outburst ~ edmund pevensie

III.

Grace groaned and clutched her stomach. A wave of nausea passed through her, and she was certain she was going to lose her morning toast. She sat up gently and cracked her eyes open, and her nausea was quickly forgotten as she observed her surroundings. What on Earth happened? She stood slowly, using the tree she was previously resting on for balance. The last thing Grace remembered was enjoying her stroll, or dance more like, to her train. Her eyes widened and her pulse quickened. The train! Wherever I am, I sure don't see the station anywhere near. I'll miss it! Or perhaps I've already missed it. Who knows how long I was out. Grace pushed off the tree, walking gently along the ruins she had found herself in. The stone was warm, and Grace removed her shoes and socks to feel it on her skin. She laughed to herself as the warmth traveled up her body.

"A lovely place, I wonder who lived here?" She murmured to herself. As she continued to walk, her eyes were drawn to giant apple trees that loomed over her. Her stomach growled. Her satchel with her sandwich lied back at the tree, but the apples did look very enticing. She outstretched her hand and plucked one from the branch. It was firm in her hands, and quite heavy for an apple. The unexpected weight was explained once she bit into it. The apple was carrying mounds of juice and flavoring, and it made such a satisfying crunch when she bit into it. Smiling lightly, Grace walked past the orchard and towards some stone stairs. There was a large doorway next to her, but the lack of light was foreboding, so she decided to avoid that for the time being. As she turned to walk back towards her satchel, voices from afar reached her ears. People! Maybe I could ask for help. Her body started making her way towards them, until a thought reached her. They could be dangerous. I am, afterall, in a completely new environment, alone and without defenses. I think I'll just go back.

She moved back from the door and towards the trees where her bag lay hidden. The voices grew louder, and seemingly nearer. She panicked, and her elegant strides turned into quickened ones. Grace hurriedly made her way through the orchard and back to where her shoes lay. Grabbing them quickly, her pace didn't slow. Her satchel now only lies a few feet from her, and she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. She swung the small bag over her shoulder and carefully tiptoed back to where she heard the voices. Maybe if I could get a good look at them, I could tell if they're threatening. The girl carefully peered around the orchard, and saw a small girl walking away from her, chomping on an apple. I guess I'm not the only hungry one. Wait, is that a St. Finbars uniform? Maybe I'm not as far from home as I thought. As she left her thoughts, the girl had disappeared.

"What the-" Grace removed herself from behind the tree and looked about. The looming doorway had been opened further, and she saw a light flashing down it, almost like a torch. She must've gone down there. I suppose I'll move on. She sped past the door quietly and continued to awe at the ruins. What looked like once a balcony overlooked the great ocean that lay ahead of her, and Grace felt a surge of jealousy for whoever once occupied this place. She stood for a bit, breathing in the salty air and soaking up the sun.

"I think it's time we found out what's going on here." A deep voice claimed behind Grace, and she became stiff, quickly taking cover back in the trees. She watched the doorway as three figures emerged. The small girl she spotted earlier, now dressed in a lovely red and orange dress. Then came a girl that looked slightly older than herself, wearing a lilac dress. She looked to be holding some sort of weapon, but it wasn't clear. Lastly, a tall boy with dark locks. He wore a blue tunic and brown pants, and was that a sword he was carrying? Who on earth uses swords anymore? Her confusion grew when no one else emerged from the darkness. Surely the deep voice didn't belong to the blue shirted boy, he can't be but a year older than me! Grace turned to retreat back further into the woods when she was stopped by a blade at her throat. Her eyes widened in panic and her back hit the tree roughly.