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"My sister Susan,"
answered Peter shortly and gravely, "is no longer a friend of Narnia."
"Yes," said Eustace, "and
whenever you've tried to get her to come and talk about Narnia or do
anything about Narnia, she says 'What wonderful memories you have! Fancy
your still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were
children.""
"Oh, Susan!" said Jill.
"She's interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and
invitations. She always was a jolly sight too keen on being grown-up."
"Grown-up, indeed," said
the Lady Polly. "I wish she would grow up. She wasted all her school
time wanting to be the age she is now, and she'll waste all the rest of her
life trying to stay that age. Her whole idea is to race onto the silliest
time of one's life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she
can."
From 'THE LAST BATTLE' by C.
S. Lewis

October 31st, 7pm
It was a warm autumn evening and Vincent walked in
plain view with Catherine by his side. Many people looked at them with
admiring smiles for they were so obviously in love. Catherine was dressed as
a fairytale princess and Vincent had dressed to match her. It was the one
time of the year when they could be together in public, as most of those in
sight were also in costume.
They heard a muffled scream, turned and caught
sight of two men dragging an elderly lady down into an alleyway, away from
the lights. Vincent leapt forward, with Catherine following close behind.
One man held the lady and kept watch while the other rummaged through her
bag, trying to find something valuable.
With a roar, Vincent attacked one of the men who
went down almost instantly under his rending teeth and claws. The other man
took to his heels and fled this savage creature. The lady lay where she had
fallen when she had been thrust aside. Catherine ran to her side as Vincent
turned to her from the body of the man who had harmed her.
"Do not fear me for I am a friend," he said softly.
She smiled at him and breathed one word before
fainting:
"Aslan."

Vincent laid the elderly woman on his bed, while
Father limped to her side so see whether he would need his expertise as a
doctor. Catherine stood by the doorway, trying to stay out of the way.
"Vincent, you should know by now that you shouldn't
bring outsiders down here," Father grumbled.
Vincent glanced up at him, then looked back to the
occupant of the bed. "Father, she recognised me but called me by another
name - one I didn't know," he explained.
A moan announced the awakening of their unexpected
guest. Vincent and Father slowly raised her so that she could see she was
among friends. She slowly opened her eyes, looked straight into Vincent's
face and smiled.
"My son says you seem to know him," Father queried.
She smiled again. "It's a very long story that
would explain much, but if you wish to hear it…?" she said as she struggled
to sit on the edge of Vincent's bed. Faintly, in the distance, she could
hear children laughing. "There are children here?" she asked Father.
He nodded and looked at his son. "Vincent grew up
here, as did many others." He smiled as he said it.
"It would keep my story alive if the children could
hear it. Call it a Halloween story as thanks for helping me."
Father looked at Vincent and raised an eyebrow
asking his opinion, and Vincent nodded back. They helped her to her feet and
guided her into Father's study, which was also the meeting place for all
those Below. They found all the children waiting for Father to tell them the
traditional Halloween tale. Catherine found a seat at the back, with Mouse
and Jamie beside her. Kipper and Ellie sat at their feet, while Eric sat
nearer the front with the other children. Vincent helped the Lady to a seat
as Father turned to those gathered around.
"Vincent was able to help this lady and in return
she has said she will tell her story to us," he explained softly.
Vincent retreated to the back of the study and sat
down beside his Catherine as Father sought a chair of his own.
"My name is not important, but the story I'm going
to tell you is. This is the story of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin. It all started when two
brothers and two sisters were evacuated from London during the War…"

"It was a fascinating story, and not only the
children loved it. Thank you for explaining to me who Aslan was."
Vincent nodded his thanks to her as he spoke.
Father and Catherine produced a pot of tea and poured out cups for the six
adults left, while Kipper, Ellie and Eric sat at their feet as they drank
it.
"It is now midnight and time we saw to returning
you to your home - and you children to your beds," Father said over his cup.
The lady smiled at him and then they heard voices calling out.
"High Queen Susan, it is time you returned
to Narnia,"
they heard a great voice say.
"Yes, Susan, come on. We've missed you,"
a boy's voice said out of nowhere.
One wall of the study seemed to become transparent
and they could see young men and women dressed as Kings and Queens. There
was an immense Lion standing in the midst of them, golden light spilling
from his great mane. They watched as the old lady rose to her feet and
walked over to the wall, glance back in fond farewell and then step through.
A young and beautiful Susan Pevensie finally joined her brothers and sister
in the land of Narnia.
The vision ended and the wall returned to the way
it had been. Kipper finally started to breath again and twisted round to
look at the others. "It really did happened as she said, didn't it?"
Father, Vincent and Catherine looked at each other
with astonished expressions on their faces. Finally, Vincent nodded.
"It happened. If it were only myself here, I would
have said I was going mad, but we all saw it. It happened, no doubt about
it. It happened!" Vincent said, with wonder written on his face.
"But how?" Catherine questioned.
Father shrugged, trying to maintain his usual air
of calm. "It's Samhaine, the night when the borders between worlds drop, or
so it is said."
Mouse looked at Jamie with awe written all over his
face and breathed one word:
"Magic."


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