The patter of footsteps running down the hall wakes me from a deep sleep. I've always been sensitive to sounds in the night, so I'm sat bolt upright within a few moments.
Lucy.
In a moment, my feet are landing on the wooden flooring of my room as I feel around in the dark. My hands finally land on a matchbook as I grab around the base of a candle. It takes me a moment to light it, but once I do, I'm off through the house.
The Professor and Mrs. Macready are heavier sleepers, I've learned. I've woken up with a little bit of a scream a few times from nightmares, and they've been none the wiser. Nightmares about monsters with horrific animal heads. Chasing me, following me down halls. Something burning. Everything burning. I open a door, and there's stillness on the other side. I try to run into it, but then I'm suddenly jolted awake. I'm always safely in my bed. But, the fear lingers for a few moments anyway.
The voices come to a head down the hall. Ahead of me, I watch as Susan and Edmund enter into the other bedroom. Lucy's voice is prominent as I finally get inside.
"You've been dreaming, Lucy." Susan dejects.
"But I haven't! I saw Mr. Tumnus again. And this time, Edmund went too." Lucy tells her older sister as Peter sits up in bed.
I become horrifically aware that I'm dressed in a simple nightgown. My robe is still sat hanging from a hook inside of my room. To combat this, I cross my arms over myself and avoid looking at Peter as if he's got Spanish Flu.
The four of us all turn to look at him.
"You...you saw the faun?" Peter asks Edmund, as Lucy sits on his bed beside him. The two of them look at Edmund expectantly, as Edmund and I exchange glances.
He shakes his head. I feel a tad bit of anger welling up inside me. Why would Lucy ever involve Edmund in this if she didn't actually see him? It doesn't make any sense. Unless, of course, she's truly dreaming. It's seeming more and more likely from a realistic standpoint. Though, there's still something about her belief that makes me second-guess myself.
"Well, he didn't actually go there with me. He..." Lucy looks concerned for a moment as she turns around to face the youngest brother. "What were you doing, Edmund?" She asks.
I wait a few beats. His face changes, as if he can't recall. Or as if he's making up a lie.
"I was just playing along."
I close my eyes, taking a small breath as I know his answer is only going to cause problems.
"I'm sorry, Peter. I shouldn't have encouraged her, but you know what little children are like these days. They just don't know when to stop pretending." He basically insults her, staring her down as I can't help but to feel bad for the girl.
Lucy cries, running off into the hall past me.
I'm the first one on her trail out of a mixture of my own maternal instincts, and the desire to not be berated by Macready in the dead of night. Lucy continues down the hall as I can hear at least two of her siblings behind me. Probably Susan and Peter, if I were to guess.
My eyes widen as Lucy runs into the Professor.
I try and stop in my tracks, but due to the wooden flooring of the house and the fact that I was in a dead sleep no more than five minutes ago, It's a lot easier said than done. I spill out in front of him as Lucy wraps her arms around his torso.
He looks up at me. I feel genuine fear as Susan and Peter come up beside me.
"You children are one shenanigan shy of sleepin' in the stable!" Macready's voice causing my head to snap over as she approaches. My stomach lurches with nerves as she seems to glare straight into my soul.
Though, her look at me is distracted as she realizes the Professor is here. Her face becomes shocked as I subconsciously take a step backwards. I hit Peter's shoulder, uncaring as I try to make myself disappear somehow. I know it's futile, we're already caught. But the image is nice. He tenses up slightly at the contact, but neither of us bother to move as we wait like deer in headlights.
"Professor. I'm sorry. I told them you were not to be disturbed. Rosemary should have-"
"It's alright, Mrs. Macready. I'm sure there's an explanation." The professor looks down at Lucy, giving her a bit of kindness. "But first of all, I think this one is in need of a little hot chocolate."
It's not that the Professor is truly a bad man. I'm fact, I think quite the opposite. He's just...far away, mentally. Not here in his mind, though his body remains. Which always meant that Macready was the one who dished out the punishments to me as a child. When it became troublesome to give me beatings anymore, I was given extensive lists of chores. Part of me believes I was only granted exemption from her hand or a switch because she wants me to retain my beauty, so that some man will come by and have the urge to marry me. Therein, I won't be her problem anymore.
He hands her over to Macready, which gives me a little cause for concern. However, I doubt she'd do anything to the girl if the Professor has specifically asked against it.
"Come along, dear." She says, taking Lucy by her shoulders and walking her around a corner. I'm the first to turn and try to leave, looking at Peter for only a moment before he grasps my intentions. He gives a small nod before turning around as well, as we start to head away from the Professor.
He clears his throat, though, causing the three of us to stop.
I turn back around first. He stares at me, then looking at the two siblings behind me. Before, once again, returning his gaze to me. I give him a pathetic smile as I take a few steps towards him.
"My office." He says, simply. It's not in a threatening manner, no. Rather as an invitation.
