The Fox & The Crow

Chapter Five

"Elaine, this is Violet," My mother says, placing a hand on my back to scoot me closer to her new husband and his strange five-year-old daughter who stares up at me. "From now on she's going to be your sister."

I jolt back to the present moment, realizing that I'd been spacing out. The violet's stem in my hands is twisted in my grip and the juice from inside wets my fingers. I take a breath and relax, wiping my hand on my shawl.

"They went through it. They saw it too." Lucy's voice rings out into the empty hallway from inside Peter's room. I'm leaning against the wall just outside, listening as they talk. When Lucy had crossed back through the wardrobe, she found me sitting in the Professor's attic. She didn't have to prod me for details to find out that I'd gone through. The glare I gave Edmund when he climbed back into the attic pretty much confirmed it for her and she ran immediately to Peter, insisting on Narnia's existence yet again. When she mentioned that Edmund and I had been there too, Peter turned to us, and without hesitation, Edmund denied it. But when he turned to me, I could only shrug, my mind fixed on the image of Edmund sitting at the Queen's right-hand side as I held that damn flower.

"Give us a moment," I remember Peter saying as I twirl the violet between my fingers.

In the forest, I had told myself that trading Edmund would be pushed to the back of my mind when Violet was with me again. But she's not here, and Edmund stands less than ten feet away from me, separated only by a thin door.

"What is going on, Edmund?" Peter whispers. "This is the second time this has happened and now she's saying that you and Elaine went through."

"And you really think I'd believe such nonsense?" I turn to peek into the room as Edmund laughs. "Elaine? Who knows. But me? I think I have more sense to not give in to a grand fairytale like that."

"I saw you step out of the wardrobe!" Lucy exclaims. "Why else would you be in there?"

"I only wanted to scare you," Edmund snaps. "Christ, I didn't think it'd go this far."

"Edmund!" Peter barks. I see Lucy's crumpled face through the door's crack and Peter kneeling to comfort her. He nods for Edmund to walk to the other side of the room and I straighten quickly as I hear his footsteps approaching the door. They halt just outside before continuing in lowered voices.

"I understand that this is odd, but you need to control yourself and stop being a selfish twat," Peter hisses.

"Fine," I hear Edmund grumbling back. "I'm sorry. It was only supposed to be a little prank anyway. It was Elaine who took her more seriously than I did and then this all happened soon after."

I stiffen at the mention of my name.

"That's another thing that concerns me. Why would she do that?"

"To stir up trouble, why else?"

I hold my breath and press my ear to the door to hear better as they continue.

"I know we haven't known her long, but she doesn't seem like the type," Peter hums. "But, on the other hand, if she is then what do we do?"

"Avoid her? Complain to the Professor? Maybe she'd be moved to a different home."

I'm not even sure if the Professor would allow that, but suddenly I feel as if it's already set for me to leave. Would I just keep moving until I was too old to be taken in anymore? Would I even be able to protest?

"I suppose, but is that really necessary? Lucy's pretend games don't seem to be too detrimental at this point."

"Exactly," Edmund jumps in. "At this point she's fine. What if in a week she isn't? What if she gets bored of the wardrobe and her secret world moves to the meat cellar or a chimney."