Evacuating London
(Chapter Excerpt from my story, Before Narnia, yet another taste of what is to come)
Summary: Chapter from another story that is to come, Before Narnia, where Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are all riding on the train to the Professor's House, and what their thoughts are, what they feel… Short but sweet (movie based)
Peter sat down next to the child, about Edmund's age, with the weird hat. Whatever, its just a hat. Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were across from him. Edmund was staring out the window, probably dreaming… of his secret, maybe? The secret that only Peter knew, the secret that Edmund told Peter long ago, back when they were friends, back before the war… even though they practically hated each other now, Peter had remained faithful and did not reveal his secret to his sisters. Although they did know what the secret was about, they didn't know who it was about. And that was enough for Edmund, so that was enough for Peter.
The train hobbled along, slowly but surely, through the English countryside. Where were they going, anyway?
I wonder what Virginia is doing now…Peter wondered. Virginia was Peter's best friend, and was being left behind in the dangers of London… he had begged his mother to let Virginia come along, but Peter's mother told him that Virginia's mother wouldn't hear of it. It nearly broke his heart…
Not that he loved her! He only loved her as a best friend… like a sister. A sister dear to his heart, his twin. Funnily enough, she actually had a twin brother… And the farewell kiss to her cheeks meant nothing, they were friendly kisses...
Peter stared across at Susan, who nodded at him. It was up to them to keep the group strong, to stop Edmund and Lucy from breaking down completely… they had all been through so much lately, each one of them was a different person than they used to be. Susan was way more mature, and didn't feel the need for material things (which was a HUGE surprise to all) Edmund was more whiny and bratty, and Lucy was way more sensitive. Not to mention Peter was more protective, like a father.
They had all changed. For the worse, that's what Peter thought. Oh, how he longed for the days when he was carefree! How he longed for those days, where he went bicycle riding with Virginia (he turned his bike in so weapons could be made from it) and go out swimming, not caring where the Germans were, not caring about anything at all…
He was a 35-year-old father in a 15-year-old's body. His Youth was gone.
Susan stared at Peter. Poor Peter, he was so troubled. He had nothing, now that Virginia was gone… and since she was being left in England, why, he might never see her again!
There you go again, Susan… always being logical. Susan sighed. Although everyone but Peter knew it, Virginia had the hugest crush on Peter… it was sweet, actually, she loved him. But Peter was too blind to see it. Way too blind to even know. It was heartbreaking to Virginia, to be sure.
Susan did not have a crush, not small nor huge, on anyone. She might have liked Ronald, Virginia's twin brother, for a little bit, but not anymore. She had grown up in the early days of the war.
Nazis! Oh how she hated them! Those idiotic freaks that tore her away from home tore Peter away from his best friend tore everyone away from everything they cared about, and tore souls away from bodies. Nazis!
Nazis should be considered an insult when the horrible war is over, Susan thought grumpily. Lucy used to be such a happy, always happy never sad, child. Edmund used to be pleasant, but shy; she, Susan, used to be carefree, and of course Peter used to be less grown up.
Nazis! Why, oh why, had they ruined the lives of so many? Innocent lives, never to be repaid… not in blood, nor sweat, but maybe in tears…
Nazis! Why did they do this to everyone? Sarah, who has to be torn away from her love…,
Sarah, the little sister of Ronald and Virginia, Sarah, the other lover in the group… the lover of Edmund.
Poor Sarah, she was crying so heavily in Susan's lap right before they left.
Nazis! They tore away both the Pevensie's and the Borotti's (that was the other family's last name) father, and each member's personalities… except for Antonio, the eldest brother of the Borotti family, and the only one who actually was born in Italy. Then there was Michael, Lucy's age. The reason, in truth, why the families were so close was because when the Borotti family moved next door to the Pevensie family, the Pevensie family knew Italian and were the only ones in the neighborhood who did, so they gladly helped the Borotti family and soon all the Pevensie children and the Borotti children became friends, as well as the parents.
Nazis!
Edmund pulled out his notebook just as the train pulled out of the station where the other children in their compartment left. The people who took the kids didn't seem very nice to Edmund.
This notebook was a special notebook. It was filled with letters that never would be sent, filled with love letters to Edmund's love, who would never receive them because she would never find out that he loved her. Never would she find out, because she was going to die. She was going to die because her idiotic mother didn't want to send her away during the blitz.
Of course, Edmund hadn't begged her mother like Peter had begged Virginia's mother, because there was no use. Virginia's mother was his love's mother.
Sarah.
Oh how he wished, dearly wished, that he could love her! But now it was too late. He, the 11-year-old lover, was doomed to come home and find his love dead.
Idiotic mother. Idiotic Nazis.
So Edmund leaned over his notebook so no one could see, and began writing.
Dear Sarah, my love,
I miss you already. Although you will never read this letter to you, I shall read it every day since our parting here. I am going to some old Professor's house, never to return to you again. How I wish I could, but there is no way you are going to be able to survive the Nazis. Your mother is being cruel to me and you, as well as both our families. I love you, and I weep for the death that is certain to come.
Love forever,
Edmund
And he stopped there. He didn't want to write anything more, not when it depressed him so. After all, her death, along with his Mum, their Mum, Antonio (who was coming home from college soon), Virginia, Ronald, and Michael-as well as the dads. All dead. All doomed.
He nearly wept then, Edmund, but he knew he had to keep up appearances as the train went through fields and valleys and forests, on the way to the Professor's. His poor, breaking heart needed nourishment.
And no one was giving him it. His love.
Lucy sat on the edge of her seat. Edmund had recently slipped away his mysterious notebook that no one was allowed to read. Not even his best friend, Sarah. In fact, Edmund nearly screamed when Sarah had almost read it, in anger of course.
But Lucy didn't really care. Did she care about Edmund's private thoughts?
No, not really.
All she wanted was for all she loved to be safe, and for her to be away from it all forever. This war was making everyone grow up; she would not fall under its spell. She wouldn't! She wouldn't! She refused to fall under the war's spell! She still had her imagination!
Her imagination. How important it was for her to hold onto that one piece of childhood she had left.
Hold on, Hold on. It was so hard sometimes, after all. Mummy was going to die, the Borotti family was going to die, and the Dads of both families were going to die.
And she was going to be left alone, left with her siblings. How she wished she could just open a door and everything be perfect! Open a door to one of those places left in her imagination. How she wished it to be true!
And why couldn't it be true? If she could hold on to her one piece of childhood even now, then she could definitely find a magical country. But where to look?
A closet? A bathroom? A field? A forest?
A wardrobe?
But of course, as Susan would say, this is illogical. Of course she couldn't find an imaginary country.
Especially in a wardrobe.
Lucy almost snorted. A magical country, in a wardrobe! How queer of a thought!
Hold on, Hold on.
His youth was gone
Nazis!
His love
Hold on, Hold on
And they were there, at the beat up train station, where the adventure truly begins.
His youth was gone.
Nazis!
His love
Hold on, Hold on.
(1,473 Words) God, I'm making a lot of these!