The Flood Gates

Whipping of the sheet, Susan peered at the plain wardrobe. No one else could've have known that it had once transported four children into another world - it was now her secret alone.

"That's nice, but it won't fit in the car." Henry stated behind her.

"I'm not taking it back, I'm not going back." Susan replied. Her hand turned the knob and opened the doors. Still nothing. She stepped up into the large space and began walking back. Except she couldn't. There was only wood.

"What d'ya mean you're not going back? I don't condone suicide and I will be forced to stop you if you attempt."

Susan's hands traced the wood paneling, seeking a notch anything that could peel back this barrier and let her into - - - - that place. She bent down, looking in every corner, her plaid skirt brushed up against the floor. Dust scattered itself about, fleeing from here errant movements. The fur coats remained in the wardrobe, apparently they were not even worth removing before destroying the house. Here hands galloped against the wood, movements becoming frantic.

NO, it had to let her back in. How could he? How could he trap her here? Home was only a step away.

I want to leave. Asl…Please, let me go. I don't care how changed Narnia is - she had said it - I want to go there. I believe, Aslan, I believe. Please let me go back.

Her back slid against the wall and she crouched down resting her head on her knees. Susan knocked against her head with tightly wound fists, and she felt the first tears leaked out. This was release. Sobs racked her body while she tried to stop the coming flood. And as one fights against sadness, one will always lose. Her head rocked back and forth, drumming out a beat on the old wood.

"Everything will be okay." Henry climbed in after her, sitting down and watching her cry. "Have a good cry and everything will feel better."

"No it won't!" Susan yelled, "I want to go home! I want to see Narnia, I want my brothers and sister back. I want my kingdom back, I want peace. Please, I am begging you!" Susan crouched to her knees bracing her body with her hands and then turned and bowed to the floor with fingers clasped together in prayer, "Aslan, please, I will die if I stay here. I cannot stand it. I want happiness, please let me go back, please let me return, please let me go back, let me go back, let me go back…" Her tears heaved up.

And the flood gates opened.

--

The water rushed out and flooded every part of Susan Pevensie and Henry Stigers. It tumbled down the cliff, taking them with it and attempting to drown them. Rocks rushed past them and one crowned Henry clean on the head, another took Susan by the ankle. Down and down they drowned until it came to a peaceful stop. The water churned and bubbled peacefully next to them. Gasping, they struggled to the banks and crawled to the damp Earth. Henry recovered first.

"What the bloody hell was that?" He shouted out in frustration.

Silence met his outburst.

"Hey? You alive..." He looked over and saw her struggling to sit up, clutching her ankle.

She looked up at him and smiled, grinning. She was beautiful.

It was the first time he noticed how pretty she was, pale, and thin with dark curly hair that swept down the sides of her face and shoulders. Blushing, Henry studied their surroundings, while Susan gently stood up, steadying herself and brushing off twigs and debris. There were mountains in both directions, sheer cliffs stood at the opposite bank and foliage covered the sides. Moss crept up the smooth stones that littered the bank of the river. Above, trees of every height struggled for growing space in a flourishing forest. Animals could be heard moving about and birds filled the air with noise, the gurgling of the river behind them contributed to the melody. This was not a large Victorian house in the middle of nowhere.

"Where the bloody hell are we?" Henry shouted again. This time he got an answer.

"This is home."

Henry turned on Susan, "Looks like a forest to me."

"This is Narnia." Susan couldn't stop smiling and it took over her face. "I don't know why it brought you with me, but this is, this is… really hard to explain" and there she went smiling again.

"Okay, what's a Narnia." He asked.

"It's everything you see here and more. I… we…. My brothers and sister and I, " Susan stumbled a bit, "used to live here. It is ruled by a King, or at least it was last time we were here." She tried to keep it as normal sounding as possible.

"Okay. So, this land is Narnia - not England, Narnia. But how did we fall through a wardrobe! Into a waterfall nonetheless!?"

Susan missed the looks Henry shot her.

He looked confused. Here was this girl he had met at a slaughterhouse a few days ago, taken her home, taken care of her, and even escorted to a wacky old house where she had proceeded to cry and drag him into a waterfall that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Well, not seemingly - it had appeared out of nowhere.

Just like that boat on the bank.

Susan turned and did a double take. A boat, perfect. She turned to Henry and gestured toward the boat, "To tell you the truth, I don't know exactly where we are, but if we take this boat down the river I am sure I will se something recognizable."

Henry looked at her dubiously, but nevertheless trailed after her loyally. They climbed into the boat and Henry honorably took the paddles and drove them downstream.

Susan could hardly take it all in. She gazed tonelessly about, taking in the forests, the birds, the everything. It was like nothing had changed since her second, and final venture into Narnia, the land still sung to her. Gliding aimlessly through the river was familiar, so wonderful, so unusual - nothing like England.

The small canoe broke into open water and Susan told Henry to keep to the bank and sail around - she was still lost. Hours they sailed, Henry eventually let the current take them, occasionally using the paddle as a rudder to keep them on course, but doing nothing else. Susan laid back, resting her head on a thick head of curls and stared into the sky, watching birds pass by. Her eyelids shut quietly.

When Henry woke her up there was tingling sensation and her eyes were met, not with the green of vibrating life, but with the white of devastating cold. Her teeth began chattering and she turned to him, uncertain, but Henry had one more thing to reveal to her.

"Look." he pointed behind her.

She turned and the sky lit up. A port filled with boats greeted her eyeline and the island seemed drowned in fluorescent bulbs. Music reverberated off the wood of the boat, jostling her skull. The closer they got, the more she could see. Dancers filled the streets, wearing nothing that seemed appropriate for the weather. Stilt walkers towered over vendors selling exotic wares. The merchants shouted out into the streets and sailors and townspeople stumbled out of restaurants mumbling old songs.

The town was colorful and alive, despite the deadness of the winter that covered it.