Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia, only my own characters and plot!

Hi readers to a new week! I would like to thank Cookie Monster for the review! It's very much appreciated! :) Due to this chapter being a bit shorter than usual, I've decided to post 2 chapters today so I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 14: Whispers

I'm freezing. I'm dripping wet. I'm alone. In other words, I'm going to die. There are no two ways about it. I don't have any plan for getting out of this one. The skeletons that lay around me are proof that this is it. No one has managed to escape. I shiver in spite of myself before I glance around the cave again. Empty. Quiet. Basically dark. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, this happens. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stay warm, but not succeeding. I shiver again as my skin bursts out with goose bumps. I'm going to freeze to death! Perhaps moving will help warm my body up. I stand up slowly before I begin to walk in a circle. As I walk, I step on the bones of the deceased. Kicking a skull out of the way, I mumble to myself, irritated, as my mind swirls with unasked questions.

I wonder where all these people came from? Were they all Narnian's or were they from other countries? Were they all looking for this prophecy too, or were they just adventurers looking for a new place to explore? I wonder if they had families or whether these were all people my age? After Aslan knows how long of walking around in a constant circle, I sit down, bored and dizzy. As I lean against the wall, tired and hungry, I hear a grinding noise. I freeze and instantly unsheathe my sword, preparing myself for anything that may jump out at me suddenly. My heart thumps in my chest as I look around, my eyes scanning every possible surface that I can see, before I spy a new opening in the wall; barely. I know for a fact that that wasn't there before. I put my sword back in its place before crawling over to it. It's quite small, but I think I can get through it. I take a deep breath in to calm myself down before crawling into it. It's definitely a tight squeeze. My sides and back are basically dragging against the stone, but I don't really care if it means an escape.

After what feels like hours (but I'm sure it's only a few minutes), I roll out of the opening and into a space. I can't tell you anything about it since it's pitch black. Not a sound can be heard nor anything seen. I feel sticky stuff on my arms and back and instantly know that I've cut myself. I'm bleeding again, I just know it! I can't worry about that right now though. I stand up slowly and instantly take out my sword in case there's something in here. Why don't we just go back to the other place, Alia? It's probably safer. No! There must be an exit here somewhere! I take a cautious step forward before I take another one. So far, so good. I take a few deep breaths in as I slowly begin to walk forward.

"Athalia." I freeze immediately. That is not a voice I recognise. It's a rough and dark kind of voice, but it's also very quiet, barely above a whisper.

"Athalia…" a singsong kind of voice rings in a quiet whisper. This is not the same one from a second ago. I look around me for the source but don't come up with anything. It's just too dark.

"Who's there?" I question loudly, pointing my sword out in front of me.

"Athalia, come with us. We will make you our Queen," a raspy voice whispers.

"I repeat, who's there?" I shout out, ignoring the whisper. I feel a sudden tap on my shoulder and spin around courageously. No one's there.

"Athalia…" the singsong voice whispers again.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," the dark voice whispers. I spin around again, pointing my sword out in the darkness.

"What do you want with me?" I question before I take a shaky breath in. I can feel my body filling up with adrenaline as I look around at the darkness creeping around me.

"We want you to come with us. Follow us. You don't need to follow the High King and listen to him. We're here. We'll let you be our ruler, our Queen," the singsong whisper persuades as I feel a whoosh of wind pass by my back. I spin around again, my hands shaking with – dare I say it, but – fright. It's definitely a tempting situation all the same though…Alia! Don't fall for it!

"Who are you?" I whisper back quietly. I feel another tap on my shoulder and quickly turn, slashing my sword through the air.

"We are the whisperers. Come with us. We won't hurt you…" Alia…run…now! My instincts scream at me. My brain rushes a million miles a second. My heart beats wildly out of control. I take one look at my darkened sword before my legs carry me away. I don't know where I'm going and I don't know where I am, but, at the moment, I don't care. I need to get back to the others – immediately. There must be a way out! There's got to – ouch! I yelp as I face plant into a stone wall and fall back. I can feel the blood start dripping off of my forehead as I look around in defeat. I'm alone. In the dark. With creatures that I can't see. I feel the corner of my eyes prick with tears before I give up. Defeated, I let the tears roll down my cheeks in torrents. I bury my face in my hands as I try to think of the better times. Miss Fink teaching me how to plait my hair when I was younger. The day I found out that Miss Fink was going to open the orphanage. My first sword and first kill…whoever said looking back at the happy moments in your life is supposed to make you feel better is a liar! I feel even worse now! "Athalia…come with us…"

"NO! Get away from me, please!" I beg, not even bothering to hide the fact that I'm crying. "Please just – "

"We'll be your friends."

"Go away! Leave me alone!" I scream. I need to get out of here! Aslan, save me, please! I jump to my two feet, tears still flowing rapidly down my face, before running again, only, this time, in another direction. I choke on my sobs as I breathe rapidly; a soft, cold, wind whipping past my face. The room seems to be getting impossibly darker as I run along; my eyes and mind creating images of scary creatures and horrors in the darkness. Suddenly, I feel the earth shatter under me before I'm airborne. I feel my backside land on something and then I find myself sliding downwards into a pit of darkness.