A Talk with Professor
"Gwampa! Gwamma!" Little Dawn squeaked as she was riding on her new tricycle towards their house in Finchley. Dawn was surprised by how young her toddler voice sounded. "Look at me! I got a new trike!"
Her Grandmother smiled. "Ohh, that's so nice!" She said in awe. "We are watching, Dawn." Dawn giggled as she rode on her tricycle, while her grandparents sat by the front yard drinking tea. But then she fell off of it and scratched her knee.
"Oww...!" She burst into tears.
"Oh, Dawn dear!" Grandma Anne gasped as she and Grandpa Paul ran towards her granddaughter. "You alright, sweetie?" Dawn showed her a bruise on her knee.
"Oh my goodness!" Grandma Anne gasped. "It's okay. It's just a bruise. These things heal eventually." She then got up back to her level. "Come, let's go inside to get something to put on. Alright, darling?" Dawn nodded.
"Okay." She choked out and wiped her tears. As her grandparents took her hand to go inside, suddenly they heard the loud sirens. Then German planes appear high up in the sky.
"German bombers..." Grandpa Paul gasped looking up in the sky. "Dear, let's get Dawn to the nearby shelter." Grandma Anne nodded.
"Gwampa, is this part of a game?" Dawn questioned as they started to prepare for the worst. Grandpa Paul looked at his wife. She nodded. "Of course dear." He said to his granddaughter. "Okay.." Dawn said but was puzzled by what was going on. Grandpa Paul and Grandma Anne took their granddaughters hand and started to run to seek shelter.
Dawn suddenly stopped as she realized she forgot something. "My trike!" She shrieked as she let go from their hands to run back.
"Dawn!" Her grandparents shouted in unison. Dawn as her toddler self surged across the sidewalk with her tiny feet to where she last left her tricycle.
"Darling, there isn't time!" Her grandma said in a panicking manner.
"I have to!" Dawn cried. "My parents just got it for me!"
"Dear!" Grandma Anne pleaded.
Dawn looked at her. "Please!" She whined and threw a tantrum. "It was expensive!!" Her grandparents had no choice but to let little Dawn retrieve her tricycle. As Dawn found it and turned her eyes toward them, bombs started falling in the town.
"Dawn!" Grandpa Paul shouted.
"Coming!" Dawn called out and started to ride towards Grandpa Paul and Grandma Anne. But before she could reach them, one of the bombs fell onto the sidewalk and exploded, killing both of her grandparents.
"GWAMMA GWAMPA NOOO!!!" Dawn cried out and woke up from her bed with a big gasp and face covered in sweat. She looked around to find Edmund and Lucy missing and Susan and Peter still asleep. Dawn ran out of the room and went into the bathroom. She cried as she at on the toilet, still thinking it was her fault her grandparents died.
Lucy soon came back. "Peter!!!! Dawn!!! Susan!!!" Dawn heard her shouting. She wiped off her tears and headed back to the bedroom to find Lucy waking her brother and sister up. And Edmund just stood in the corner of the room.
"What's going on?" Dawn sniffled.
"Lu, it's early." Peter groaned. "What are you talking about?"
"It's back!" Lucy said. "I went there. Narnia is in the wardrobe like I told you!"
"Are you dreaming again, Lucy?" Susan asked as she got out of her bed. Lucy shook her head no.
"I haven't!" She said excitedly. "And this time, Edmund went too!" Everyone looked at Edmund. Edmund saw them, looking somewhat confused.
"Did you...see the faun?" Peter asked his brother. Edmund shook his head no.
"Well..." Lucy began. "He didn't actually come with me there...uh.." She became confused and curious too. Lucy turned to Edmund with narrowed eyes. "What were you doing, Edmund?" She asked him. But suddenly, Edmund didn't feel comfortable telling others what he did there. And he began to think that Lucy wasn't right either.
