CH. 1

The Bomb-cellar

I stared out the window from the living room. Right over the street I could see the house where the Pevensies lived. In a second I thought I saw a small light and Susans face, but then it was gone. We wasn't allowed to use light, other than small candles in a few seconds.

I turned away from the window and walked slowly over to the small kitchen where I made a small cup of warm chocolate.

With the warm cup in my hands I walked back to the window and sat down in the armchair. Now it was totally darkness outside. I let out a heavy sigh and closed my eyes. I was tired, but didn't want to go to sleep. Not yet. I didn't want to dream of it again. I didn't want to see the wolves attacking Peter, Susan and Lucy. I didn't want to see Edmund in that cell, his skin white and his lips blue. I really didn't want to see it.

I sat up, trembling and gasping. I had just dreamt of it again. I put my head in my hands and felt tears streaming down my cheeks.

Peter and Susan. Their names appeared in my head. They didn't knew about my nightmares, but the Pevensies were like the siblings I never had.

I rose from the armchair just as I heard it. I froze. Then I heard it again.

BOOM!

Still far away, but it was there, and it would fast come closer. I hurried to the door. I had to get over to the Pevensies. Our families were sharing the same bomb-cellar, and it was in their garden.

In the darkness I couldn't see where I walked. I fell over something, but got to may feet and continued. My hand searched for the key.

BOOM! BOOM!

Closer. My heart was beating fast.

"Come on!" I cried. There it was. I turned the key around in the keyhole and pushed the door up. I looked around when I heard it again, much closer.

BOOM!

I ran. Down the stairs and nearly fell again. I heard screams and shouting as I crossed the street. I climbed over the low gate.

"Ed!" I heard someone cry.

"Edmund, no!"

"I'll get him!" In the darkness I thought I could see Peter running after Edmund. I was really scared, but I just had to stop, turn around and watch as the night was lighted up by another explosion. I stared with wide open eyes as another bomb was dropped just a few blocks away.

"Catty!" I heard Susan shout behind me. I turned and ran toward Peter who was standing in the open door to the bomb-cellar. I looked over my shoulder, back at the house I had lived in with my father. Something hit me in the side. A scream of pain came from my lips and I fell to the ground.

I couldn't see or hear. I only felt the pain in the side. Someone lifted me up and I was carried away from all what could hurt me.

I gasped. Again I could both hear and see. Over me I saw Susan and Peters worried faces.

"Give me space. Peter, hold her", said a known voice. Mrs. Pevensie. "Catharina, this is going to hurt, but you have to trust me", she told me. I only nodded. It couldn't be worse than it already was.

Someone lifted me up and sat down with my head in his lap. Over me I saw Peters blue eyes and light brown hair. He held my arms and I closed my eyes.

"Try to think about something else." Peters voice was soft as he spoke. My heart was still beating fast and I was breathing heavy. "Think about that summer two years ago. We were sitting under the big oak, joking and laughing." I tried to remember what he said. "Do you remember we went down to the river where we pushed Edmund into the water?" Peter continued talking with the same soft and low voice while Mrs. Pevensie washed my wound and bandaged me.

By the time she finished, tears were again running down from my eyes to my ears. I was trembling and Peter carefully took me into a warm hug. Susan came from the other side and they both held me.

After a while Peter let go of me and turned to Edmund.

"Why did you do that?!" he shouted. "You could've got killed!" His eyes were flashing.

"Peter, stop it", Mrs. Pevensie said with a look at her oldest son. Then she took Edmund into a warm embrace. I could see he just had cried. A new tear ran down his cheek and he laid his face to his mothers chest.

I saw up at Peter who was trembling gently. Then he fell over on his bed and didn't look at any of us. If the idea I got was right, then it was the first time ever I saw Peter cry.

"Do you feel better?" Susan asked gently.

"Yes, I only feel a bit-" I suddenly stopped. Then I rose and searched through every pocket I had.

"What's wrong?" Susan inquired. I saw at her with panic.

"I've lost it! I've lost the box dad gave me!"

Most of all I wanted to push up the door and run over to the house to find it, but as if he knew what I was thinking, Edmund reached out for me and took my arm.

"Don't... don't go out there!" the twelve years old boy whispered. I looked down at him. The messy, black hair, those brown eyes and the light face. With a sigh I sat down again.

Lucy with her nearly red hair and blue eyes climbed up on my lap and laid her small arms around my waist. A small gasp came from me as she touched the wound. I had nearly forgot about it. Carefully I moved her arms a bit higher and put my own arms around her.

Edmund saw at me. I reached out a hand for him, and he came up, sat down beside me and leant against me. With another sigh I laid my arm around him too and closed my eyes.