Her eyes burned. Her hands froze. Her whole body was a mash of feelings. She looked around. Lyra walked up and down this circular corridor. As she walked her surroundings changed colors. One second the walls are covered in red and yellow diamonds, the next blue, green and purple hexagons took place.
She was in a kaleidoscope.
At the ends of this cylindrical corridor there were two stained glass windows. She'd found it interesting at first but now she couldn't get out. She covered her eyes with her hands and looked through the window. She could see herself. She could see through the window behind her. Lyra spun around on the heels of her feet but she couldn't help the puzzled look that was taking over her face. Her body was slanted as she walked curiously towards the opposite window.
She started to think of Iorek Byrinson. She was proud of him. He picked himself out of the dirt and fought for his right THEN became ruler of Svalbard. Because of her. Her memories of friends flooded back.
They flooded back too fast.
A slideshow out of control.
She was on her knees, clutching her head. It was going to fly off! Tears welled up in her eyes. But they could have easily been memories evacuating from her mind! She thought this was the end for her. But then it stopped. And on one crucial memory.
Pantalaimon.
She collapsed on the thought "I'm alone" ( and probably from what had just happened). "Pan?" she called out in a sing song voice.
Nothing.
"PAN! PAN!" she screamed.
She was desperate now. She stood up, wiped the tears from her dried out eyes and walked to the closest window. Turned around to face the opposite side. Then she ran.
She was a dagger as she sliced through the air. Her feet were on fire. The window was approaching. Fast. And then it happened. The collision. She jumped through the air and fell. Her hair was whipped behind her as she twisted and twirled with the fall. Around her colored lights bounced off walls and dived through the air to the next stop. Her fall was taking an age but she was still desperate for Pantalaimon. A pet with no owner. A jockey with no horse. Pantalaimon was her soul and he was gone. So what was she? A shell? All she knew for certain is what she was not. Human.
She'd stopped twisting and turning and now she was facing the floor. She hadn't realized how fast she was going before and now she was scared. Well, scared at first, she didn't care anymore, without Pan she had no purpose. The end to her was fast approaching so she just closed her eyes and breathed heavily. In the space of 30 seconds she'd heard a small familiar noise and looked up. It was Pan! She was filled with hope but it was quickly put to waste. Lyra hit the floor.
She'd always wondered what it was like to die. And here it was. She was in her own mind.
It was a mess.
The sky was red and cracked like the terrain near a volcano. The ground was crumbling away with each step she took.
"My mind is in pieces!" Lyra cried "the horror I put Pan through! Oh, I feel terrible!"
Lyra just collapsed onto the floor and wept.
Her tears were acid as they rand down her face and stung her. She stood up and noticed there were two platforms to her sides. She ran and jumped onto the platform at her right. This platform led into a cave and, obviously being the adventurous soul she is, she went right on through it.
Inside it was like a museum. It was a long corridor with exhibits to the sides. She walked up to one of these 'exhibits'. Behind the rope bar was a bear and a small girl. She was so innocent and he was so powerful. The two started to communicate. Lyra didn't know what they were actually saying, but she knew they were talking. After a while the girl pulled out a small golden contraption. A compass to be precise. She knew what this place was now. A museum of memories. HER memories. After seeing this the memory burned. It shriveled up in fire. A tear fell down her cheek. The same happened to a few other memories. Was she dying? But she was already dead!
Lyra ran down the corridor hoping to find some switch or lever to stop this madness! Her tears floated up to the ceiling.
Everything faded.
Everything was pitch black but then an old light flickered on and she saw her surroundings. She was in a warehouse. To the sides there were massive shelves with crates on them and the floor. But then she saw what was in the middle of the room.
Roger. He was sprawled out on the floor.
"Lyyyyraaaa" He groaned and whispered. It was a mix of the two.
She ran towards and knelt beside him. She grasped his hand tight and rubbed his cheek with her thumb.
"Don't go!" She cried wearily, "I'm not going to lose you twice in one lifetime!"
Roger feebly squeezed her hand.
"Do you remember Oxford Lyra? The college? Do you remember when we were on the roofs?" Roger whispered, "Just take your mind off me, think of our true home."
"I can't! I just can't remember! Just please! Help me!"
"It's her. She has the compass!"
Roger moaned and struggled under his own weight .
"Don't go! For God's sake don't leave me! You can't... You just can't..."
Lyra leant over and kissed his forehead.
"Sorry" Roger managed to say.
"For what?"
"For disappointing you."
Rogers eyes shut and he took his last breath.
Her best friends were gone. This was now officially Hell.
Lyra let Roger alone now. He deserved to rest. She stood up without taking her eyes off him. She slowly lifted her head and there in the darkness was the Devil.
A tall thin woman stood there.
She had long thin hair that could have easily been mistaken for silk. Her eyes glimmered with the fire that burned behind Lyra and a shimmering monkey with deep red eyes grasped onto the womans arm.
Mrs Coulter seemed to taunt Lyra with her demon. She smiled at the pain it caused the girl. This evil smile shone from the fire. It grew wider as Lyra quickly found out why. Ghosts and spirits flew past her screaming "This is all your fault!"
Her eyes widened.
"Listen to them Lyra! Embrace the truth!"
She nearly gave in to the demonic mistress, but she was better than that. She was strong.
"No" Lyra said swiftly
"Sorry?" That smile faded quickly as this was something she had not anticipated.
"No!" She repeated
"You will do as I SAY!"
Mrs Coulter began to walk towards the girl with a stern look on her face.
Lyra shook her head and ran. She screamed "NO!" and used it as a battle cry. She was nearly there. Lyra jumped and clawed at the womans face. She stumbled and clutched her cheek. Mrs Coulter ran at and flipped Lyra. Her head landed on the concrete floor. Hot, red blood started to seep from the poor girl's head. The pain was insufferable. The laugh that was produced by Mrs Coulter was nightmarish and while Lyra struggled to stand the blood still poured from her head. She was so tired now, but, she powered through and managed to strike a blow to Coulter's chin.
Even more blood came dribbling from the depths of her mouth. But the woman didn't even attempt to close it. Her jaw just hung open terrifyingly wide. Lyra struck her again. Before her adventure she couldn't bear the thought of violence. Well, violence that gambles with life and death. But now it was part of her and she couldn't help but laugh while she tortured the gaunt less look on the womans face. Lyra struck her jaw over and over again. And then it happened.
Mrs Coulter's eyes went white. The blood flow stopped, so did her heart.
The spirits started to float towards Lyra. They circled her still screaming. The girl was rapidly losing her vision as the spirits started to stick themselves to her. There, she'd lost it.
"Mrrrnghh..." Lyra moaned
"Lyra! Lyra!" A familiar voice exclaimed
Whoever the source of the voice was, was licking her face.
"P... Pa... Pan?" She managed to question
Lyra opened her eyes to see a small fennec fox licking her cheek. It was definitely Pan.
"Help me up Pan"
The small fox jumped off her chest and pulled at her hand, ever so slightly nibbling her palm. Lyra stood up and slowly started walking.
"So, where are we?" Pan asked
"Urm... in the Aurora... I think?"
They were walking down a path and beside them were tree's. It was like a dream jungle. The amount of shades of green was phenomenal! Pan turned into a small red caterpillar and slowly crawled his way into Lyra's pocket. They skipped through the jungle looking up to the colorful sky. The colored lights still bounced off the walls. But they began to did the colors in the jungle. Everything started to die.
There in front of them was a grave. Mrs Coulters grave. Lyra looked behind her and there was a trail of blood.
Her blood.
" I guess it wasn't a dream then..."
