Chapter 12: The Magic of Trust

"How did you know you can't go inside?"
Anna asks Caspian with disbelief. She is about to open the blue door but turns to face Caspian instead.
"I just know. Please trust me, I tried!"
Caspian insists.
Anna gives him an incredulous look.
"Explain! Now!" She demanded.
"Remember the day we had a picnic under the willow tree? I got here early then I came over your house to check if you're home when I didn't see you at our tree. I figured you might have gotten tide up at school so I got curious." Caspian confesses.
"Nobody was around so I thought I'd take a look inside," he continues softly voice with a sorry expression.
"What? Of course you can't go inside... it's locked!" Anna says exasperatedly.
"No, locks don't matter to us." Caspian replies with surety.
"Oh, okay so that's what you get for trying to sneak into our house! That's what happens to normal people you know? They can't get in."
"That is considered trespassing for human beings like us. It's a good thing Popsie Reed was never crazy on security alarms. You could have caused a commotion in the whole neighbourhood."
Anna sounds amused.
"I don't have any explanation also why I can't go in but when you invited me to go inside your house after our picnic, I thought I will be able to go in but it's like there's an invisible aura preventing me to step into your house."
Caspian wonders.
"I had the same feeling also when I had breakfast with you, Popsie and Marmee."
"Even now, I can still sense that barrier. It's stopping me from moving close to your door..."
Caspian remains puzzled.
"You're really serious huh?"
Anna says to Caspian with a little frown.
What could that mean? Anna thinks.
"That's really strange then...well alright, so you just have to wait for me here. We can figure that out later on."
"What about through the windows?" Anna asks jokingly.
Caspian gives her a grimace.
"Okay...okay...I'm going in now..."
"I will just tell Popsie and Marmee that we're taking a walk for a while."
Anna decides as she quickly walks through the blue door waving at Caspian mockingly.
Anna seems to be enjoying this. Caspian thought to himself.
Caspian looks up to admire the bright stars. He is still pondering on possible reasons why he can't enter.
It's not like he was a vampire who needs to be invited to certain dwellings before he can enter that particular place.  Wait... is that true or just some misleading facts about the night creatures?
Caspian sighs for thinking such ridiculous thoughts.
Anna comes out and breaks Caspian's musing.
"That was quick..." Caspian says.
"Are you ready to go now? Have you come up with a possible theory to explain why you can't come in?"
"I think the best reason for me is so you will not sneak up on me when I'm asleep!"
Anna teases Caspian.
Caspian frowns, not understanding the humor on Anna's statement.
"Oh, right, you don't know Twilight... Edward and Bella?" Anna tries explaining.
Caspian continues to frown.
"Oh, sorry... It's just a story about a human girl and a vampire who fell in love."
"It's about a night creature?" Caspian inquires. That one, he understands.
"So, you know about vampires?" Anna asks as she holds on to Caspian's arm.
"Of course I do! Among all other creatures there is."
Caspian replies as they both cross the street, pass the willow then to the trail.
It is a clear night with all the stars shining brilliantly in the night skies. It really gives the impression of an enchanted evening...or is it just because of how these two beings are projecting their emotions?
"Which creatures exist among the fairy tales Jo and I have read? Are Vampires, Werewolves, Dwarfs, Hobbits living amongst us? Wait, is Gandalf for real?"
Anna asks incessantly.
"Who is Gandalf?"
Caspian interrupts Anna.
"Okay, you haven't heard about him, so he is fictional. He is a wizard."
Anna answers.
They are now a little bit into the forest now.
"A wizard?" Caspian repeats.
"Yes...someone with great magical powers." Anna explains.
Caspian stops walking.
"A being with magical powers?" he asks with interest.
"Yes, but he is a good wizard. Saruman is the evil one."
Anna narrates excitedly, but noticing Caspian suddenly halts.
"What? So, wizards are real too?" Have you met one?"
Anna faces Caspian.
They are now face-to-face. The stars illuminate their pale silhouette. The trees around them dim the light.
"In our realm, there are powerful fairies too. There are those whom you refer to as this Gandalf. They are the good ones who use their magical powers to protect nature and all that dwells in this world."
"But there are also the dark fairies. The most powerful and dark fairy I am referring to is named Alirion. He was the one who caused the terrible fire in the valley. He has killed some of our people."
"The elders were able to trap Alirion in a secret place. Our people avoid killing anyone because it is in our nature to give life and not end it."
"He miraculously got away just a week ago after so many years of banishment. We have yet to find out how he managed to escape his prison."
Caspian explains to Anna with strong emotions.
Anna is listening to every word that Caspian utters, sensing the turmoil in his emotions.
Both of them realize that they are standing very close to each other already. Their proximity allows them comfort for the troubled feelings brought about by what Caspian has revealed about his world.
Caspian embraces Anna gently. He is drawn to her and the warmth that seems to radiate from her amidst the darkness around them and the heavy feeling in his heart. It is like a ray of sunshine though it was night.
Anna allows herself to stay in Caspian's embrace. She has this strange feeling that whatever Caspian said is something very important to her too. She empathizes with him.
After a while, Caspian pinches Anna's cheeks and says,
"Thank you for listening to me. I thought that when you hear the truth about who I am, you will not like to see me anymore."
"Why would I do that? I think when I finally started seeing you, there is no way I can 'unsee' you ever again."
Anna tries to lighten up the mood.
"Here you go again with your jokes, I'm serious. I never like to lose you as my special friend, ever. You mean so much to me."
Caspian says as he traces circles on Anna's palm.
"But I mean what I said. I can never let you go away or I turn away from you. What we have is something special. And you know what? The moment I saw you, I believe that means I trust you instantly considering how different your appearance is. I think that is the magic of trust."
Anna concludes.
"If you say so...."
Caspian agrees.
Hearing those words from Anna, he feels much more relieved now.
"I think we better head back to your house. Your Popsie and Marmee might get worried. It's getting late."
Caspian reminds Anna.
Anna and Caspian heads back to where they came from still holding on to each other's hands.
Both are silently contemplating on all the things they have talked about. Both of them are feeling much closer to each other.