Chapter 3: Secret Garden
Lyra heard footsteps running towards her, a voice cried out,
"Lyra, Lyra, guess what?! I'm going out with..." The footsteps sopped suddenly, "Lyra, what's wrong, are you crying?" She felt an arm around her shoulders and was startled, why was it wet? She looked up from her hand and saw it was raining outside. She then looked beside her at the girl next to her, Nelie of course. The one who was always there. She cried harder and hugged her.
"Lyra, please tell me what happened. Maybe I can help."
"Jason," she gasped between sobs, "he said he...loves me, but I can't love him." Nelie was silent.
"I know you said this would happen but I wasn't ready, and I hurt him..." She broke down again into Nelie's arms as she stroked her golden hair and replied,
"I know how you feel about Will , it's like the way I fell about Kyle. I..." Lyra cut her off.
"No, you don't get it. What I fell for Will is nothing like what you "feel" for Kyle if that's what you even call it. You're just obsessed with him 'cause he's sooo "smart" and "cuuute". He's your "prince"." She took a deep breath and stabbed out the last words, "Will is my whole world! You will never know what true love is." Her voice broke on the last note and she turned to run out into the pouring rain, but not before she saw the shocked, hurt look and Nelie's face. It asked why, why do you hate me all of a sudden.
Her emotions were in complete disarray now, she didn't know what to do or if what she said was true. She still had Nelie's hurt face imprinted into the backs of her eyes. She was, angry, hurt confused, lonely, crowded, and longing for Will. She ran through the streets of London, her tears blended with the rain. She charged down alleys and deserted streets. Past shops and houses. Splashing through puddles. When she reached the gate she started to slow. She was soaked to the skin and Pan's once red soft coat was matted and sodden.
"Finally, we're here." She gasped in relief. She walked down the path through the neon flowers and plopped down on the bench. "Our secret garden."
When the bell finally rang dismissing school Will knew exactly where he wanted to go. He called his mom and said he was going to be into town to go to the movies. She said to be home by six so he hopped on the bus and headed towards the heart of London.
On his way to London he thought about all the wonderful days he had spent with Lyra and Pan. In the forest when they had shared their first kiss. Walking back through the meadow hand in hand, on the river bank when Pan and Kirjava had taken their permanent forms. He wanted to feel her touch again, to hold her...but he knew he shouldn't be thinking of that, it was not possible.
As he neared the old black gate to the garden it started to rain. When he got to the bench he saw Kirjava curled up underneath it staying dry. He picked her up and held her close. Then as he sat down on the bench he felt something peculiar happen, he felt that Lyra was sitting in the same exact place in the world. He had visited this place quit a few time since he had parted with Lyra, but this had never happened before. He heard a ripping sound pierce the air in front of him and he looked through a window into another world.
