Edmund stumbled into the small room where he and Lucy were being kept. He tried to remember what had just happened in the time he had been gone. But, just like the night before, everything seemed to be slipping through his fingers, and by the time he collapsed on the floor in their cell he couldn't remember anything that made sense. He could remember a couple of different smells, a few flashes of light, a glance at a face he hadn't seen long enough to make out, and an odd sensation as if something were crawling beneath his skin.

At the thought, he tried to lift his hand to scratch at his chest, but the aching pain prevented him from doing so. As he groaned and blinked the room came back into focus, and he realized that Lucy was leaning over him… and that she had apparently been calling his name.

"Lucy," he breathed, reaching for her hand despite that it hurt to do so. "I'm okay," he promised as she took hold of his hand. Tired and incredibly achy, he closed his eyes again, which frightened Lucy.

"Edmund?" She said frantically, "Edmund!"

Without opening his eyes, he grunted, "I'm all right, Lucy. I'm just tired."

"Oh, Edmund," Lucy sighed, "Do you not remember anything?"

Forcing himself to talk, he said, "Nothing that makes sense."

"You don't have any idea of what they're doing to you?" she pressed.

"No," Edmund said, halfway opening his eyes, "I don't know what they're doing besides weakening me."

Lucy blinked, thinking. At first she had assumed they were hurting him, but there wasn't a mark on him. There never was when he returned, yet he was in so much pain it hurt him to move even a little. Maybe they weren't harming him. Maybe they were doing something to strain every muscle in his body instead. Maybe they were simply weakening him.

"Edmund," Lucy whispered after a long while, "can you tell me what kind of pain you're in?"

"Sorry?"

"Does it feel like you're bruised? Or is it more like you've been sparring with Peter all day?"

Edmund choked a laugh at the thought of sparring all day with Peter. If they were ever to try it, he was certain they would both collapse at least halfway through.

"I feel sore, Lucy, like I've been over-working every muscle in my body. It's even difficult to speak. But I don't feel as though I've been beaten."

When Lucy was silent, Edmund spoke again. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Lucy finally concluded. "I just don't understand why they're doing this. It's almost as if they're using you as a slave or something… but why would they only take you? Why leave me here?"

"Maybe because you're a girl… HEY!"

Momentarily forgetting the pain her brother was in, Lucy had smacked Edmund's arm.

"Oh! Sorry, Ed!"

Groaning, he turned his back on her. "It's all right, Lu."

What felt like only a few minutes later, Edmund woke to the sound of a door slamming shut. Opening his eyes, he saw Lucy staring back at him. She looked frightened. Without saying a word, he took hold of her hand and squeezed it, no longer as sore as he was the night before.

Lucy whispered, "Edmund?"

He shushed her as he tried to listen. It had sounded as though someone had angrily slammed that door, and Edmund hoped he might hear raised voices. In the time they had spent in this gloomy place they had never heard any of their captors speak, not even when they would come to whisk him away. He hoped that maybe now he could learn something.

But the next thing he heard was the sound of the door on the opposite wall creaking open.

A/N: What the heck is going on? Youguysleavemenoreviewsanymore. Did I do something wrong? Lol. I'll send you guys kittens and smiles if you review… and maybe cookies, too. But right now I mostly have an abundance of kittens… I mean, even as I type this one of them is sleeping in my lap despite the fact that my laptop was here first…

Why am I talking about kittens?! Is this really my life now?

You know what, bye… I'm done for today bahaha.

But seriously, review or else… or else… or else you won't see Redstar again! Or maybe Peter will break-up with Camille! Or maybe Susan will turn evil! MAYBE IT'S ALL SUSAN'S DOING MWAHAHAHAHA! Or maybe Camille will accidentally drop Finis off a cliff! Or maybe Edmund will die! Or maybe Lucy will murder Camille, thinking she's evil when she comes to save them!

Okay, none of that is supposed to happen (or is it? I might be lying…), but maybe I'll change the plot a bit…

Seriously, I don't even know what's wrong with me today, so don't ask because I won't be able to explain. I'm just crazy… and a bit excited to finish this story!