Unexpected

Arrival

It was the middle of the day near noon when Marisa was in her study looking over some paperwork from her research, she was in the middle of developing plans in order to propose her research project to the magisterium.

All that could be heard on the penthouse floor was the grandfather clock ticking away only for it to chime out that it was now noon causing Marisa to lift her eyes from the papers in front of her as she glanced around before landing her eyes on the windows.

It was a sunny day outside, clouds moving in the wind and as the clock chimed throughout the penthouse, loneliness crept upon her as she sighed openly before leaning back into her chair. Reaching for her thin designer watch upon her wrist, she then made moves to stand as her golden monkey stretched from being perched on the window sill avoiding her gaze.

Most of the time her daemon would look out the windows as if longing for something.

Marisa walked down the corridor towards the living room in order to see about obtaining some lunch prepared by her staff. As she walked, her high heels clicked upon the marble reaching halfway down the corridor there was a sudden buzzing from the lift.

There was a guest that had arrived requesting to visit her floor, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she had not been expecting any guests today. However, no matter, deducing it maybe someone from the magisterium come to visit.

Marisa waltzed over to the lift controls and pressed the button allowing the guest to travel up, as the lift rose to her floor. Marisa smoothed out her dress while gently fixing her hair before greeting the guest.

Eventually, a ding rang out as the lift reached her floor, the doors opened gently revealing to nothing in view. Marisa saw no one inside at first glance as she looked around inside with frustration and bewilderment.

Marisa frustrated that her time had been wasted then reached for the lift to be sent back down, however as she reached for the button to do so a small young voice implored.

"Wait!"

Suddenly Marisa pulled back her hand as if burned before she peered from the side of the lift entrance from the controls. Peering into the lift she was met with the sight of a little girl no older than five years in age. The girl was dressed in a red dress with white socks and mary janes, along with a rucksack on her back as if she were going to primary school.

The girl stood there with wide innocent eyes, as she looked at Marisa as if she was taking in the sight of her with slight awe before smiling softly.

Marisa then stepped in front of the lift in full view of the girl, Marisa noted the girl looked familiar for some reason or another.

"I'm sorry dear are you lost?"

The girl with wide eyes then noticed Marisa's daemon who was behind the woman to her side, the girl then entered the penthouse leaving the lift behind as she approached Marisa's daemon.

"Your daemon settled as a golden monkey?" The girl asked softly as not caring she just entered a stranger's penthouse, causing Marisa to be in slight shock at the girl not knowing how to handle a child.

"Listen, dear, you can't just come into a strangers' home like this. Didn't your father ever teach you that there are dangerous people out in the world?"

The girl then stepped back as she looked up at Marisa with innocent eyes, giving her a sad expression as she looked up at Marisa from their height difference.

"Not really no" she softly spoke with a hollow tone

Marisa being frustrated and annoyed, slightly flustered at the intrusion and asked

"Well, where is he?"

"On a Zepplin"

"On a Zepplin, well who are you here with?" Marisa asked calmly, trying to get control of the situation back, the whole ordeal was unexpected.

"My mother"

"Well, right. You better go find her. I'm sure she is looking for you worried out of her mind"

Marisa implored hoping that would prompt the girl to enter the lift once more and find her mother so she could get back to her work and perhaps have some lunch.

The girl then caught Marisa's eyes, speaking sure of herself.

"She's not looking for me"

"Well, how do you know?"

Marisa then questioned as the little girl confused her, she placed her hands upon her sides.

"Because she's looking at me"

Marisa's face bore confusion as she took in the little girl's words.

"What?"

Marisa asked as if she mistook the girl's words, perhaps not hearing her clearly.

Marisa then noticed the little girl along with her little daemon who was in the form of a white ermine on her shoulder came closer to Marisa catching her off guard.

Looking up at Marisa the little girl spoke "Hello...we never met before.....My name is Lyra.....I'm your daughter"

Suddenly the world felt it was on tilt as the familiar little girl's words sunk in, she felt faint as the golden monkey suddenly got closer to the little girl looking at her with sadness in her eyes before dropping to the floor along with Marisa as she then promptly fainted.