Nightmares Come Alive
By SugarHighNutcase
Short oneshot I came up with in about two seconds. If you find any spelling or grammar errors, please tell me. My Spell Check isn't working, for some reason. Enjoy!
Edmund was always prone to having nightmares. Dreadful nightmares. He'd often wake up in the night, screaming. He'd be gasping for breath and looking around the room frightfully, expecting someone- or something- to jump out at him. And all Edmund would find in his room was Peter, for Peter always seemed to know when Edmund needed him. Peter was always there when Edmund woke from a nightmare.
And when Mum had sent the siblings to the countryside to live with the professor, Edmund's nightmares had increased. He'd awoken in a sweat, panting, every night. And Peter would wearily lift his head from the bed next to Edmund's where he slept, and Peter would ask if Edmund was all right. And Edmund would snap angrily in reply and turn away from his elder brother. And when Peter went back to sleep, Edmund would cry.
The day Lucy had come back from the wardrobe, saying something about a magical world and a faun and whatnot, Edmund had merely shrugged it off as his younger sister being foolish. But that night, Edmund's dreams had been the worst he'd had since the day his father went off to war. Filled with battles and witches and lions, Edmund had woken up, only to find that Peter was sitting next to him on the bed, stroking his hair. Edmund had been screaming, and Peter had been there, ready to soothe. But when Edmund recovered enough to stop shaking, he'd yelled at Peter and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. And Edmund cried himself to sleep, thinking Peter had gone to sleep himself. But Peter heard it all, and inside, Peter was dying.
When the siblings found their way into Narnia, Edmund slowly bagan to realize all his nightmares were coming alive. Chained and frozen in the Witch's castle, Edmund's nightmares came back to him. And Edmund found himself wishing for Peter. But Peter was not there, Edmund had to remind himself, and that was primarily his own fault.
And Witch hurt Edmund, and Edmund was afraid. He knew he would soon be killed, but Edmund was afraid that his siblings would be killed, too. He was afraid Peter would get hurt.
And Edmund's nightmares were coming alive.
When Edmund was returned to his siblings, he was unsure of what they'd do. Having spent days with nothing but abuse, Edmund was terrified. And so when his siblings all hugged him, relief visible in their eyes, Edmund felt safe again.
But the night before the big battle, Edmund had nightmares of a sort he'd never had before. They felt so incredibly real. Edmund could feel the pain. But that night, Edmund had Peter to comfort him, and for once, Edmund allowed his brother to do so.
And the next day, Edmund was dying. And he figured it was his fault, and he deserved it anyway, he reasoned.
But Edmund did not expect life to come rushing back to him. He did not expect his siblings to be crying over his body. He did not expect Peter to hug him in such a way. He never expected Peter to show he loved Edmund.
And that night, Edmund had no nightmares.