This chapter is dedicated to:
Johanna Black.
For reviewing every chapter.
"Thanks"-
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Lucy was the most wonderful girl I'd ever met. She was cute, brave, caring, and old in a strange way. I supposed the war had made her see things different.
Susan was….. there were no other words for it…… extremely logical. But still she was nice and kind. I could see she missed her father. She was like a mother would be.
Peter was protective, brave, stubborn, and difficult to change his mind. He thought it was his fault Edmund had gone to the Witch's side.
The three of them asked me many questions about the future and my life. Lucy liked the fact that men had gone to the moon. Susan was cherished by the idea of cell phones, computers, and women's clothes. Peter was utterly happy by the fact that the war was over in 1945, but he still asked me about school while we were walking.
"So you don't go to boarding school?"- He asked. Lucy and Susan liked that idea too.
"No. only six or seven hours a day plus an hour of arts or sports or music, but now I mostly go to rehearsal a Christmas play we are going to perform."- I said
"What kind of Christmas play?"- Lucy asked
"Well, we represent the birth of Jesus."- I said-"And what sports do you play?"-
Lucy and Susan stared at me like if I was crazy. Peter laughed.
"What?'- I said. It had been a normal question.
"We don't play sports. Well, cricket sometimes, but that's all."- Susan said. Lucy nodded.
"Wait, in 1940, women didn't play sports, do they?'- I asked, catching on.
They nodded. Peter asked: "You do?"
"Yes. Of course."- I said-"Basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball, volleyball and sometimes I play it in the ocean."-
They were staring at me astonished.
"Well, I don't mean that I play all of them, but I likely prefer basketball and volleyball."- I said.
Susan changed the subject.
"You told us you liked to read. Which books are your favorites?"- She asked
"My favorites are Harry Potter and Twilight series."- I said
"Harry Potter?"- Lucy asked
"It's about an orphan boy. When he is eleven he discovers he is a wizard…."- and I told them the whole story.
"And Twilight?"- Peter asked.
"That's a love story between a human girl named Isabella 'Bella' and a vampire named Edward….."- And I told them the story.
"And poems?"- Lucy asked
"I know a Roman Poem:
A magpie flies
To steal the moon
The owl will steal
Good fortune
Free the cat
Untie the sack
She'll catch the birds
And bring luck
Back.
Lucy liked it and made me repeat it over and over until Susan said:
"And do you have friends?"
"Yes. Well now is kind of difficult."- I said
"Why?"- Peter asked
"Well since I entered elementary school my best friend has been Jane Newton. She has two brothers, Carl, two years younger than us, and Mike, eight years younger. Then in sixth grade a girl named Lyra Sheimein was made my lab partner and we became friends. The teacher, who changed us of places every now and then, changed Lyra in my desk, which was of two people. Well after that we became more friends. She had already a best friend, Allyn, but she had moved to another city in fourth grade and her new best friend was Emma. I tried and tried so many times that Jane, Lyra, Emma, and I could hang out, but Jane and Lyra didn't liked each other. Emma sided with Lyra and I didn't sided with anyone. When we entered Junior High, Jane became friends with Angie, a girl in our class. I think she hoped I would become jealous, but instead of that I made her, Jane and my best friend. Things were easier then. Angie liked Lyra and Emma, and so the four of us started hanging out with them. The bad thing is that we didn't told Jane. Then just a few months after that Carl had cancer. Angie and I spended more time with her, but one day, we had just finished our examinations, Angie and I didn't went to Jane's house as usual since we were hanging out with Lyra and Emma. The bad thing is that Jane saw us when we were buying some ice cream and she hasn't talked to Angie or me since that. It has been two months."- I finished
"But why is she mad?"- Lucy asked
"Over the last year she start loathing Lyra and Emma more that usual"-
"Why didn't you told her you hanged out with them?'- Susan said
"Because we knew she would do this."-
"Then why did you did it?"- Peter said
"Because we like them. We like Jane, Lyra, and Emma. Is just that they don't like each other."- I said
"Have you been in a relationship?"- She asked. I could see it was hard for her to ask this so freely.
"No. Just dates."- I said
"Well, at least you don't have a brother that protects you so much that you can hardly talk to a boy."- She said glancing at Peter.
"I do have brothers and a sister."- I said
"Really?"- Peter asked.
"Yes. Mayrin is twenty-eight and is also my step-sister. Vicktor is twenty-seven and is my step-brother. And well I do have a brother. A brother that is son from my mother."- I said
"What's he's name?"- Lucy asked
"Paul"- I whispered-"he died a year ago."-
"I'm sorry"- She said. The others nodded.
"And still I will never forgive myself because it was my fault."- I said
"Why?"- Susan asked
"It was his birthday. I gave him his birthday present to him late on the night. It was two tickets to a concert band that was playing in the city. The bad thing was that he had been grounded that night. I convinced him to sneak out. It wasn't as if he had never broken our father's rules. We went to the concert and everything was right until we were going home. We had a car accident. And he died. The last thing i saw was he looking at me before everything went black. Next thing I know is that I am in the hospital. The doctors say that he put himself over me so the other car wouldn't hit me. But it hit him. He died. And its my fault."- I said.
"No it isn't."- Susan said
"It is. You weren't there."- I said-"I usually don't mention him. That's why I said I didn't have siblings."-
"How was he?"- Lucy asked at the same time Peter asked: "How old was he?"-
"He was seventeen. He was the most wonderful brother I will ever have. I mean there's no competition. Paul was kind, cheerful, protective, and nice, meanwhile Vicktor is all the contrary."-
We were all in silence when we saw the river. The frozen river.
