water.
"Lucy, do you think?" Edmund was about to ask his sister something but was interrupted midsentace.
"It's some kind of trick, stop it or I will tell mother!" Eustace exclaimed running over to the door calling out and trying to open it but it wouldn't budge. The water splashed all over the floor fastly rising. And suddenly everything made sence. Magic, the Narnian-looking boat... Deep down inside my mind was telling me I was being insane, but somehow I knew.
"I'll just smash the rotten thing!" my brother exclaimed pulling the frame of the wall.
"No, Eustace! No!" Edmund exclaimed as he and Lucy started fighting my brother. I looked around my room realising how everything on the floor was soaking wet already and I sighed in desperation. Most of them were my books. Somehow Lucy and Edmund managed to pry my brother of the painting dropping it on the floor in the process as the water filled the room. The currents pulled me down and I was surprised how strong they were. But there was not much time to think of it as I spat out the salt water trying not to choke. And that is when another fact hit me... I can't swim! My room was already covered in water and I did the most irrational thing I could. I tried yelling out Edmunds name, but water filled my lungs. I tried to move, but by every second my hands felt heavier and heavier. I could see Edmund, Lucy and Eustace make their way to the surface, but I could also see them being further and further away which meant I was sinking. Of all the ways I could die, I never thought drowning will be one of them. Suddenly I felt a pair of strong hands wrap around my waist as they dragged me up. And just in a matter of seconds my head ripped through the surface as I gasped for breath.
"It's alright I've got you!" my saviour exclaimed causing me to turn around and look at him whilst his hands still stayed on my waist. He started dragging me towards a ship I had just noticed and helped me onto a plank of wood. My legs wobbles as I took a tight grip on the rope beside me. "Hold on!" he said. And suddenly we were being pulled upwards to the ship.