This is Lyra's point of view of the day she meets her father.
When I woke that morning, I was in my bed cuddled up to my mother. She heard me having nightmares and came and gave me some tea to help me calm down. I don't remember the nightmare much but what I do remember is that these men found me and have taken me away from someone. I didn't want to be alone so that's why I asked my mother to stay.
I didn't want to get out of bed, I just wanted to lay there all day with Pan. Mother told me we were going to the Arctic institute for lunch but if I wanted to go I had to get up and eat breakfast.
I dragged myself out off bed and walked to the terrace to eat my food. I've been living with my mother for roughly six months and this fancy food still doesn't look good. I shouldn't complain, the food I got when I lived at Jordan wasn't exactly fit for a four year old like me. I ate most of my food on my plate. I left what I didn't like.
"Lyra, darling please eat everything that's on your plate. We don't waste food in this house"
Stareing at my mother with a disgusted look on my face, I slam my fork into the bacon wrapped prunes and sat back into my chair.
"No one tells me what to do"
"Lyra eat up!"
"You know I don't eat these, yet you always give them to me. Why can't I have normal food for breakfast?"
Mother puts her paperwork down and just stares at me, I could feel Pan panicking as he could sense the golden monkey was going to do something.
"If your done then go get ready. Don't think this is over though Lyra"
I didn't know what she meant about that but I was just glad I didn't have to eat that disgusting food. I went into my room to pick a dress to wear to the Arctic Institute. I picked my favourite dress, the purple one with white trim. I got it off the hanger and laid it on my bed and grabbed a pair of my socks to wear with my black shoes.
"Not that dress Lyra, this one"
"Mama, I'm four... why can't you let me dress myself?"
The look of disgust went over her face and then just stares at me.
"Because Lyra, you are from a wealthy background and we need to show the people how important we are. We don't wear house clothes to a fancy place"
Not wanting to fight again with my mother, I grabbed the dress she picked out and put it on under protest. I went to my bathroom to brush my hair and when I was done I walk out to show I was ready. Mother then went to go get ready, we left twenty minutes later.
While on our walk, I would run up to shop windows and just stare in them. I rarely got to leave the flat, but when I did I enjoyed every moment of it.
"Come on Lyra, hurry up and stop dawdling"
After walking for what felt like forever, we arrived at this big building. When we walked in, I was blown away by all the artefacts. There was spears, arrow head, big bones that could of belonged to a whale and a armoured bear skull.
I so badly wanted mother to come over so we can both look at the armoured bear skull together but when I saw her she was talking to a man. While walking around the case I could see every angle of the skull and I found it very fascinating, I wish mama was here so I could ask questions as I don't fully understand some of these words.
I was wondering when we were going to sit down for lunch but then I had the overwhelming feeling of wanting to leave and I don't know why as I've been wanting to visit this place since moving in with my mother. I look up to try and find mother and then I find her and she waves her hand at me as if to say come here, so I obey as I don't want to get into trouble.
When I got closer the man she was talking to kept stareing at me. I felt like I was on display for the whole world to see. When I reached my mother she drapes her arms over my shoulders and pulls me in close. I was waiting to be introduced to the man she was talking to but it never happened.
"Mummy I want to go home"
I wasn't usually scared of my mother but I'm always on my toes after that one day when she had her dæmon come after Pan when I didn't do as I was told.
I couldn't help but stare at the man that was standing by mama. I couldn't help but noticed we had similar features, like our eyes and nose were the same. Then I hear him say this...
"Is this Lyra?"
How does he know me? Is he friends with my parents. All these thoughts are going through my head. Next minute my ears are being covered by mamas hands and everything sounds muffled and then I'm being pulled away.
Walking home I had so many questions I so wanted to ask but I didn't want to make a scene in a public space. When we got home I went into my room to change. I changed into my favourite purple dress and sat on my bed with Pan.
"Who do you think that man is Pan? He seemed very interested in me when he was talking to mama. I wonder why she didn't let him talk to me. I have all these questions I want to ask but I don't want either of us to get hurt"
Pan just stares at me and puts his little ermine paw on me, like he understands how I feel but just can't put it into words. Having him beside me is really comforting.
I decided to have a little nap as I didn't have to do any school work. I woke up a few hours later to my mama sitting on my bed just stareing at me. I got such a fright I let out a little scream.
"You scared me mama"
She smiled at me and puts her hand out to hold me.
"I'm sorry my love, I didn't mean to scare you. Dinner is almost ready. Come lay out your pyjamas so you can have a bath when your finished"
I did as I was told, then went to the terrace to eat my dinner. At the dinner table mother had some of her paperwork she was looking over and I thought this would be a good time to ask questions about that man.
"Mama?"
She puts down the page she is ready and just stares at me.
"That man you were talking to..."
"We use to work together Lyra... just drop it"
But I couldn't. I could tell she was getting angry but I wanted to see how far I could go.
"But why did he keep stareing at me? And why do we look similar?"
I think I went too far. She slams down the papers that were in her hands and stands up.
"He is nothing and he never will be your father"
"My... father? So that's why he kept looking at me, he hasn't seen me since her left me with the master. I want to see him, I want to know him"
"He never wanted you Lyra"
I let out a gasp and got so angry and just stared at my mother.
"If you don't stop Lyra, you will begin an argument that I will win"
I put my hands on the table ready to push my mothers buttons more, but then I noticed her dæmon was getting ready to pounce on Pan and I don't like that feeling.
"If your going to keep acting like this Lyra, you can go to your room"
Without a second thought I pushed my chair back and went to my room. I was so angry, I started throwing my pillows around my room. It felt so good. I then laid on my bed to catch my breath and I just laid there stareing out my window.
Nighttime fell and I hadn't had my bath and I didn't want to have one either as I'd have to see HER. I rolled over so I was looking at my wall then I heard a tapping sound. At first I thought it was Pan but he was down by my knees. I rolled over to see a man standing at my window. I quickly turned my lamp on to see how it was and it was him... my father. I opened the window and just stared.
"I've come to get you Lyra, I needed to see you"
Really confused I stepped back and was about to scream or shout to have mum come Into my room.
"It's ok I'm not going to hurt you"
"She said you never wanted me. If that's true why are you here?"
"I've always wanted you Lyra. It's just very complicated. Come quick before she comes and checks on you"
With quick thinking I go to the window, my father scoops me up and carefully walk along the small ledge and down a set of stairs to a back alley way. When we were walking away I could hear my mother screaming. At first I didn't know what she was saying as it sounded like she was crying.
"LYRA"
"Quick we better run before she comes after us"
If I knew this was going to upset my mother I wouldn't of ran away, but it also felt good.