"I was just...playing along." Edmund replied. Peter and Lucy looked at each other. "I'm sorry, Peter." Edmund went on. "I shouldn't have encouraged her. You know how..little kids are like these days. They just don't know when to stop pretending."
Lucy burst into tears and ran out of the room. Edmund smirked as she ran off. Susan sighed in frustration and Peter shook his head angrily at him.
"You're unbelievable!" Dawn lashed out at Edmund.
Edmund just rolled his eyes. "She's acting like a child!"
"I thought we were friends!" Dawn spat. "Just because our fathers are drafted to war, doesn't mean you should bully and her and anyone else!" Then she stormed after Susan with a big "UGGGHHHH!!"
Lastly Peter got out of the bed and pushed Edmund down to his bed. Dawn heard his "Ow...!" That serves him right. She thought. Lucy kept running until she bumped into Professor Kirke. Professor Kirke was surprise as the little girl hugged him. The trio stopped by what they saw. They saw Lucy crying in his arms. Just then, Mrs. Macready appeared in front of them.
"You children are one shenanigans shy of sleeping in the stables!" She angrily scolded. She then saw Professor Kirke.
"Oh, Professor." She stammered. "I'm sorry. I told them that you are not to be disturbed."
Professor Kirke stopped her. "It's alright." He told the housekeeper. He looked at Lucy, who was still crying. "I think this one needs a little hot chocolate." He told her.
Mrs. Macready nodded. "Come along, dear." She accompanied her to the dining room. "Ahem!" Professor Kirke said as Peter, Dawn and Susan turned their back. The three turned back around. Professor Kirke gestured them to go with him.
"You two can have a word with him." Dawn told the siblings. "I'll go stay with Lucy to make sure she's alright."
Peter nodded. "Okay."
"Good luck." She said and headed to the kitchen. Peter and Susan entered the Professors office.
"You seemed to have user the delicate internal balance of my housekeeper." Professor Kirke scolded them.
"We're very sorry, sir." Peter apologized. "It won't happen again."
"It's our sister, sir." Susan said. "Lucy.."
"Weeping girl." Professor Kirke simply said. Susan nodded. "Yes sir. She's upset." She said.
"It's nothing." Peter said. "We can handle it." He grabbed her hand and was about exit the office. But the Professor stopped them. "Oh I can see that." He said.
"She thinks she's found a magical land." Susan added. "In the upstairs wardrobe." Professor Kirke narrowed his eyes at her. "What did you say?" He asked.
"The wardrobe...upstairs." Peter began to explain. "Lucy thinks she found a forest inside."
"She won't stop going on about it." Susan added.
"What was it like?" Professor Kirke asked.
"Like talking to a lunatic!" Susan answered.
"No, no. Not her." He shook his head. "The forest."
"You're not saying you believe her.." Peter looked at him.
"You don't?" Professor Kirke asked.
"Of course not!" Susan replied. "I mean logically it's impossible."
"What do they teach in schools these days?" He asked.
"Edmund said they were only pretending." Peter said.
"And he's usually the more truthful one, is he?" Professor Kirke asked.
"No." Peter answered. "This would be the first time."
"Well, if she's not mad and she's not lying, then logically we must assume she's telling the truth." Professor told the siblings.
Peter raised his eyebrow. "You're saying that we should just believe her?" He asked.
"She's your sister, isn't she?" The Professor asked. "You're her family! You might just try acting like one!"
~Meanwhile in the dining room~
Mrs. Macready boiled some water and made a hot chocolate for Lucy. She placed a cup of hot chocolate on the table.
"Thank you." Lucy sniffled.
"You're welcome." Mrs. Macready simply replied. As Lucy took a first sip of her hot chocolate, she and Dawn started a conversation. "So Lucy.." Dawn began. "What did you do when you were...in the woods inside of the wardrobe?"
"I met a Faun and a girl. Well, she wasn't full human..." Lucy said.
"A Faun...that's an interesting creature." Dawn said, placing her hand on her chin. "What do you mean that girl wasn't fully human? What does she look like?" She asked.
