Romeo || Edmund Pevensie

I've Been Waiting For You

It felt like drowning.

The water had started to rise in his lungs, and everything felt like it was ending. The oxygen was pressed from his chest, and it felt like he was being crushed from the inside out. But there was a peacefulness to it that could not be explained. A serene silence that could stop a heart; the bliss in the ignorance of water was unparalleled.

Without being able to breathe, Edmund was forced to swim. He flailed his limbs in the attempt to reach the surface, and for a short while, it felt it was to no avail. Usually, he was a fairly strong swimmer, but this was a completely different situation. Breathing was supposed to be easy, and simple: this was anything but.

The water was dark, and beautiful. It was like a hug, holding him in place, keeping him there for as long as he could. There might have been something making him stay there, but there was more dragging him towards the sky.

It was a new world, just above him, just out of reach. All of it was clear, and blue, and airplane free. He couldn't have asked for much more than that.

When his head emerged from the water, it's depths releasing him finally, he could only describe it as feeling like he was born again. The air that filled his lungs was the most appreciative he had ever been of something so natural. The heat of the sun hit his face, and the few clouds that spotted above, reminded him of before the war. Although, there wasn't much that he could remember from then.

Perhaps time was standing still, or perhaps the water had caught in his ears, because it was so silent. He couldn't describe the serenity the silence beheld. And when it broke, he didn't know whether he minded or not.

"Edmund!" His sisters voice called out to him as he emerged. Though, he was still grappling for air, so he couldn't bring himself to say anything back, but he was glad. She was just as safe as he was.

Only seconds after Edmund burst through, Eustace followed with a scream. "Aah!" They had both forgotten he was there. It was a disappointment to be reminded. "What's happening? What's happening?"

Only because of the deep creaks and groans in the air did they become increasingly aware of the longboat approaching them. It had the head of a dragon, and a deep purple sail. The one from the painting, Edmund was sure. They had thought it Narnian, but that meant nothing.

Then, they found it wasn't slowing down. The wood moaned at them, ensuring that if they had stayed still, then they would be killed. Edmund didn't escape war in his own country to be murdered within seconds in another.

Of course, Eustace was oblivious to the danger. By the looks of things, he had never swam a day in his life, and the panic of being surrounded by water overcame him like a storm.

"Where are we?" Their cousin screamed.

Lucy took it upon herself to force him to swim in the same direction as her. "Eustace, swim!"

"What's going on?"

"Eustace, come on!"

"Come on!" Edmund shouted through gritted teeth. He was not inclined to offer advice to people he wasn't fond of, but it felt cruel otherwise. "Move!"

Lucy continued on too. "Keep swimming!"

As they were swimming away from the boat, clearly hoping not to be crushed or accidentally keelhauled, they did not notice the four men dive into the water in pursuit of them. It was unclear yet whether their intentions were good or bad.