The Lion, The Witch, The Pevensies and the Siren

Lucy's Tale

Lucy and Ridley ran past Edmunds hiding place taking several corners and staircases as they went before Lucy flung open a door and went inside, Ridley took off in the corridor of the second library and hid behind a bookcase, only a moment later Peter stopped counting and Lucy's voice cried out, Ridley made her way to the corridor where Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy and Alex were, all looking at each other. Lucy was almost in tears, and the others looked furious.

"One game at a time Lucy. We don't all have your imagination!" Peter said stalking off.

They others looked at Lucy enforce also walking away, Lucy looked at Ridley tears shining in her eyes.

"Come on," Ridley sighed walking with her back to their room, she sat on the bed and slumped over her head hitting Susan's pillow and a tear slid down her cheek.

"Lucy, what did this place look like?" Ridley asked sitting on her own bed, Lucy sat up, wiping the tear away.

A good two hours later Lucy declared the picture Ridley and herself were drawing done, and they shaded it in, so Lucy could see it exactly, and a grin broke out across her face.

"That's it, that's Narnia!" She squealed, her happiness almost too happy.

Ridley looked down at the winter wonderland and lamp post at the centre and her lips thinned into a line, Lucy ran off with a happy bounce and Ridley glanced at the shut door lucy had just gone through, then looked down at the picture again, she flicked to the first drawing in the book and the her latest, both were exactly the same, not a real different in the picture, other than the age, Ridley slammed the book shut and threw it under her mattress, vowing to herself that until the time was right, she wouldn't mention her dreams, the picture and fears to anyone. Not even her brother.

Ridley was silent that night at dinner, avoiding everyone's eyes as she ate, not speaking or making any notation that they were even there, but everyone noticed, for Alex kept glancing at his sister. Peter kept a gaze on her as he ate, only really taking half hearted notice in what was going on around him, Susan realised there was a lot less laughter around the table, with no banter it was oddly awkward.

Edmund fidgeted with his knife and fork under the awkward pressure that they were all exposed to, and Lucy was utterly silent, her head down and her food almost untouched.

 After dinner, Alex, Peter and Edmund went for showers, and Lucy and Susan went for a bath, while Ridley returned to the bedroom, she lay in her pyjamas staring at the ceiling, her heart pounding I her chest so hard it was painful, and she was fighting the urge to sleep, after the girls came back, they all headed to bed. Ridley dropped off around midnight only to be woken ten minutes later by Lucy, who was cheerfully bouncing on the young woman's bed.

"I saw him again, I did I went back he's alright the witch doesn't know about me! Mr Tumnus is alright!" Lucy squealed as Peter, Edmund, Alex and Susan stood around the girls bedroom.

"That's quite enough, Lucy!" Peter said lifting the girl off the bed and onto the floor.

"But it's true!" Lucy said indignantly "Even Ed was there!"

"What's all this about, Ed?" Peter asked rounding on Edmund, who glanced around.

"Tell us, Ed," said Susan who looked tired and grumpy

"Oh, yes, Lucy and I have been playing - pretending that all her story about a country in the wardrobe is true. Just for fun, of course. There's nothing there really."

Lucy looked at Edmund and ran out of the room, Edmund went on about how childish she was and Ridley flung off the covers, and pulled out the book, slamming it into Peters chest she gave them all am angry look and stormed after Lucy.

Ridley found Lucy with the Professor, she was sobbing into him.

"Sorry sir, I was just coming to find her, I'll talk to her." Ridley said lifting Lucy onto her hip as Peter and Susan arrived, Ridley glared scathingly at both of them and carried Lucy back to the room. Edmund and Alex were back in their room and Ridley lay Lucy in the bed, covering her over, and she stroked her face gently until Lucy was asleep, before laying back in her own bed and falling asleep. The next morning the sun was shining and they were all out in the grounds. Lucy was sat on her own under the shade of.a large tree, Alex, Susan, Peter and Edmund were playing cricket and Ridley was sat leaning against a stone pillar in the sun, with a book she was reading.  Soon things got out of hand when Edmund hit a cracking ball straight into a window in the side of the manor house. Everyone froze.