Lyra woke up with a start. She noticed that she was sleeping in a bed, a double bed in fact, the first time she had in weeks. She tried to remember last nights events. The 'little cut'. She screamed. She remembered the 'little cut' had been to take Pan away from her. She went through the covers frantically, and then she noticed Pan in the form of a cat, in which he then changed into a ferret and went straight into Lyra's arms. Lyra's happiness was short-lived however, when she noticed Marisa Coulter sitting on the bed.
'GET AWAY FROM ME NOW,' Lyra shouted at her. 'DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME. DON'T YOU DARE!'
'Lyra I wont ever touch you if that's what you want,' Marisa replied calmly. It pained her to see Lyra like this, but she understood why Lyra was acting like this far more than Lyra knew. The words that came from Mrs Coulter's mouth scared Lyra, scared her to the core.
'Why am I here? Why am I with you? I should be with the others. I should be dead.' Lyra said hurriedly, she wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. She needed to continue with the plan, and she really didn't need to fraternize with the enemy.
'Shush, Lyra, I will explain all. For one thing you will never have Pan taken away from you, not unless it is necessary. Also from now on you will stay in this room. And I also want to know how much you know about me.' Mrs Coulter spoke quietly to Lyra, expecting her to listen. Expecting Lyra to trust her. She knew that it probably wont work. But she needed to try. She needed to know, she needed to correct her.
'I know enough about you to not trust you. I know your gonna kill Uncle Asriel. I need to get out of here, I need to get out of here now.' Lyra screamed. She hated not being in control, it was like being with the professors all over again. And when she lived with Mrs Coulter. 'I thought its what you wanted though, for me and Pan never to be together again. Your in charge of the Goblers. You take people's daemons away. And for that I hate you. I hate you with a passion.' Lyra wanted to hurt Mrs Coulter. She wanted her to feel guilty about what she was doing, she wanted Mrs Culter to change things. Mrs Coulter however, said nothing except
'You don't know a lot of things, if you knew everything, you would of tried to kill me by now.' This confused Lyra. How come she did not know everything? Mrs Coulter carried on, 'Please I don't want you to find out through the Alethiometer of yours, I want to tell you myself. You havn't wanted to find out already. Although I don't know whether you could read it.' Marisa more spoke to herself than Lyra, She didn't know how to carry on from here.
'Mrs Coulter, I want to know everything. I want to know why your protecting me, I want to know why your doing these terrible things, and I want to know why when I was at Jordan College you took me away from there, with a promise you would take me to the north, yet you didn't,' Lyra simply stated. She wanted to understand her, because a while back, she wanted to be like Mrs Coulter, but now, with everything that's happened, she wasn't so sure.
'I will answer all your questions, right now if you want?' Lyra nodded. 'Why am I doing these 'terrible things' as you so put it. When you grow older, and your daemon doesn't change, you start to think very bad thoughts. And by intercision, we hope that you wont have to think these bad thoughts anymore. And your generation can be a happy one. Lord Asriel however, thinks differently, and so the Magesteriem has to take action. I'm sorry you had to hear that Lyra, I truly am.'
'Your taking away part of our soul, your making us into a boring generation. These bad thoughts are what make us human, have you thought about that?' Lyra replied, really angry at Mrs Coulter for even thinking that cutting people's daemons was a good idea.
'I need to answer the rest of your questions, so please do not interupt,' Mrs Coulter kindly requested, yet her tone of voice scared Lyra into being quiet. 'Why I took you from Jordan College, well I could see you were really bored and I care about you a lot so I thought why not look after you. Well of course that backfired because you found out who I was and ran for it. If I was your age and didn't know the full truth I would of done the same. Lyra, please listen to me. The next bit I explain is very important. Your not a common child Lyra. Your mother and father didn't die in a crash like you were told…' This made Lyra go white, why should she believe the words that come out of a liars mouth? Yet she listened intently, and Mrs Coulter carried on. 'When the Magesterium heard about your existence they didn't allow your mother to be in contact with you, so they kept you at Jordan College. When laws changed however, your mother tried and tried to get in contact with you, and then she managed to take you away from Jordan College and you got placed in her care.' By now Lyra was sobbing, she couldn't believe this was true, she didn't want her. Marissa Coulter, to be her mother. Not at all.
Lyra moaned 'NO NO NOOOO. YOU LIAR.'
'Yes Lyra, your mine,' Marisa replied as quiet as a mouse, shocked because Lyra didn't want to believe her, 'Check with the compass, everything, its true. I wasn't allowed to look after you, but I'm here now.'
'GET OUT, I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN,' Those angry screams that came out of Lyra's mouth made sure that Marisa regretted not telling her before. She regretted not telling her the night she saw her. The night Lyra agreed to stay with her. She was drawing up all the scenarios of what could of happened in her head, but for some reason she couldn't tell Lyra that night. Lyra was too happy.
'Please Lyra, I want to be there, from now on I want to be with you, with everything you do. Be with you every step of the way…' Lyra interrupted.
'Well I guess now I know why you don't want me to have my daemon taken away. I've got a family, the Gyptions, Scoresby, everyone. I don't need you or your intercision anywhere near me. I hate you. You've caused so much grief in my life. My life was so simple before you came along, but then you ruined everything. Your so selfish. Let me out of here,' Lyra didn't know what else to say. Every bone in her body hated her to the core. She was glad not to be raised by her. Lyra wanted out, and the best thing for her to do was run. So she got out of bed and ran carrying Pan to the door, just when Marisa said 'Lord Asriel is your father.' But Lyra just carried on running.
'Oh Pan, what am I going to do?' Lyra sobbed into Pan as he changed form back into a cat.
'I think you better check to see whether its true, although my gut feeling says it is.'
The Alethiometer confimed Mrs Coulters words, and Lyra's heart sank, but she realised what she had to do, she needed the war to start. And she needed it now.
My first His Dark Materials FanFic, and just my take on the film version, because I thought the scene was rubbish when Lyra found out, I mean why would she hug her if she despised her? Come on. Please hit that green button and review. Much appreciated. Abbi x