Once, there were four children who stood at an underground train station. They had just returned from a land called Narnia but nobody around them was aware that they ever had left. The children thought that their adventure was over. After all, it was supposed to be for at least two of the children. They entered the train that arrived to go to two different schools. The sisters' train would go in one direction while the brothers' would go in the opposite.

That sounds like the end of a story, doesn't it? As a matter of fact, it was actually the beginning of one.

A warm breeze blew when Susan opened her window. It reminded her of the horseback rides through the Western Woods as the breeze blew her hair behind her. But that breeze was small, nothing more than a normal breeze. Just like the world she lived in was nothing more than a normal place for people to live normal lives.

She had moved to America with her parents for a couple weeks. It had been about as much fun as you could get from an adventure there. America had been pleasing to the eye, but nothing nearly as beautiful as the sights she had seen in Narnia. The reminders of Narnia reminded Susan of her siblings.

"I should write a letter to them." She thought to herself. After which she got out a pen and her journal to begin writing.


In a different part of the world, England, the arrival of a letter spread a smile on the face of the youngest Pevensie. Lucy was awaiting the daily post to come by. She stood by the door for what felt like hours. When the doorbell finally rang, she rushed to open the door.

"Good day to you!" The postman tipped his hat to Lucy.

"Good day, Mr. Harrison." She said excitedly. "Do you have any letters for me?" She asked, her voice full of hope.

"Ah, yes. I do in fact! Here you go." He said with a smile as he handed Lucy a bundle of letters.

"Thank you!" Lucy squealed when she found the letter from Susan among the others. She placed her uncle and aunt's letters by the dining table and rushed to find Edmund. "Edmund, look!" She called out to him as she held the letter up to show it to Edmund, who stood halfway up the stairs trying to chase their cousin Eustace. "It's from Susan!"

Edmund knew how important the letter was to his little sister. They rushed to her room but before stepping inside, he glanced sourly across the hall at his room. Well, his and Eustace's room.

Lucy opened the letter while her brother paced the room. He stopped when his eye caught the painting on her bedroom wall. It was a painting of ocean waves and a ship at a distance. The painting was beautiful.

Lucy read the letter out loud to him:

Dear Lucy and Edmund,

I do wish you were here with us. It's been such an adventure! But nothing like our times in Narnia. America is very exciting, except we never see father. He works so very hard.

I was invited to the British Consul's tea party this week by a naval officer, who happens to be very handsome. The naval officer reminds me a bit of Caspian, and I think that he fancies me. I don't really want to go but mother also said that it may be good for me to start dating.

Peter is doing well. He's told me all about how hard he is studying at the Professor's house. I know that it must be hard not being in contact with him since Uncle Harold is stingy with mailing letters. Times are hard. Mother hopes you both won't mind another few months in Cambridge.

I will be meeting up with Peter in a couple of days. I'll try to visit both of you but I can't make any promises. I'm surprising Peter with this visit. Wish me luck!

Love you both very much and hoping to see you soon!

Love,

Susan

After finishing reading the letter, Lucy cried, "Another few months? How will we survive?"

Edmund took the letter from her and glanced at it as he sat down next to her. It felt very good to read the familiar handwriting. He knew that Susan had the best handwriting among the four of them. "You're lucky. At least you've got your own room. I'm stuck with mullet mouth." He reminded her.

"Susan and Peter are the lucky ones." She admitted. "Off on adventures." She added in a low tone, remembering her time in Narnia.

"Yeah, they're the eldest and we're the youngest. We don't matter as much." He laid down on her bed. That was the only time he could be in peace, away from Eustace's naggings.

Lucy stared at herself in the mirror and tucked a loose hair behind her ear. She had seen an older girl do that while she was talking to a boy. Edmund noticed it and thought that she looked odd doing so, but he didn't say anything. Now that his attention was on the letter, she snuck in another hair tuck. "Do I look anything like Susan?" She asked him, but more to herself.

She was going to say more, but was interrupted by Edmund. "Lucy, have you seen this ship before?" He asked, standing up to face the painting.

"Yes." She affirmed turning around. "It's very Narnian-looking, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He said and stood next to his sister. "Just another reminder that we're here and not there." He mumbled, trying to hide the sad tone in his voice. He knew that he had to put up a strong face for Lucy, even though there wasn't much of an age difference between them.

"There once were two orphans," said the voice of their cousin from the door. "who wasted their time believing in Narnian nursery rhymes..."

"Please let me hit him!" Edmund blurted, almost doing so but was stopped by his sister.

"No!" She denied.

"Don't you ever knock?" Edmund asked, frustrated at how Eustace had called them 'orphans'.

"It's my house. I'll do as I please." Eustace declared. "You're just guests." The two Pevensie siblings turned their heads away from him. "What's so fascinating about that picture anyway?" Eustace inquired as he traveled further into the room. "It's hideous."

"You won't see it from the other side of the door." Edmund suggested, still looking at the painting.

Lucy looked at her brother and smiled, realising that his sarcasm was the one of the few things that kept her going. She turned to look at the painting again and found something changed about it. "Edmund, it looks like the water is moving." She called out to him.

"What rubbish!" Eustace teased. Edmund was using every bit of will power that he had left to not swing a punch across his cousin's face. "See?" He continued. "That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels and fairytales of yours."

"There once was a boy named Eustace, who read books full of facts that were useless." Edmund snarked, indicating that the rhyme meant more towards his cousin.

The two boys started arguing and while doing so, a strong wind blew across Lucy's face and she could smell salt in the air. "Edmund. The painting!" She tried to emphasise but he was too distracted.

Both Edmund and Eustace turned their focus to the painting when water flew out of the painting and into the room. The water soaked their feet and was rising up very fast.

Eustace couldn't believe his eyes."It's some sort of trick!" He tried to break the painting to stop the water and grabbed it, but it was too heavy and fell to the ground. The room filled up with water, dragging them down under. The three children began to swim towards the surface where the sunlight was glistening. Their heads popped out of the surface and they realized that they weren't in England anymore.