Voyage of the Dawn Treader – Alternative Movie Scene.

By Allyson

(A/N – C.S. Lewis owns all of Narnia, and I'm only borrowing a tiny snippet of the film)

The crew of the Dawn Treader slept fitfully on their approach to the Dark Island. The place they had been warned would bring all their greatest fears to life. None slept so badly as Edmund.

Edmund had always suffered from terrible nightmares, especially after his first visit to Narnia and his ill-fated meeting with Jadis, the White Witch. Now lying in his hammock, Edmund was desperately trying to stay awake, despite the lull of the ship and the sound of Caspian's and Eustace's breathing.

Almost every time his eyes began to heavily droop close, he heard that dreaded seductive voice in his ears and felt a familiar icy chill sweep down his spine. In vain he tried to ignore her.

"Edmund," crooned the voice of the White Witch, sounding both far away and yet disturbingly close at the same time. "My sweet Prince . . . I could make you my King and you could rule of all of Narnia . . . Isn't that what you want?"

Edmund shook his head, violently trying to shake himself awake.

"You will always be mine . . . Silly boy, I cannot die."

Her words clawed at Edmund's heart, replacing his stomach with a block of ice. His fingers itched to move but a thick blanket of mist smothered him and seemed to trap him where he lay.

"Where is Aslan now? He cannot help you . . . If only you had gone to America with your sister . . . But the world isn't fair, is it?"

Edmund tried not to let despair overwhelm him, as he fought harder to break her spell.

"You are a weak boy. You are no soldier," Jadis's taunts had an icicle edge to them. "Nobody cares about you here. Your precious brother can't save you this time."

Peter! The very thought of his older brother caused Edmund to feel a tiny boost of hope. Peter wouldn't let a nightmare get the best of him. And neither would Edmund.

"Ed," the amused soothing tone of his brother's voice caused the ice in his stomach to melt as if were never there to begin with. "Wake up, Ed. It's just a dream. She isn't here, you're just dreaming."

Edmund fought the heavy mist weighing down on him, twitching his whole arm.

"Come on, Ed," Peter's encouraging voice drowned out the White Witch's promises and silk-lined threats. "Don't let her win. I know you can do this, Ed. Wake up!"

The heaviness lifted and Edmund could almost feel the welcoming haze of consciousness upon him.

"EDMUND!" shouted Peter, as Jadis simultaneously called out to him.

Edmund's eyes snapped open and, sword in hand, bolted upright awake. The hammock lurched as he had the fleeting image of the White Witch leaning over him before he found himself brandishing his sword at empty air.

"Edmund?" Lucy's voice startled him and he looked around to find his sister watching him in concern.

"Lucy?"

"I couldn't sleep," she replied, looking unhappy and moving to stand closer to her brother.

Edmund flopped back into his hammock, trying to calm his racing heart.

"It's only going to get worse," he murmured, almost to himself.

Seeing the troubled look on Lucy's face, Edmund carefully moved over to make some room on the hammock for her. Lucy smiled gratefully at him and allowed him to help her up.

As she settled in next to Edmund, Lucy confided in a quiet voice, "I wish Peter was here."

For a moment Edmund was silent as he watched Lucy's eyes slowly drift shut and the anxious frown fade from her face, finally sleeping peacefully.

"Me too," he whispered, hoarsely, as he once again battled from falling back to sleep.

The End.