Final Sail - E. Pevensie [3]

10 - Trapped in Consciousness

I felt cold water biting at my skin and lifted my head, letting out a groan as my head pounded with pain. Where was I?

After rubbing my eyes to clear my vision, I looked around. A cry escaped my lips once I took in my surroundings.

In front of me was the wreckage left of our ship, floating around the dark island that Coriakin had shown us on the map. How did we get here? When? What happened to my friends?

"No. Lucy!" I frantically scrambled on the splintered piece of wood to the other side, shaking my unmoving friend. Her eyes stared vacantly over my shoulder.

"Wake up. Please wake up." I sobbed, putting my head on her shoulder.

"What happened?" I screamed to the sky.

I clenched my eyes shut as tears rolled down my face and my mind was bombarded with images, a scene playing out.

I clambered up the rope ladder to the crow's nest. The basket had long blown off, and Edmund stood with Peter's sword in his hands, his eyes trained on the hovering green mist in front of him.

"Edmund!" I said, pulling his attention to me. I grabbed one of his hands and laced our fingers together as a giant sea serpent hissed at us, only feet away from our faces. "Together."

"Together." He nodded.

Edmund raised his sword towards the lurking monster, and just as I moved to do the same, my vision exploded with stars.

I crumpled to the ground and clutched at my head, screaming.

"Macey!" Edmund dropped his sword and to my side. I watched through hazy eyes as the serpent took its chance, striking.

"No!" I screamed. It was too late. The serpent's teeth sank into Edmund, ripping him from my side and throwing him to the rocks.

I heard bones crack as his body collided with the rocks of the mountains and he fell into the water, sinking like rock.

The serpent twisted violently and began attacking the rest of the ship and crew, throwing them like sandbags and destroying the ship.

They were all helpless. My friends cried out for me and each other as the serpent stole their lives and our chances of saving Narnia. It killed them all.

"No. I'm sorry." I whispered, my trembling fingers running down Lucy's cheeks.

I looked through the wreckage to see Caspian drifting near us, his upper body on a drifting board. Eustace was face down on a barrel, also unmoving. Dead. They were all dead. My friends were gone.

Over my shoulder, I could see the darkness and the green mist spreading from this island to the rest of the ocean, infecting Narnia with its evil. I had failed Narnia.

"Macey." Lucy wheezed. I scrambled up, lifting her head onto my lap.

"Lucy? Lucy! Wake up, please!"

"Macey. Macey!"

I shot up, gasping. A hand grabbed my wrist tightly and I whipped my head to the side, sagging my shoulders in relief when I saw Lucy standing there with wide eyes and a lantern. I closed my eyes and rubbed my aching forehead.

"I'm sorry, Lu." I sighed, thinking I woke her up. Had I been screaming in my sleep?

"I had a bad dream too." She whispered, stepping closer to Edmund's hammock. I covered her hand on my wrist with my free hand and squeezed it.