Author's note: Hi gang, this is my first story; please be generous, although any constructive input will be appreciated. I should first mention that I own none of C.S. Lewis' characters or his plotlines, this is purely for fun, and secondly I would suggest that readers not come to this story unless they have read the last book of the series and seen Prince Caspian.
Now without further ado…
The Stone-Part 1
It was 3:00 on Saturday the 22nd. Susan Pevensie was just finishing her makeup when the phone rang.
"Miss Pevensie?"
"This is she."
"Miss Pevensie, my name is Elizabeth Pratt, I am a nurse with the local hospital. I'm calling in regards to the train crash that occurred this morning."
"Oh, no, I heard about that…Wait a minute, which of the morning trains was it?" Susan couldn't figure out why, but the skin on the back of her neck was starting to shiver.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Miss Pevensie, but it was the 11 o'clock. No one survived."
"The 11 o'clo…Oh my god…" Susan's hands rattled the receiver as her eyes flicked over to the three letters on the kitchen table. The first was from her parents and her siblings, Peter, Edmund and Lucy, the second was from her cousin Eustace Scrubb and his fiancée Jill Pole, and the third was from Professor Kirke and his friend Miss Polly. While the wording and style were different in each letter, they all contained basically the same message: "Dear Su, we will be coming into town for the weekend. We are coming in on the 11 o'clock train on Saturday the 22nd, and will meet up with you later, perhaps a play? Much love…" Susan began to weep, and Nurse Pratt discreetly hung up.
On Thursday, Susan was getting dressed for the funeral. As she felt around in her drawer for her set of black drop earrings, her finger brushed a ruby-and-gold locket that was tangled with all the junk that had somehow collected itself with her jewelry. Normally Susan wouldn't have bothered, but when her eyes fell on the locket, she was reminded of something, she wasn't quite sure what, and so she carefully undid the knots that held it captive.
"Strange" she thought as she held it to the light. "I know that I got this as a gift, but I haven't the faintest idea of how, when, why or even who gave it to me." The necklace was certainly beautiful. The ruby on the front was embossed with the crest of a lion, and it was in a gold setting on a delicate gold chain. However, the most beautiful part of that locket was the way the stone glinted in the late afternoon sun, causing the lion to almost wink at Susan.
Alas, such a piece was certainly too gaudy for such an occasion, so Susan carefully put it down and instead wore her mother's onyx pendant on the silver chain.
"We cannot know why this train crash took the lives of those we love." Susan's Aunt Helen, her godmother, had been chosen to make a eulogy for everyone who was lost. Though Susan had initially intended to speak herself, she had realized that if she were to stand before the congregation, then she might very well burst into tears, which she had been doing all week. Aunt Helen continued, "However, I know that we Pevensies, Brookes, Scrubbs, Poles, Kirkes, and Plummers who still remain will always remember our departed with love."
Susan began to cry again, and as Helen finished, she made a beeline for her godchild. Putting her arms around Susan, she whispered soothingly, "It's all right, dearest, it's all right…"