His Dark Materials

Chapter 10

marisa strangely glanced at lyra in the moment the child asked her a question, regarding her wellbeing as if she simply didn’t have any idea what the girl was saying. mrs coulter couldn’t help it but she had never been honest with herself, let alone with others, and it wasn’t going to change any time soon, even under these horrid circumstances. “oh, don’t worry, i am alright, dear” she gave lyra another meaningless smile, to cheer up the girl although it didn’t work very well. the cab stopped at the main entrance of her glorious apartment building and they stepped outside, this time marisa refused to carry her daemon, so he was limping behind them all the way to the doorway of their home. “home sweet home” mrs coulter sighed, quite happy to be back at her comfortable apartment and on top of that together with lyra.. and then she suddenly remembered about the promised surprise for lyra and even if she was aching in pain, she ran to the bathroom to take lyra’s alethiometer as soon as she walked inside. lyra’s mother opened it in front of her daughter and a sudden feeling of magic reflected in her wild eyes. maybe if lyra has it, she also knows how to use it.., just maybe. but marisa still couldn’t help but ask. “do you know how to use it? here.. try it” she carefully handed her the shiny, golden compass, meanwhile the fearful golden monkey was also suspiciously watching them from distance, not daring to move closer.

Lyra followed her mother inside, it was nice to see such a familiar setting, having been cold, starved beaten, she felt sick after eating the sandwhich Mary had given her, like it felt strange having something in her stomach. She frowned, confused when Marisa ran off, she looked at pan who was looking at oz, feeling sympathetic for him. "where has she gone?" she asked him, he was about to answer but he saw Marisa coming back. Lyra smiled and took the alethiometer, she felt whole holding it in her hands. "thank you!" this time she couldn't resist hugging her mother, though she tried to be careful. She looked down at the alethiometer, picking it up and opening it in her hands. "i.. I've never really tried..." she whispered. She slid down the wall and closed her eyes. "clear your mind lyra." pan whispered in her ear. She focused on the alethiometer, clearing her mind as pan instructed, she asked the alethiometer a question in her mind. "is asriel alive...?" she thought. She opened her eyes and gasped, the handles of the compass were moving by themself, the symbols made sense to her, the thee handles stopped at three symbols and her face fell, she stood up, hyperventilating, the compass falling from her hand, she looked at her mother, almost as scared as she's ever been, tears fell down her face. She didn't know whether should be happy or upset. "m... Mother I'm so sorry..." she whispered,  She understood the alethiometer clearly, but she wished she couldn't. She put a hand on her mouth and ran to the bathroom, dropping to the toilet and throwing up. Oliver was outside in his car, staring up at the window of the house Mrs Coulter and lyra was in, he'd wait until nightfall which wasn't far away.

marisa laid down to lyra’s level, and her eyes started to glow when the needles started to move, she didn’t understand it.. but she knew she hadn’t seen such extraordinary beauty before. but mostly her eyes were admiring her daughter the entire time. lyra was weakened and pale.. but her eyes were sparkling when she took the alethiometer. she couldn’t believe lyra had an extraordinary power to read this thing, she gad never felt so proud. lyra was just a child, but she wasn’t any child.. she was hers, she was mrs coulter’s daughter. intelligent and brave. and special. her eyes widened when the sparkle in the girl’s eyes faded, leaving only tears behind. lyra told her she was sorry... what was she sorry for? what did she ask? marisa ran after her daughter to find her beside the toilet, throwing up. lyra’s mother sat down next to lyra on the bathroom floor and fearfully put her hand on the child’s back to rub smooth circles on it. mrs coulter hated to see her daughter in pain, it was the one thing she hated the most. what made her child behave that way? “i am so sorry, i am sorry. it’ll pass. lyra darling.. what’s happened? what are you sorry for? what did you see?” marisa worriedly questioned her, perhaps lyra asked the compass about her, because she couldn’t trust her, maybe she was going to leave her and that was why she apologized.