I look back at the two eldest Pevensies. I don't want to get them in trouble by any means, but I really don't want to go and face him alone. He can be an intimidating man. Though, he doesn't mean to be.
"All of you." The Professor answers my silent question, turning and walking towards his office without another word. Peter and Susan give me scared looks as they try and prepare for whatever's awaiting them.
"Don't worry. I'm sure he just wants to talk." I mumble, turning back and following after the professor. In a moment, I can hear the two following behind me as well.
He opens the door and holds it so that the three of us can enter. I've been to his office many times, usually for the tutoring that he kindly gives me on many subjects. Since It's not quite accessible for me to go to school at the moment, I've got a private education through the Professor. All I've got to do is take a few tests and send them to the Board of Education, and it counts well enough for schooling. I'm not particularly awful at any subject, though my strength definitely lies in literature.
None of this matters, but as I stand in front of his desk, I need something other than worry to occupy my mind.
"Tea?" He offers us. It's practically already made, but we kindly accept the offer while giving each other looks. None of us answers him as he continues to fiddle with tea leaves.
The others must be confused, this is the first time they've met Professor Kirke. I hate to admit it, but he's just like this sometimes. More often the older he gets, I've noticed. Dismissive, beats around the bush. It's exhausting to try and guess what he's thinking.
"You see to have upset the delicate internal balance of my housekeeper." The Professor tells us.
"We're very sorry sir. It won't happen again." Peter apologizes, before taking me by the hand and trying to pull me out of the room. I glance down and see him pulling at Susan's sleeve as well.
I'm sure my face goes red, but I haven't got time to worry too much about the motion as Susan refuses to leave. She plants herself in front of his desk with a sort of determination.
"It's our sister, sir. Lucy." Susan begins.
"Susan-" I try and tell her. Both Susan and the Professor ignore me as I wait nervously for him to continue.
"The weeping girl." The professor nods.
"Yes, sir. She's upset." Susan tells him.
"Hence the weeping." He sort of remarks sarcastically, still somehow fiddling about with his stupid container of tea leaves.
"It's nothing. We can handle it." Peter assured him. At his word, I become aware that Peter has not yet let go of my hand. He hasn't seemed to notice, and I don't want to make a scene about it, so I keep my mouth shut as I look up at the Professor.
"Oh, I can see that." He says again, now obviously sarcastic in his attempt to converse with petulant teenagers.
There's a pause in conversation. "I apologize, sir. I'll keep better care of our guests." I tell him, once again turning to walk away.
"She thinks she's found a magical land. In the upstairs wardrobe." Susan tells him.
His expression falters. His face drops, his eyes widening as his head snaps up to look at Susan. He seems entirely too concerned from this as I give Peter a confused look.
He stands up, crossing over towards the three of us. "What did you say?" He asks Susan, approaching her and taking her calmly by the shoulder. He begins to lead her over to the couch.
Peter and I look at each other, before his eyes drop quickly to our hands. He quickly tears his away before looking away, as I feel a blush rise to my cheeks at once.
"The-uh, the wardrobe, upstairs." Peter doesn't acknowledge our interaction as he continues talking to the professor. "Lucy thinks she's found a forest inside." Peter sits next to his sister, but I remain standing.
"She won't stop going on about it!" Susan informs him.
I choose to not say anything. The Professor's behavior is peculiar. He listens, intently. Hanging on every word they're saying as they look up at him.
"What was it like?" The Professor urges them to tell him, sitting at the couch across from them as I fold my hands over myself.
"Like talking to a lunatic." Susan admits.
"No, no, no- not her. The forest."
Narnia. Narnia's what she had called it. The Professor seems far too invested in this so-called Narnia, a forest beyond a wardrobe. Too invested to just be general curiosity.
"You're not saying you believe her?" Peter asks, incredulously.
"You don't?" He asks in return.
"But, of course not! I mean, logically, it's impossible." Susan dismisses once more. There's a creeping feeling in my skin, one that doesn't go away while the three of them talk.
"What do they teach in schools these days?" The Professor remarks as he leans back in his seat.
"Edmund said they were only pretending." Peter tells him.
"He's usually the more truthful one, is he?"
Fair point. Edmund doesn't really seem to be the honest type, not like Lucy. It's why I convinced myself to believe her today. Why I still might, even after the fact. She genuinely believes she went to Narnia.
"No. This would be the first time." Peter admits, though reluctantly.
"Well, if she's not mad and she's not lying, then logically we must assume she's telling the truth." The Professor quips. He reaches out, lighting a pipe and taking a puff of it.
"You're saying that we should just believe her?" Peter asks him, as if this is some sort of practical joke the Professor is playing on them.
"She's your sister, isn't she? You're her family." He explains. You might just try acting like one." He tells the two of them. He takes another long puff from the pipe.
"Besides. Rosemary used to tell the same stories when she was just a young thing."