Hope [Edmund Pevensie] (UNDER HEAVY RECONSTRUCTION)

Chapter 3

January 20, 1938

Ashlynn Connolly was too stubborn for her own good. She refused to obey anyone's orders, especially her own parents. Some believed her headstrong nature had been a result of the time she had spent with the youngest Pevensie boy, who was remarkably more stubborn than even she. Others assumed she had inherited the trait from her father, who was quite the rebel in his teen years. Regardless of the origins, her stubbornness was both a blessing and a curse. Ashlynn found this to be true as she raced through the freezing woods in an attempt to beat Edmund Pevensie.

"Come on Ash! Don't tell me you're tired already!" The brunet taunted.

Ashlynn's breath came out of her chest in loud huffs, visible in the freezing air. Her thin cardigan did little to shield her from Jack Frost, instead opting to focus its skills on making her skin crawl with each itchy pass across her arms. Edmund was a few meters ahead of her. The duo were on their way to their clubhouse, which they visited everyday after school. Edmund had challenged the girl to a race, which lead to them prancing through the frozen water.

"Don't count me out yet Ed!" Ashlynn yelled confidently. She could feel her chest tightening from the exercise and she new her legs wouldn't be able to maintain her pace for long. In a small lapse of judgement, she chose to do the one thing she was told to never do. She ran off the path and into the mouth of the beast.

Since her cardigan failed to protect her from the weather, it only made sense it also fell short of guarding her from the sharp edges of the trees. They sliced through the fabric like a shark through water. Her flesh stung as red paint floated to the surface, the wind adding to the piece. Ashlynn's stubbornness served her well; she hardly felt the pain over her determination to beat Edmund.

Her cracked sneakers stumbled over the fallen twigs and uneven ground. Her body weaved around the obstacles while her palms pushed away any blades aimed at her face. She could hear Edmund's footsteps before her, their crunchy signal getting louder as she gained on him. She pushed herself to move faster. In a moment she burst through the war zone, stumbling into the large clearing that housed her clubhouse. It was a small landmark, only big enough to fit two small children. It was constructed from an old tarp the pair had discovered in Ashlynn's attic draped over two tree branches. It resembled a classic camping tent, with the exception of a floor covering. Instead, numerous layers of cardboard, leaves, and blankets were sprawled out beneath the tarp. It was not very comfortable, but neither Edmund nor Ashlynn cared to notice. They hardly sat on the ground anyway.

Ashlynn was leaning against the structure for less than a minute before Edmund appeared from the path. He too was out of breath, but she could see a triumphant smile indicating his assumption of his win. Ashlynn cleared her throat to wipe the smirk away.

"H-How did you...?" Edmund stuttered.

Ashlynn sauntered over to him, his triumphant smirk now on her lips. "I have my ways."