Elizabeth, the Young Explorer

The Painting

Elizabeth's POV
"Yeah, they're the oldest and we're the youngest." Edmund adds.

"And the Mexican orphan." I joke.

When the Pevensies came home with an extra child, they told their parents I was a Mexican orphan they met. I was so confused, but I played along. Apparently my Telmarine accent resembles an accent people from Mexico have. I didn't know what Mexico was either, but they explained after I met their parents.

"We don't matter as much." Ed mumbles bitterly.

"I'm sure that's not true." I try to comfort him, but he just ignores me.

"Do you think I look anything like Susan?" Lucy asks suddenly.

"You look like you, who's just as beautiful." I say immediately. She's having some confidence issues. She knows she doesn't look like Susan, but she thinks it's a bad thing. They're equally as pretty as the other.

"Have you seen the ship before?" Ed questions, referring to the painting on our bedroom wall.

It shows a rough sea, with stormy skies. In the background is a littl ship with a purple sail. With the angle it's at, it looks pure gold.

"Yes. It's very Narnian looking isn't it?" Lucy smiles.

"It's another reminder that we're here and not there." Edmund adds.

"I can't wait to go back." I sigh.

"There once were three orphans who wasted their time, believing in Narnian nursery rhymes." Eustace teases, standing in the door frame.

I always try to be as nice as I possibly can, but this child is getting awfully close to my limit.

"Please let me hit him." Edmund growls.

"No!" Lucy exclaims, holding him back.

"Don't you ever knock?" I ask curtly.

"It's my house. I'll do as I please. Your just guests. What's so fascinating about that picture anyway? It's hideous." Eustace retorts.

"You won't see it from the other side of the door." Ed argues.

"Edmund, Ellie, it looks like the water's actually moving." Lucy comments.

"What rubbish! See? That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels and fairytales of yours." Eustace replies.

"There once was a boy called Eustace, who read books full of facts that were useless." Ed mocks and us girls grin. Except Eustace, that girl didn't find it funny at all.

"People who read fairy tales are the sort who become a hideous burden to people like me, who read books with real information!" Eustace snaps. I lose it.

"Hideous burden?" I pry with gritted teeth.

"I haven't seen you lift a finger. I have a right mind to tell your father it was you who stole Aunt Albertta's sweets, not Ellie." Ed adds.

"Liar." Eustace scoffs.

"Really? Ellie and I found them under your bed and you know what? We licked every single one of them." Edmund says smugly.

"Edmund, the painting." Lucy gasps in the middle of Ed's statement. I feel sudden drops of water, and one lands on my lip. I absent mindedly lick it off, and it tastes like...like sea water! It's magic! It'll take us to Narnia, I know it!

I dive for my saddle bag, which I've filled with books on the luxuries this world has that ours doesn't, and how to make them.

"Ugh! I'm infected with you two!" Eustace exclaims. The little ship grows bigger and bigger as it sails to the foreground, water moving closer with it until the water is actually in the room.

Oh man, I wish I could've captured the look on Eustace's face. Not fairy tales now, is it?

"What's going on here?" He asks.

"Lucy, do you think-" Ed begins.

"Is it some sort of trick? Stop it or I'll tell mother!" Eustace threats.

"Please do, then maybe you won't come to Narnia with us." I reply sassily.

"Mother! MOTHER! I'll just smash the thing!" Eustace decides, running towards it and picking it up off the wall.

"No Eustace!" I scream.

"No! No!" Edmund adds. Quick as a panther, the three of us pull at his arms, trying to release his grip on the painting. We keep yelling at him, and he finally drops it. Mine and Lucy's beds start floating as the water rises to about waist level.

Soon, we're all underwater, and try to swim up. I was running out of breath, and so was everyone else. Finally, we emerged, but it the ceiling we saw when we looked up. It was a sunny, blue sky. A sunny, Narnian, blue sky.

A/N: I was not trying to be racist when I made the Mexican comment. The Telmarines had accents that, in my opinion, sounded Mexican. I apologize in advance if I offended someone, I was just stating fact.