Lyra laid her head on the soft, white pillow. What a day this had been! She had hoped that Dean Hannah would be able to help her, but with the alethiometer missing, it was going to have to wait.
"Don't you think it's weird, Pan, that the alethiometer is suddenly missing? Do you think it's just a coincidence?"
No response. She hadn't thought there would be.
She swept a lock of her silky hair behind her ear, and continued, "Maybe it's fate. Maybe the angels don't want us to know what's wrong with us. I sure would like to."
Pan moved his head slightly, tears streaming as always from his eyes.
"Pan, why won't you talk to me? Tell me what to do?"
He looked at her strangely. His eyes were filled with a question of some kind, what it was exactly Lyra could not tell.
"Pan? Come on, Pan, you can tell me."
He seemed to ponder this for a second. Suddenly his voice, raspy from disuse, broke the silence.
"Lyra, you have to promise to do what I tell you."
Lyra's silvery eyes, half closed with exhaustion, flew open. She barely breathed, could hardly keep herself from falling to the ground.
"Oh, Pan..." she gasped out, and scrambled across the bed to him. "Pan, I'll do whatever will help you. I can't bear for you to be sad any longer."
His next words came to her like a blow. Stunned, she sat up straight, banging her head rather loudly on the ceiling.
"Pan! You can't be ser... do you mean it? Is she..."
He nodded, and climbed off the bed slowly. Lyra followed, closing her eyes and praying to the angels that his words were not true.
Reika opened the door slowly. "Lyra, you in here? I thought I heard something crash... Lyra! What are you... No!"
Reika ran to the window, mere seconds too late. In horror, she watched the girl fall to the ground, watched her frail bones shatter, watched Pantalaimon bouncing after her...
Falling to her knees, she asked heaven above what could do this...
And the answer rang loud and true.
"With the loss of Kivjara, those two could not stay long in this world..."
Lyra's screams sounded still through the hallways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will flung himself up, wordless screams emanating from his mouth. Tears raced down his face, and he rocked himself back and forth. In his eyes, he could see Lyra falling, crashing, dying...
And her tortured screams sunk into what was left of his tattered mentality.
"Don't you think it's weird, Pan, that the alethiometer is suddenly missing? Do you think it's just a coincidence?"
No response. She hadn't thought there would be.
She swept a lock of her silky hair behind her ear, and continued, "Maybe it's fate. Maybe the angels don't want us to know what's wrong with us. I sure would like to."
Pan moved his head slightly, tears streaming as always from his eyes.
"Pan, why won't you talk to me? Tell me what to do?"
He looked at her strangely. His eyes were filled with a question of some kind, what it was exactly Lyra could not tell.
"Pan? Come on, Pan, you can tell me."
He seemed to ponder this for a second. Suddenly his voice, raspy from disuse, broke the silence.
"Lyra, you have to promise to do what I tell you."
Lyra's silvery eyes, half closed with exhaustion, flew open. She barely breathed, could hardly keep herself from falling to the ground.
"Oh, Pan..." she gasped out, and scrambled across the bed to him. "Pan, I'll do whatever will help you. I can't bear for you to be sad any longer."
His next words came to her like a blow. Stunned, she sat up straight, banging her head rather loudly on the ceiling.
"Pan! You can't be ser... do you mean it? Is she..."
He nodded, and climbed off the bed slowly. Lyra followed, closing her eyes and praying to the angels that his words were not true.
Reika opened the door slowly. "Lyra, you in here? I thought I heard something crash... Lyra! What are you... No!"
Reika ran to the window, mere seconds too late. In horror, she watched the girl fall to the ground, watched her frail bones shatter, watched Pantalaimon bouncing after her...
Falling to her knees, she asked heaven above what could do this...
And the answer rang loud and true.
"With the loss of Kivjara, those two could not stay long in this world..."
Lyra's screams sounded still through the hallways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will flung himself up, wordless screams emanating from his mouth. Tears raced down his face, and he rocked himself back and forth. In his eyes, he could see Lyra falling, crashing, dying...
And her tortured screams sunk into what was left of his tattered mentality.