Weekly Drabble Challenge Entry
Title: Blood on the Moon
Rating: K+
Summary: Susan had always had a knack for the art of fortunetelling.
A/N: Yeah! I got it in in time!
"Are you all right, Susan?" Michael's voice preceded him onto the balcony where the aforementioned stood, staring at the moon.
"There's blood on the moon," she answered quietly, her hands folded demurely behind her. He followed her gaze to the red ring that had her so captivated.
"So?"
"Bad luck." Michael's brow knit in disbelief; she turned to him abruptly, rubbing her hands together as if she were cold. "Would you mind getting me a cup of tea?"
He nodded. "Of course. I’ll be right back." Susan watched his retreating form as he headed back inside to the party. She turned her eyes back to the moon, almost as though she couldn't help herself. She only looked away again when Michael returned with the steaming chamomile.
"Here you go. Are you sure you're all right?" he asked again as he carefully handed it over.
"Mhmm," Susan murmured, chucking the contents of the cup over the railing. Michael gasped, instinctively bringing one hand up too late to stop her.
"Wha- What are you doing?" he cried.
Susan didn't answer him but calmly examined the remaining tea leaves in the bottom of the porcelain cup. Her face went white as she studied them. As the cup slid from her stunned fingers, Michael lunged out to catch it before it shattered on the stone balcony. "What is wrong with you?" he demanded.
Susan pushed passed him in something of a flurry. She darted through the house to the nearest phone and, picking it up, frantically dialed. "Peter! Oh Peter, my god, are you all right? Just answer me! No! Peter, there's blood on the moon and I looked at the leaves and there was a crown and a man and death and you had better not go out, Peter! Or Ed! I don’t want to lose either of you and-"
Michael listened interestedly as whoever was on the other end managed to interrupt her. She sank onto the couch by the phone, her face ashen. She didn't speak for far too long. Even from the doorway he heard the man say her name, "Susan? Susan, are you there?"
"Yes," she almost whispered, "Yes, I'm here. Thank you, Peter. Sorry to bother you. No, no, I’ll be just fine. I’ll see you when I get home." She hung up the phone and hung her head. Michael moved to sit beside her, the empty teacup still in his hand.
"What happened?" he asked softly.
Susan covered her face with her hands a moment, not answering. Finally, she said, "I just overreacted. Thought I saw something that wasn’t there. Don’t worry about it."
Michael looked doubtful so she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the makeshift dance floor. But as she leaned her cheek on his chest, she wondered that a moon in one world could tell of tragic events in another.
"Oh, Susan. It's not me or Ed. I didn't want to have to tell you this, Su, but Eustace just called. He-He and a friend have been to Narnia. They saw Caspian, Su. He was an old man; it was his time! He lived a long, full life - lots of adventure, just the way he liked it. Really, Su, we didn't expect it to have lasted this long."
Susan never looked at tea leaves again and she never, ever watched the moon. She didn't want to know. Knowledge is power but with power comes responsibility and with responsibility, disappointment.