"She has green eyes, freckles, and black hair. But she could also change into whatever animal she wants." Lucy smiled. "And she has other powers."
"Wow..." Dawn said in awe. "A girl with all kinds of special and magical powers...that's interesting. I'm so jealous. I bet she's a beautiful girl."
"She is, but you are too, Dawn." Lucy smiled.
"Thanks." Dawn smiled back. "I just wish I had those powers.."
Lucy nodded. "Me too." She said. "Narnia is what the place is called."
"Narnia..." Dawn sighed dreamily. "What an interesting name for a land."
Lucy smiled. "It is, except for one thing..." Her face turned somewhat solemn. Dawn raised one of her eyebrows. "What kind of thing?" She asked.
"Well, the girl's mother is evil...." Lucy sighed.
"Oh dear..." Dawn said. "What kind of a mother is she?"
"She's a White Witch who wants to rule Narnia." Lucy answered sadly.
"Oh no..." Dawn said sadly. "That's terrible! I feel so sorry for that poor girl!" Lucy nodded. "Me too."
"What are the names of the Faun and the girl you met?" She asked Lucy.
"Mr. Tumnus and Esther." Lucy smiled.
"Tumnus..." Dawn said with a little nod. "That's a nice name. And it's even more interesting for a girl with a biblical name in that world." Lucy nodded. "It is."
"I wonder who named her.." Dawn said. "Me too, I didn't ask her...." Lucy said. Dawn nodded. She got up and got herself a cup to make tea for herself. She found a lavender teabag and put it in her cup of hot water, and brought it to the table.
"What tea did you get?" Lucy asked her friend.
"Lavender." Dawn answered and she started drinking it from the cup.
"May I get a cup?" Lucy asked. "Sure." Dawn said as she took Lucy's cup from the table and poured the hot water into it and put a same teabag. She placed the cup on the table in front of Lucy.
"Thank you." Lucy said and took a sip. "You're welcome." Dawn slightly smiled. "Do you like it?"
Lucy nodded. "Yep!"
"My paternal grandparents used to plant lavender in their garden of their house." Dawn told her. "Before they..." She stopped what she was going to say. "Before they..." She turned her head away from Lucy and put her hand over her mouth, fighting back tears. Lucy sighed and hugged her. Dawn hugged her back.
"Uh nevermind, Lu." She said as they both pulled off. "Just enjoy your tea." Dawn fled from the dining room. Mrs. Macready returned to the dining room.
"Dawn left the room without finishing her tea?!" Mrs. Macready asked in frustration. Lucy slowly nodded yes.
"Ugh! What a waste!!" The housekeeper grouched as she took Dawn's unfinished cup of tea and poured the tea into the sink. Dawn went back to their room where Edmund was lounging. She laid on her bed with her stuffed animal and pulled under her blanket, weeping.
"Great." Edmund scoffed with a smirk. "Now what's with you?"
"Shut upff." Dawn muffled under her covers.
Edmund snorted. "I'm surrounded by idiots!" His comment made Dawn cry harder. Lucy came in and hushed her brother. Lastly, Peter and Susan emerged back in the bedroom. Peter heard Dawn crying and ran to her. "Dawn?"
Dawn took the blanket off her tear-stained face. Peter hugged her and rubbed her back. He glared up to his brother. "What did you do to her, Ed?!" He asked angrily.
"I didn't do anything!" Edmund lifted his hands. Peter looked at Dawn while caressing her hair. "Did he do something?" He asked her. Dawn wiped her eyes. "Well sort of, not really though."
"What do you mean by that?" Peter asked.
"He said he's surrounded by idiots.." Dawn said and hid her face in Peter's chest. Peter sighed.
"Don't listen to him." He suggested. Dawn nodded. Edmund laid on his bed with a pout, thinking that his older siblings are always on Lucy and Dawn's side. Susan approached to Lucy and hugged her and she rubbed her sister's back. And they all went back to bed thinking what a night they had spent.
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