What was meant to be a meet-up between five internet friends turns into digging up magic rings on a stranger's property and accidentally teleporting to Narnia during a strange alternate universe where Caspian and Corin exist in the same timeline.
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After eight months of planning, saving, and anxious-anticipating, Annalise Davis and Darcy Flynn were finally flying to London to meet their Internet best friends. The two Americans could barely contain their excitement as they boarded the small airplane bound for Europe. They'd thoroughly prepared for the nine-hour flight by bringing The Chronicles of Narnia movies—which happened to be the reasons Annalise, Darcy, and their other three friends met, despite living an ocean apart.
Sharing the same love for the seven-book series, the five girls became fast friends. Before they knew it, Annalise and Darcy were booking plane tickets to meet Willow Jones and the not-so-twins Alice and Skye Granger.
"I know I've said this a hundred times, but I can't believe we're doing this," said Darcy, gazing out the window as the aircraft soared over the North Atlantic Ocean. "We're going to London. I mean, I've always dreamt about traveling outside of the states, but I never thought I'd do it."
"You thought you'd never do it?" Annalise asked, arching her eyebrow. "I'm the one who almost faints every time I even think about boarding a plane by myself."
"Luckily, you aren't by yourself," Darcy said with a comforting smile. "Except I still don't know why you're afraid of planes."
"I'm not afraid of planes," Annalise corrected, stuffing The Voyage of the Dawn Treader into her backpack. "Airport crowds just make me anxious. Not to mention the pressure of getting to your flight on time so you don't miss your entire trip!"
"And that's why I'm here: to help keep you on schedule."
Even though she was the second oldest at eighteen years old, Darcy was considered the mom of the group, with an innate sense of leadership and responsibility hardwired into her conventional mind. She would've broken a bone before breaking a rule, and constantly discouraged her friends from executing their stupid stunts, which probably spared them a broken bone or two.
"Speaking of schedules, I wonder how far away we are from London," said Annalise, glancing at the same shimmering waves they'd stared at for the last six hours.
"The others are picking us up in twenty minutes so we have to be close."
"Not close enough," Annalise mumbled, fiddling with her rings. Even though they'd all known each other for years, this was the first time the five friends were meeting in person, and Annalise's excitement was through the roof.
Annalise was the eldest at nineteen. Upon first glance, she seemed placid and reserved; and although she had a gentle spirit, once you broke the surface, you could see she was passionate and strong-willed with a surprisingly quick wit that left her friends in uncontrollable fits of laughter.
As if on cue, the loudspeakers crackled to life with the voice of a flight attendant announcing they were approaching London.
Annalise climbed over Darcy to look at the country fading into view.
