Oh my! Susan/Ocean is my true OTP, and you totally captured her love of, and longing for, the sea, and how that translated into her love and longing for Narnia in this story. I have to admit, I am a little sniffly reading this - you really got that feeling of loss, both of Narnia and of her family and friends, in this story. It was a wonderful look at grief and loss on the different levels. And I can totally understand and sympathize with a Susan who just wasn't ready to face and deal with the loss of her previous life and world, and who pretended to forget, to hide from that reality.

This was my favorite part:

“It is not punishment,” the voice repeated, firmer this time, and this time Susan almost believed.

“Then what is it?”

There was a long pause, wherein Susan no longer tried to block any out, but simply listened. But the answer didn’t come and for a long time she thought there was none. But then, finally, softly:

“Life.”

So many post-LB Susan stories look at her loss as punishment, and posit that she is the worst off, because she didn't die with her family. But no, Susan got the chance they never did - to live a full life, with all the highs and lows that come with it. So I loved this acknowledgment that this is what she had here.

And I just got home from 10 days at the beach, and oh, Susan's longing for the sea - I know exactly how she feels! :D