Chapter 10: The forest
When Lyra woke it was still raining outside. Through the hollow of the tree she could just make out the red mushroom that would soon guide her home. The rain wasn't heavy and there was no wind. She carefully lifted herself from Will's lap as he snored softly and pushed herself off from the blanket of pine needles. As quietly as possible, she lifted herself out of the hollow tree and into the sprinkle of rain. As she looked up, she could barely make out the tops of the gargantuan trees that made up the forest. It reminded her of the world that she had met Mary in; the one with the strange wheeled deer. She smiled remembering the time when she and Will first kissed under the canopy of the forest.
Had it really been a whole week since they had arrived in this place? At first they were both surprised to be at a completely different location than the last time they had met. Then it had taken over an hour to find each other in the lush undergrowth of the forest. Luckily they had both thought to mark the spot where they had landed so they would be able to find their way back.
It had been time well spent. Will and Lyra had spent the days swimming in the creek, hiking the forests and mapping out the area in case they landed here next time. But Lyra still hadn't worked up the nerve to tell Will about Jason. She felt guilty keeping secrets from him. Then again it seemed that he too was hiding something from her. He would look as if he were about to say something, then turn away abruptly. Since today was their last day she had decided to tell him no matter what.
Then Lyra suddenly realized she had been gripping the bark of the burnt tree that had created the hollow they slept in. She slowly removed her hand to find a thick layer of charcoal on her palm. She brushed it off swiftly with a towel that she had hung on a tree to dry. Only to realize that it had started to rain again. As she was folding the towel she glanced down towards the stream about 30 yards away and made out Pan and Kirjava cleaning themselves in the water. She had finally built up the strength to tell him and was turning to go back in the shelter when a hand grabbed her shoulder.
"Lyra, I have something to tell you." Lyra jumped back not expecting Will to be awake. He gazed at her looking serious, but also nervous.
"Will, I didn't think you were up yet." Lyra exclaimed trying to hide the fact that he had snuck up on her deep in thought. Will's tense composure lightened,
"You know I wake up every time I feel that you've left. It's like a sixth sense. I know you're gone even though I'm asleep." Lyra looked down at her hands, worried that what she was about to say might forever change their relationship.
"I can't put it off for any longer Will. I have to say it now before I lose the nerve." Lyra's voice shook with every word. Will took her hand,
"Whatever it is, we'll get through it together." Lyra pulled her hand away and told him about Jason. She told him everything; about how they had become good friends. How they had become maybe, more, than friends. The whole scene where Jason had confessed to her. The whole time she talked as fast as she could, not once looking at Will's face. She was deathly afraid that he would be mad, or worse, hurt. When she finally finished the silence was so unbearable that she had to look up. He was...smiling? No, that couldn't be right...
"Lyra, what if I told you I was in the same situation. What if I told you, that I had a friend much like Jason." Lyra stared at him in shock. Then she hugged him and whispered in his ear,
"No matter what Jason is to me, I'll always love you. You're the only one I could ever truly love." Will stroked her hair.
"Lyra, it's ok. I think we both knew something like this would happen. If it weren't for this...what did you call it?"
"Closed space." Lyra told him, a pang went through her as she thought of Nelie.
"Right, well we probably would have moved on and started seeing other people. But even if that did happen, I could never love anyone like I love you Lyra." She started crying into his chest. She was so relieved that he hadn't been mad. She was even more thrilled that he knew exactly what she was going through. Will took her hands and gently pulled her away from him.
"This is our last day together, let's make it the best one yet." He smiled, rubbing her hands together. Some of the soot was still left and it rubbed off onto Will's hands. As they made their way down to the river and saw their daemons playing in the water they laughed and joined hands, content to spend one last day together in the magical forest. As Lyra was washing her hands in the crystal clear water she watched Pan weasel around in the water trying to escape from Kirjava's playful grasp. Will was sitting on a nearby log whistling a joyful tune.
