Lucy stared at the candle on her nightstand, slipped her boots on, and grabbed the candle. She made her way to the wardrobe room, unknowingly followed by Edmund who'd flushed the toilet. Lucy opened the wardrobe and the candle blew out. She closed the wardrobe, leaving it open a crack, and disappeared behind the door.
"Lucy, Lucy. I hope you're not afraid of the dark," Edmund taunted as he shut the wardrobe door. "Lucy, Lucy?"
Edmund found himself in the snowy terrain of Narnia. He'd fallen into the snow. He walked around, both amazed and mildly terrified by it all.
"Lucy? Lucy! I think I believe you now!" He heard the sound of bells. "Lucy?"
"Yah!" a dwarf cried as a whipping sound sounded.
Edmund dove out of the way into the snow and the dwarf jumped out and threw a whip around Edmund's legs.
The dwarf put a knife to Edmund's throat.
"What is it Ginarrbrik?" the White Witch asked.
"He won't let go!" Edmund cried.
"Is that how you address the Queen of Narnia?" Ginarrbrik asked.
"I didn't know?"
"Well, you shall know her better afterwards."
"Wait! What is your name Son-of-Adam?" the White Witch questioned.
"Edmund, your majesty," Edmund answered.
"And how was it, Edmund, that you came to enter my dominion?"
"I walked through a wardrobe following my sister."
"Your sister? How many are you?"
"Four. Five if you include another boy who's unrelated."
"Edmund you look so cold! Come and sit with me here on my sledge." Edmund joined her. "Now, would you like something warm to drink?"
"Yes... your majesty." The White Witch took a vial and dropped a green drop on snow that become a hot drink that the dwarf gave Edmund. "How did you do that?"
"I can make anything you like."
"Could you make me taller?"
"I can make anything you like to eat."
"Turkish Delight."
A drop once again came down and made the box of Turkish Delight and Ginarrbrik gave it to Edmund.
"I'd love to see your family," the White Witch told Edmund.
"They're nothing special," Edmund replied.
"I have no children, and you are such a good little boy where I could see, one day, you becoming prince of Narnia - maybe even king."
"Really?" Edmund asked with a full mouth.
The White Witch nodded. "Of course you'd have to bring your family."
"They're nothing special. Oh, Peter will be king too?"
"No! But a king needs servants."
"I-I guess I could bring 'em."
"Beyond these woods, do you see those two little hills? My house is right between them. You'd love it there Edmund, it has whole rooms simply stuffed with Turkish Delight!"
"Couldn't I have some more now?
"NO!" She smiled. "Don't want to ruin your appetite."
"I'm going to miss you Edmund. But we are going to see each other soon."
"I hope so."
"Until then... dear one." The White Witch drove off and Edmund was left alone.
"Edmund? Oh Edmund!!!!" Lucy called, hugging her brother. "I saw Mr. Tumnus again and he's fine!!! The White Witch hasn't found out about him helping me!"
"The White Witch?" Edmund questioned. "
"She calls herself the Queen of Narnia, but she really isn't. Edmund? Are you okay? You look awful."
"Well what do you expect! It's freezing! How do we get out of here?"
"Come on... this way." She led him back.
ENGLAND
Peter awoke to Lucy shaking him. "Peter, Peter, wake up! It's there, it's really there!"
Peter rolled over, still mostly asleep. "Lucy, what are you talking about?"
"Narnia! It's all in the wardrobe, like I told you!"
Susan walked into the room and said, "Lucy, you've been dreaming."
Lucy frowned. "I wasn't. I went and saw Mr. Tumnus again. And this time, Edmund went too."
Peter looked at Edmund. "You -- you saw the faun?"
Lucy cocked her head. "Well, he didn't actually go there with me. What were you doing, Edmund?"
Edmund stumbled over his words. "I-I was playing along. I'm sorry, guys. I shouldn't have encouraged her. You know what little children are like these days. They just don't know when to stop pretending."
He smiled smugly at his little sister and she burst into tears. She ran out of the room and as Peter stood, he shoved Edmund to the ground.
Susan and Peter followed Lucy and stopped abruptly, seeing that she'd run into the professor. Andrew emerged from his room with a frown. Mrs. McCready appeared moments later and gave them an angry look. "You children are one shenanigan shy of sleeping in the stable. Oh, Professor, I'm sorry. I told them that you were not to be disturbed."
The professor looked down at Lucy. "Oh, it's all right, Mrs. Macready. I'm sure there's an explanation. But first of all, I think this one is in need of some hot chocolate."
"Yes, Professor. Come along, dear."
Lucy followed Mrs. Macready to the kitchen. Susan and Peter started walking away, but were stopped by the professor. They stood in the room, alongside Andrew who stood near the door, and he lit his pipe before saying, "You seem to have upset the delicate internal balance of my housekeeper."
"We're very sorry, sir," Peter apologised. "It won't happen again." He grabbed Susan's arm, trying to get get to leave.
"It's our sister, sir," Susan said.
"The weeping girl," the professor recalled.
Susan nodded. "Yes, sir, she's upset."
"Hence the weeping."
Peter grabbed Susan's sleeve in an attempt to get her to be quiet. "It's nothing. We can handle it."
"Oh, I can see that."
Susan sighed. "She thinks she's found a magical land... in the upstairs wardrobe."
The professor suddenly seemed interested. "What did you say?"
"The wardrobe upstairs," Peter repeated. "Lucy thinks she's found a forest inside."
"She won't stop going on about it," Susan added.
"What was it like?" the professor asked.
"Like talking to a lunatic!"
"No, no, no. Not her, the forest!"
Peter frowned. "You're not saying you actually believe her?"
Susan rolled her eyes. "Well, logically, it couldn't be possible!"
Andrew walked forward. "Trust me, it is possible. The forest is very real. My grandfather's seen it."
The professor scoffed and muttered, "What do they teach you at these schools? Andrew is right."
"Edmund said she was only pretending," Peter explained.
"And he's the more truthful one, is he?"
"No. This would be the first time."
"Well then, if your sister is not lying and isn't mad, then logically, you must assume she's telling the truth. She's your sister, isn't she? You're a family! You might try acting like one!"
With that, the three were sent to bed.
The next morning, after breakfast, they all went outside to play. Susan, Edmund and Peter were playing cricket. Lucy had chosen to sit at a tree with a book. Andrew was standing nearby, tossing an extra cricket ball between his hands.
Peter pulled his club back. "Peter winds up for the bowl!"
Peter hit the ball and it hit the back of Edmund's leg. "Ow!"
His outburst caused Peter to smirk lightly. "Whoops. Wake up, Dolly Daydream."
"Can't we play hide and seek again?"
Peter looked at Edmund in confusion. "I thought you said it was a kid's game."
Susan shrugged. "Besides; we could all use the fresh air."
"It's not like there isn't air inside," Edmund muttered.
Peter swung his arm back and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Are you?" Edmund replied, as he hit his bat on the ground. He raised it and prepared to swing.
Peter pitched the ball as hard as he could and Edmund swung. He hit the ball, the ball flew through the glass, and they all heard metal crashing to the ground. The five ran upstairs to see a suit of armour on the ground.
"Well done, Ed!" Peter cried.
"You bowled it!" Edmund returned.
The sound of marching feet caught their attention.
"Listen, McCready is coming," Susan and Andrew warned.