DISCLAIMER:

No Characters or places were created by me they are Phillip Pullmans from "His Dark Materials". Each Chapter Begins with a quote from the books.

The Epilogue Story

Chapter 1 – Will and his Reside

"All his life he'd been alone, and now he must be alone again"

William Parry had a hard time fitting in with people, maybe it was, as Kirjava kept reminding him, because "They haven't been through half the things we have". Will didn't mind if no-one spoke to him, in fact he didn't care, he was used to it. Whatever made Will not have any friends he didn't know

The last few years had a large effect on Wills appearance his dark black hair had grown long and unkept, he hadn't shaved in an long time and his eyes seemed to show signs of an entire life. He looked mature and wise beyond years. He had grown certainly, but inside remained the stubborn character that had got himself into just as many problems as it had got him out of. He sat alone in his small two roomed flat in northern Oxford, Kirjava was off hunting, she certainly wasn't going to waste a perfectly good evening. He sat on the window ledge as he did on many countless evenings, seemingly looking outwards, although he never really saw anything, this world has ceased to mean anything to him.

Oxford meant a lot to Will, and he knew it would always be a part of him, he would never love another place as he did this town. He loved the streets, the spires, the chapels, the buildings, the hornbeam trees, the garden and the wooden bench where he sat once a year. "The garden...", Will began to think

It had been around 9 years ago he had returned with his dearest friend Mary Malone, back to his own world, back to the place he had called home, back to his problems and away from the one he loved. Since then he had been on a steady spiral downwards. First he learnt that indeed his mother had been taken into care, taken away from him to an Institute in London where he couldn't follow. His mother had been through a lot and unfortunately was steadily growing worse.

That left Will in the care of Mary, she was kind and loved Will like her own son and did her best to keep the promise she made, but the destruction of her lab left a scorching hole in their pockets and meant she had to go work at the local museum's lab. The money had seen Will through his education and he had got average A levels giving her the chance to quit and start to search for a sponsor to fund her new research into inter-dimensional travel. She found one but there was a condition, she would have to move to America and set up her research there, of course she had said no thinking of the then 19 year old will but he had reminded her that life is precious and that she should jump at the opportunity, she agreed and with that left. Two years later and Will now 21 was alone.

Will hadn't been the same, not from the time when they had parted in the garden he would visit tomorrow, he was half of himself and that half would never return at least it felt that way, at least he had kirjava, without her he would have given up years ago but with her help he had managed to drag himself along. Will was a full time Novelist/Journalist, it kept him happy and gave him plenty of time alone with his thoughts, but the pay wasn't great. His apartment was grubby and bare, but it was his and it sufficed. Now that he thought about it his life seemed emptier with every passing day. Will had once contemplated suicide, but standing up above looking down at certain death his gaze looked out, out to the garden only a couple minutes away. He couldn't jump, he had to continue living, if only to sit at that tree every year and fool himself into thinking he could feel her.

Had he been foolish? Had he wasted the best parts of his life over a silly girl that wasn't even there? He stopped himself there and immediately hated himself for even questioning himself.

Kirjava returned later, how long it had been she had no idea but it was still very dark, to find Will sitting very still once again staring blankly out into the horizon. He opened his mouth for the first time in hours, but no words came nothing to hide his complete depression, Minutes passed in silence, the small analogue clock showing 23:55 gave off the only light in the room and it was behind anyway the midnight bells had called at least an hour ago, Will couldn't tell. Will had tried to keep the promise he made to Lyra nine years ago. He had tried to be happy but it didn't work his heart had been broken and although he had done the things teenagers do; drink, smoke, party, date, kiss, it all seemed so petty in comparison. So he had given up on ever being able to be happy again.

The apartment held everything he owned and was decorated in a haphazard manner with frayed green wallpaper, and ugly carpeting that altogether summoned no light from outside but Will liked it this way. He always felt most peaceful at night, and in the dark. It was his friend. His small metallic bed lay in a corner of the room, resting by a small bedside table that held a few trinkets from will's travels, including his knife, or what was left of it. A small computer sat motionless on the desk and next door was his kitchen/living room area where he spent little time. His unpublished book "Through A Doorway" sat half finished beside a small green case that contained letters from his father to his mother, all he had of his except maybe the cloak, heavy and feather trimmed he had taken that hung up on the door leading out the bedroom.

Will shook his head, this wasn't right, he should be happy, tomorrow was midsummer's after all.

"Java, why can't I just forget?" he finnaly said a pain rising within him, sometimes that's what he wished for, to wake up and find himself with no memory of the past. Sometimes… he began to think "Sometimes I wonder, I wonder if it was worth it Java?"

A long Pause

"You know that's not true" said Java. Will loved the way she seemed to know him better than he knew himself. "You know it was worth it" he said clearing all doubts from his mind. He put all focus on tomorrow, tomorrow it would be all better, he just knew it. He would go there and for a second she would be with him.

He could sleep again. He got off his window ledge turning his back on the rising sun and lay down next to Kirjava.

He woke up with a start; it was light outside now Kirjava lay on her back fast asleep, something was wrong. He knew almost straight away what, someone had been in the room whilst he slept.

The knife pieces were missing.

Please Review I would like all feedback, I plan to write about 20 chapters, YAY! BUT only if enjoyed.