Narnia: The World In The Back Of The Wardrobe

Chapter 4

Lucy was in my room both of us lying on our backs staring at the ceiling from my bed. "Millie?" "Yeah?" "Do you think I made it all up, that I just imagined it?" I furrowed my brows at her question, memories flooding my thoughts. "No." She turned over, a hopeful look on her face, "Really?" I nodded my head and sat up, bringing my legs underneath me as she did the same. "When we were hiding and you were in Narnia," she nodded showing that she was listening, "I saw some snow on the floor of the wardrobe. I know I didn't imagine it, when I touched it the snow melted and made my hands wet, and it was freezing in the wardrobe." She nodded a smile on her face. "Lucy I trust you okay, you've never lied to me and I will never lie to you." She looked at her hands fidgeting with them in her lap, "I wish the others felt that way."

I put my hand on hers, "Lucy they trust you it's just...sometimes it's hard for people to accept something that seems impossible. But that doesn't mean they love or trust you any less. Edmund's, letting out his frustration on everyone because he's homesick and doesn't like the fact that Peter's in charge. Susan bases her beliefs on facts and believes seeing is believing. And Peter, Peter is trying his best to take care of all of you and be the grown-up but I think that's clouded his judgment a little bit." She nodded understanding.

After dinner we all went separate ways, Lucy and Susan to their room for bed, Edmund to his room to mope, and Peter well I don't know where he went. I wandered the halls admiring the paintings and artifacts. I stood looking at one particular painting for a while. "It's beautiful."

I looked to my right seeing Peter next to me, looking at the painting as well. I looked back to the painting taking in its vivid colors and the emphasis created by the curving lines. I nodded, "It's my mum's favorite. She said when she was little her parents had one just like it and she used to stare at it for hours." There was a long moment of silence, so long I wondered if it would ever break. "How's Lucy?" I looked at him confused, "You haven't talked to her?" He shook his head, "She's not really in the mood to talk to me right now." I looked at the floor feeling bad for the siblings, "She's upset that none of you believe her but I'm sure she'll feel more in the mood soon, just give her some space." "I just don't know what to say." "Well, you could start with I'm sorry."

He looked at me in surprise. "Why should I apologize?" "Because the three of you practically said that she was lying." "And you think she's not?" I looked down at the floor, arms crossed. I could tell this wasn't going in a good direction. "No, I don't." He looked at me like I was crazy, and I couldn't help but feel feelings that brought back bad memories. "I saw the snow in the wardrobe, Peter." "So that means there's a magical land in the back of a wardrobe?" He says exasperatedly. "Which makes more sense, Peter. A magical land in the back of a wardrobe or snow in September? Because I don't recall snow being on the morning paper," I said irritation forming in my voice. "You said, that you saw snow and when you touched it it was water." I nodded, "Yeah." "Well, maybe it came from somewhere else like the ceiling had a leak and it went through the wood." I let out a sigh, "Peter, the wardrobes been left untouched for years." "Exactly," he said eyes wide thinking he had made his case. I continued, "And it was covered with a giant sheet. If the roof was leaking the sheet would have been wet and Susan would have felt it when she crawled in. But she didn't it was just gone." He let out a sigh too, he was losing this argument and he knew it. "Look all I'm trying to say is, whether you meant to or not you hurt her feelings." He shook his head looking from the floor to me, "Then why did she lie." I couldn't keep my scoff from coming out, "Did you even for a second think or consider the fact that she might be telling the truth?" "Did you ever think maybe it was just your imagination or a dream and you both are talking like crazy people?" he retorted coldly.

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"Did you ever think maybe it was just your imagination or a dream and your both are talking like crazy people?" I retorted coldly. My face softened. I realized right after I said it that what I said must've hurt because her face was emotionless. Blank, with no way of reading her thoughts. "Maybe your right." "What?" I furrowed my brows, confused. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find a way to wake up from this nightmare." She turned walking away. Dang it. "Millie-" I called after her but stopped as she swiftly turned around walking backward and said, "Who knows, maybe next I'll dream of that football field in the cupboards." She turned back around and disappeared around the corner. I brought my hand to my forehead, upset with myself for my words.

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I wandered down the hall, furious with Peter's words. I walked fast down the hall on the way to my room, but something stopped me. I turned around staring at the picture, my eyes winding and eyebrows furthering more the longer I looked at it. I ran to my room grabbing the picture my mum had packed and ran back. I held the framed picture up to the one that hung on the wall. They were identical. My parents, the babies, the older man. The man. I looked to my left and began walking in that direction. Confusion, fury, and sadness overflowing inside of me. I got to the professor's door and opened it slowly. The man looked up from his writing at his desk. Grey curly hair. Glasses.

His eyes widened at the sight of me. "Sir, why is a picture of my family hanging on your wall, and why are you in it?" I looked next to him and there also was the same picture, framed. He stood up from his chair, "Millie?" Even though I fought it with all my might tears began to form in my eyes, "Who are you?" I asked my voice sounding broken. And then he told me something I never, in a million years, would have expected.