Something was wrong. Lyra stared at the water in front of her. At first she looked beyond the surface of the water to the rocks below. Then her eyes refocused and she stared at the clear mirror like surface of the water. Except, it wasn't mirror like in one way; there were no reflections. At all. The surface of the water was a silvery blanket with no reflections.
Pan and Kirjava stopped playing, as they noticed Lyra staring aghast at the stream. Will stopped whistling and came to sit next to Lyra. He was about to ask her what was wrong when he saw it too. He gasped,
"It wasn't like that yesterday was it?" Will tore his gaze away from the silvery layer. Lyra shook her head mutely. A million thoughts were crowding into her head all at once. Is this what Nelie meant? Is the world morphing? Will it completely disappear? We have to get out. Now. But Will? I won't be able to see him again. Is it time that destabilizes the worlds? If we see each other again how can we be sure that we'll have the same amount of time?
"Lyra!" Will was yelling her name, a panicked expression on his face. He reached for her hand. A sensation went through Lyra that almost made her hurl. Will's hand had passed through hers like she herself was a ghost. Will stared at his hand, scared and shocked.
"We have to get out of here...This is what Nelie warned me about." Lyra whispered in a small terrified voice.
"Lyra, what's going on, who's Nelie?" Will's voice was fast and high pitched with worry. Lyra snapped out of her dazed state and motioned for Will and the daemons to follow her.
"She's a witch. She warned me about the closed space being dangerous. She told me not to come back, but I had to, I had to see you." Lyra was talking in a rushed tone, her voice was pleading with Will.
"You knew this would happen?" Will asked incredulously.
"Not exactly." Lyra said meekly.
"Lyra, you should have told me. The last thing I want is for you to risk your life just to see me. Will's voice was rising.
"Will, please. You would have done the same thing!" Lyra defended herself.
"That's different." Lyra gasped,
"Why?! Because I'm just a weak girl? But since you're a boy that makes it ok?" Lyra's voice began to rise as they both broke into a sprint up the bank to the hollow tree.
"Sorry, sorry, I just don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. But right now we need to worry about getting out of here." Lyra calmed down.
"You're right you-" Will cut her off pointing at a tree branch in front of her. Lyra looked up just in time for the branch to pass right through her face. She vomited immediacy. Will tried to help her up and clean her face but he was afraid that his hands would pass right through her and bring on the nauseating sensation again. Lyra coughed,
"Alright we'll go to your spot-"
"Lyra, there's no "we" your spot is right by the tree there's no reason for you to come with me." They stopped as they reached the mushroom that marked Lyra's place.
"But...how will I know that you've made it..."
"Don't worry Lyra, I'll make it, I have to if either of us is going to get back." Lyra nodded and tried not to cry. Will reached for her face, then thought better of it. He had a pained look on his face.
"I have to go now if I'm going to have any chance Lyra."
"We have to come back one more time, I can't leave you like this." Lyra cried as Will stared making his way deeper into the forest.
"No, it's too risky we-"
"Tuesday at 5:00, be there..." Lyra begged him then she added in a heart-wrenching voice, "Please!" Will didn't respond, he kept walking, not wanting Lyra to see the tears running down him face.
He could almost see it. The blue mushroom was almost distinguishable beneath the thick foliage of the forest. It was as if his feet were moving in slow motion. He looked back over his shoulder to see Lyra, her hair was billowing out around her in the wind. Pan rested on her shoulder. He looked down at his side at Kirjava who gave him a worried look,
"Will, hurry there isn't much time left!" Will smiled back at Lyra,
"What do you mean, we have plenty of time." Will retorted. Kirjava gave him an unbelieving look and pushed on could see the mushroom now. But instead of feeling relieved by its presence he felt panicked. He had to get there now. He wasn't going fast enough. faster, Faster, FASTER!
He reached the mushroom and turned on the spot, expecting to see Lyra's body move up towards the sky and back to her world. Instead he watched as her smiling face dissipated into the world around her, completely vanishing from existence. Then he was engulfed in darkens.