"Now Aslan's camp is near the Stone Table just across the frozen river."- Mr. Beaver said
"River?"- Pater asked concerned. I didn't blamed him,
"The river's been frozen solid for a hundred years."-Mrs. Beaver said
"It's so far."- Peter complained
"It's the world, dear."- Mrs. Beaver told him-"Did you expect it to be small?"-
"Smaller"- Susan said looking at Peter.
We continued walking. I was tired. The Beavers were the first in line. Next Susan, then Peter, then a few feet behind Lucy, and other feet behind me. I was the last on line. Great.
"It's so white."- I said aloud. It was true. I looked everywhere and everywhere was white. The others laughed.
"Come on humans! While we are still young."- Mr. Beaver said for the thousand time.
Susan and Peter waited for Lucy and me.
"If he tell us to hurry one more time, I'm gonna turn him into a big, fluffy hat."- Peter said as he was carrying Lucy on his back.
We chuckled.
"Hurry up! Come on!"- Mr. Beaver screamed
"And that's your signal for you turn him into a hat, Peter."- I said
"He is getting a little busy."- Lucy said
"Agreed"- I said
"No! Behind you! It's her!"- Mrs. Beaver yelled
We all turned around. Indeed it was her.
"Run! Run!"- Mrs. Beaver cried
"Run!"- Peter said unnecessarily. In a second I left them behind. It seemed my coach's motivation for my class and me to run was doing effect. But with snow was hard to run. Well it sure was a bad thing they, as in Susan and Lucy, didn't played sports. I was sure Peter could have had keep up, but he was dragging Lucy. I waited for them and took Lucy's other hand.
"Hurry!"- Peter said. The Witch's bells were near.
"Ouch!"- I cried. My right foot was stuck in a hole.
"Anna"-
"Ella"-
"Bella"-
"Go on!"- I yelled. They couldn't get catch..- "Go on!"- I repeated. They did as I told them. I knew I was going to die. Maybe if I died here I would return to my world. I looked up. The others weren't on sight. Well they were safe. I hoped. And then I hear someone behind me.
"Anna Gabriella"- A male voice said. It wasn't the Witch! I looked up. It was…no. It couldn't be. Father Christmas. I wasn't going to die!
"Hello"- He said cheerfully.-"I think you need a little help."- I nodded.
He helped me get up, and before I knew what was happening my foot was free.
"Go on. Call the others."- He said. I could only nod stupidly.
"Peter. Susan. Lucy. Beavers. It's all right. Come on."- I was walking to the place I had last saw them and then abruptly someone tool my hand and dragged me to a super-mini-cave.
"What's happening?'- Peter asked. He was the one that had dragged me.
"Come on. It's not her."- I said as I freed myself of his grasp.
Mr. Beaver slowly followed me. When he saw Father Christmas he said to the others who were still in the cave.
"Come here, come here. I hope you've all been good 'cause there's someone here to see you!"- He was more enthusiastically than me.
They were shocked. Well who wouldn't. Father Christmas chuckled.
"Merry Christmas, sir."- Lucy said. Well she certainly had manners.
"It certainly is, Lucy, since you have arrived."- He said
"Look I've put up with a lot since I got here, but this…."- Susan was saying but Peter cut her off rudely:
"We thought you were the Witch."-
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry about that but in my defense, I have been driving one of these longer than the Witch."- Father Christmas said
"I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia."- Susan said. She had a point.
"No, for a long time."- He said- "But that hope that you have brought Your Majesties, is finally starting to weaken the Witch's power. Still I dare say you could do with these."- He said taking out a big, big bag.
"Presents!"- Lucy said. I laughed.
He took out a crystal or glass bottle filled with something red and give it to her.
"The juice of the fire-flower. One drop will cure any injury. And though I hope you never have to use it."- He gave her a dagger.
"Thank you sir, but I think I could be brave enough."- Lucy said
"I'm sure you could. But battles are ugly affairs."- He said-"Susan"- she came forward.
"Trust in this bow and it will not easily miss."-
"What happened to 'battles are ugly affairs'"- She asked
He chuckled. "Though you don't seem to have a problem making yourself heard, blow on this horn and wherever you are help will come."-
"Thanks"- She said
"Peter. The time to use these may be near at hand."- He gave him a sword and a shield.
"Thank you, sir"- He said
"Anna Gabriella"- He said. I came forward.-"You may be the one that needs more tools since you will have to protect Narnia, her next kings and queens, and yourself. That's why I will give you this"- he gave me a small brown bag, full with kunais (they are small arrows very sharp)-"since you won't always attack in hand combat, you can use this and throw them at distance. Also this bayonet, which can be used as a sword or knife. And lastly this katana which I think will come in handy."-
All of them had a lion's head. I suppose it was Aslan.
"Thank you, sir."- I said
"These are tools, not toys. Bear them well and wisely. Now I must be off. Winter is almost over and things do pile up when you've been gone a hundred years. Long live Aslan! And Merry Christmas!"- He said and took off.
"Merry Christmas!"-
"Merry Christmas!"-
"See you next year!"-
"Goodbye!"-
"Told you he was real."- Lucy said to Susan. And I saw her point. When I was little I had truly believed in Father Christmas. Then I don't know why stopped. And know I do believe. Again.
"He said winter was almost over"- Peter said deep in thought-"You know what that means. No more ice."-
"The river!"- I cried.
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Next time on Love's Real Worth:
They cross the river.
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