Hope [Edmund Pevensie] (UNDER HEAVY RECONSTRUCTION)

Chapter 2

     July 9, 1935

      "26, 27, 28, 29, 30! Ready or not here I come!" An eight year old Ashlynn Connolly warned her friends. 

The quintet of neighbors had spent the majority of the afternoon chasing each other between yards. Their newest obsession, Hide and Seek, had lead to many competitive feuds. Ashlynn was solely focused on finding one Pevensie, the one who had been the reason she was found first the previous round. The young boy had pretended to be her mother, coaxing her out of her brilliant hiding place. It took both Susan and Peter to prevent the spunky girl from breaking Edmund's nose. 

         "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Ashlynn called out, hoping to catch some form of movement. She came up empty. The Pevensies were too smart to fall for her tricks. She checked behind every tree, inside every bush, around every corner. She was disappointed when she was unable to locate anyone. She knew all of the best hiding places, and due to the size of the yard, she knew they didn't have many places to hide. After doing a secondary scan of the area, she determined her friends were no longer with her. Letting out an irritated groan, she headed to her own house, assuming they went inside without telling her. It wouldn't have been the first time. 

           "You four are the worst!" She yelled, directing her voice at their front door. 

She entered her own home, surprised to see the lights completely out. Her mother hadn't gone to work today, and her father was set to be home in less than an hour. 

         "Mom?" She called out into the darkness, making her way to the kitchen with ease. She quickly located the light switch along the wall, flicking it up to illuminate the room. 

         "Surprise!" A chorus greeted her. 

Standing in her kitchen were none other than the Pevensies and their parents, her mother, and surprisingly her father. Edmund Pevensie was at the front of the group, a small tin of Turkish delight with nine lit candles balancing in his hands. A shy smile graced his lips as he approached the girl. 

          "Happy Birthday Ashlynn." 

5 years later

Ashlynn felt lied to. Had she known her distant cousin was a well known professor with the largest collection of books she had ever seen, Ashlynn would have spent all her time at his manor. A cloud of sadness followed her on her journey to her new home, but Diggory Kirke was quick to provide an umbrella in the form of his library. Ashlynn escaped from her dreary days by diving into hundreds of new worlds and made new friends with the dynamic characters. 

Ashlynn loved horses. Her father used to tell her stories of his days on his family's estate when he would spend hours racing his brother through the fields. The very estate Ashlynn currently called home. Professor Kirke surprised Ashlynn with her own horse, one he claimed was the child of her father's mare. Ashlynn named her Estrella. 

Ashlynn was out riding on a bright, spring day, drinking in the last bit of sunlight before another unforeseen rainstorm rolled in. Estrella was galloping down the wooded path, turning effortlessly with every twist in the road. They were headed to Ashlynn's sanctuary, a small hidden lake she had discovered while wandering through the woods. It reminded her of the woods she and the Pevensies used to play in. 

Ashlynn pulled Estrella to a stop as arrived. Tying the bridle to a nearby branch, she admired her haven. The water was placid, resting peacefully and undisturbed, clear enough that Ashlynn could see the smooth pebbles down below. Ashlynn slipped her shoes off, gently dipping her toes in. She giggled at the cooling sensation as her feet were engulfed in the liquid. She pulled her sandwich out from the basket and savored every flavorful moment. Nature made everything taste better. Ashlynn sighed in contentment, glad to have a bit of freedom before she would forced to socialize. Before the loss of her mother, Ashlynn was the epitome of a social butterfly. Now she is a shell of the happy blonde she once was, her energy drained from her body with a single word. 

One would think two years would be enough to recover, but Ashlynn lost more than her mother that day. A family is not so easy to replace. 

The sun was high in the sky by the time Ashlynn returned to the manor. She rushed into the house, desperately trying to avoid Ms. Mccready, knowing a lecture was perched on the old woman's lips. She shuffled through her drawers, pulling out various dresses and sweaters. She had to look presentable. Finally settling on a blue gown, which so happened to be her favorite, Ashlynn carelessly pulled her hair away from her face. Ms. Mccready's awful shriek reverberated down the halls, indicating her unfortunate arrival. Ashlynn sighed, knowing it was time to go out at meet the source of her agony for the next few months. 

Ashlynn was mentally preparing herself as she walked down the steps. Questions bombarded her fragile skull and she tried to calm her erratic breathing. It had been years since she had been around children her age and her mind went blank when she tried to think of what to say. Even her own name felt rough against her tongue, like an old piece of sandpaper coated with a layer of dust. As she rounded the corner, she kept her eyes firmly on the ground, knowing eye contact would suddenly make this all real. Four pairs of shoes appeared in her peripherals.

"Go on, introduce yourself dear," Ms. Mccready spoke, impatient. The sound of her pointed heels rapping on the floor overwhelmed Ashlynn's ears. As she opened her mouth the reply, another voice cut in. 

"Ashlynn?" 

Ashlynn's eyes finally felt the strength to look up at the faces of the children. She froze, finding not new friends, but old ones, ones she had been forced to abandon. Her mouth fell open as she gazed into the dark eyes that haunted her dreams.

"Edmund?"

Reader Shoutout: barbecuecue

Word Count: 1071

[Edited]