The Pevensies

The Painting

CHAPTER 34

"Lucy, have you seen this ship before?" Edmund asks as he stands beside Elizabeth, who is playing with her necklace as she looks at the painting.

"Yes. It's very Narnian-looking, isn't it?" Lucy answers as she walks over.

"Yeah. Just another reminder that we're here and not there," Edmund says causing Elizabeth to let out a sigh, knowing that they at least had the chance to go back.

"There once were three orphans, who wasted their time believing in Narnian nursery rhymes..." Eustace says as he stands in the doorway.

"Please let me hit him," Edmund says as he starts forward.

"No!" Elizabeth orders him as she and Lucy pull him back.

"Don't you ever knock?" Edmund asks him.

"It's my house. I'll do as I please. You're just guests. What's so fascinating about that picture anyway? It's hideous," Eustace says as he sits on Lucy's bed. The Pevensie siblings turning back to look at the painting.

"You won't see it from the other side of the door," Edmund retorts causing Elizabeth to smile.

"Edmund, Elizabeth, it looks like the water is actually moving," Lucy says excitedly.

"What rubbish!" Eustace says. "See? That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels and fairy tales of yours."

"There once was a boy called Eustace who read books full of facts that were useless," Elizabeth says causing Edmund to smile.

"People who read fairy tales... are always the sort who become a hideous burden to people like me who read books with real information," Eustace responds causing Edmund and Elizabeth to glare at him.

"'Hideous burden'?" Edmund questions him causing Eustace to run for the door that Edmund quickly closes. "I haven't seen you lift a finger since we've been here. I have a mind to tell your father you stole Aunt Alberta's sweets."

"Liar!" Eustace accuses.

"Oh, really?" Edmund questions him.

"Edmund, Elizabeth, the painting," Lucy says as water start to leak out of the painting. Elizabeth and Lucy share a smile before they stare at the moving water as the ship gets closer. Elizabeth grabs onto her necklace with newfound hope of seeing Caspian again.

"I found them under your bed, and you know what? I licked every one of them," Edmund tells Eustace.

"Ugh! I'm infected with you!" Eustace says disgusted. Lucy and Elizabeth quickly step back as they are sprayed with water.  "What's going on here?"

"Lucy, Elizabeth, do you think...?" Edmund asks excitedly.

"It's some kind of trick! Stop it or I'll tell mother. Mother! Mother!" Eustace panics as he moves towards the door. Elizabeth, Lucy, and Edmund all share excited smiles. "I'll just smash the rotten thing."

"No, Eustace! No! We can't stop it! Let go of it, Eustace! Put it down! Let go!" The Pevensie siblings yell at Eustace as they wrestle the painting from him. As they drop the painting they notice the room filling with water. The current of the water knocks them off of their feet. Elizabeth quickly grabs Lucy's hand before swimming towards the light she sees above them. As they surface, Elizabeth realizes that they are in the ocean.

"Edmund! Edmund!" Lucy calls before Edmund and Eustace surface.

"What's happening? Where are we?" Eustace panics as Lucy and Elizabeth see a ship coming towards them.

"Eustace, swim! Eustace, come on!" Lucy orders as they try to swim away from the ship. "Come on, move! Keep swimming!"

"It's all right. I've got you," A man says as he grabs Lucy.

"Caspian!" Lucy says excitedly as she realizes who the man is.

"Lucy," Caspian says with a smile.

"Edmund, it's Caspian!" Lucy calls causing them to stop swimming.

"It's all right, boys. You're safe now," Some of Caspian's crew say.

"Are we in Narnia?" Edmund asks as he and Elizabeth look at each other in shock.

"Yes, you're in Narnia," The crew member answers.

"I don't want to go! I want to go back to England! I'm going back to England!" Eustace screams as he fights against the crew member trying to help him. Caspian helps Lucy onto a platform.

"Hold on," Caspian tells her before they are raised out of the water.