Enchanted ✷ Caspian X

𝒐. a bump in the night

𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe ──── 𝟎𝟎. A Bump In The Night

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     Katherine couldn't recall the last time she felt this scared — or if anything had succeeded in making her mouth dry and heart quicken its pace out of fear — as though her life was flashing before her eyes. Her mind was playing tricks on her. It made her think of the countless memories she had had with her family, the laughs they shared, and the tears they shed. It made her believe that it was going to end.

     But she didn't let it plague her further; she had a job to fulfill, which was to make sure nothing — absolutely nothing — was going to happen to them.

     In her bedroom, Katherine stepped closer to the window and carefully peeked between the drapes. There was yet another bright light that illuminated the darkness and contoured the triangular-shaped roof of the house next to their own, followed by a vibration that rattled the walls.

     "Kathy." A muffled voice spoke as the door opened to reveal a frantic Helen Pevensie gripping a flashlight in one hand and a blanket in the other. "Come on, dear, get to the shelter. Quickly, now. Gather your sisters, I've your brothers."

     She didn't have to tell her twice. Nodding, Katherine rummaged through her drawers until she located her own flashlight deep inside and followed Helen out the room, the two going their separate ways for now. She traveled down the hall and to Susan's room, nearly bumping into her as she was ready.

     "Have you got everything?" Katherine moved aside and examined what was in her arms — additional blankets, her respective torch.

     "Of course." Once that was said, the older then made her way to Lucy's. Upon arrival, her flashlight shone in the dark room and found Lucy curled up under the covers with her hands desperately covering her ears.

     Katherine wanted to cry at the sight of her youngest sister sobbing because she didn't know what was going on. Although Helen previously briefed them on what to do if something such as this were to happen, Lucy was still a baby in her eyes and had little to no understanding of the current real-world events. She just didn't understand.

"Come here," Katherine whispered gently. She extended her arms toward the little girl, who didn't hesitate to cling to her like a monkey, and picked her up with ease. As she was scurried off to the back door by Helen and dodged the two clambering boys, Peter and Edmund, she tried her best to assure Lucy. "It's scary, I know, but we're going to be all right. Nothing's going to happen to you as long as I'm here."

     "Run!" She heard Peter shout behind her.

     The explosions kept coming. One had rattled the ground near the Pevensies, prompting them to duck instinctively, yet they continued running with one thing in mind. Get to the shelter. While Katherine carried Lucy on one arm and flashlight in the same hand, her other had an iron grip on Susan's, desperately pulling her along.

     "Hurry!"

     "Wait! Dad!" Edmund, who Peter had been dragging along with him, abruptly slipped from his older brother's grasps and retracted back to the house. Reassuring their mother, Peter followed in suit, causing Helen to panic even more.

     "Stay here." Katherine carefully placed Lucy on the ground and made sure Susan was with them before wordlessly chasing after her boys.

     Helen for sure was on the brink of a heart attack.

     "Katherine! No!" She exclaimed and clutched onto Susan and Lucy.

     Of her five children, Edmund was the one to act before thinking. In a way, he was careless, and Katherine and Peter had to be the ones recollecting — mostly by the former — and scolding him. Helen held the most trust in her daughter when it came to the kids because she hadn't failed once and wasn't planning on it. Not on her watch.

     "Edmund, Peter!" She rounded the corner to enter the dark parlor where they had disappeared into. It was then that the world seemed to slow down around Katherine. Edmund's hand reaching out for the picture of their father inched closer and closer by a millimeter. Her stomach churned with an uneasy feeling.

     Tackling Peter and Edmund to the ground, another explosion went off right outside. The double windows shattered upon impact. Katherine did her best to shield their bodies with her own, arms cradling their heads and stomach hovering over their backs. She could feel pieces of glass bounce off her skin and drown in her locks.

"Go, go, go!" Katherine stood and picked them up by their arms.

"You idiot, run! Go!" Before the younger boy could take the object he had risked his life for, Peter took Edmund's hand and dragged him away once again. Katherine retrieved the broken picture frame and ran out of the house. The trio returned to the shelter with Peter practically tossing Edmund inside, all breathless from the adrenaline.

"Why can't you think of anyone but yourself? You're so selfish, you could've got us killed!" Scolded Peter.

"Now, stop it." Helen interjected.

Katherine attempted to comfort Edmund, but instead he turned his back to her and allowed Helen instead to cradle him in her embrace and caress his head — all the things she wanted to do. She contained herself from showing hurt and faced toward the girls and asked if they were all right. While Lucy nodded, Susan peered into Katherine's eyes.

No matter how hard she tried to suppress her true emotions, Susan could always read her like a book. The smiles, the hugs, the kisses would throw anyone off, but the eyes betrayed her mostly. And in her eyes, at that moment, showed an emotion Katherine rarely felt, which she tried to shake off by distracting herself with Lucy.

"Are you okay?" Susan echoed.

Katherine lifted her head and nodded. "Of course. We're all here. That's all that matters."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE ━━━━━━━ Although this is only the prologue, it took me forever to even plan the writing out, but it's completed! I'm very excited to start this journey all over again :)