Author's Note: Alrighty! This is the first chapter regarding Lyra and her world. For those of you who don't know, an alethiometer is a device capable of telling the truth through symbols. The meanings of the symbols are Bible-related, and often have many levels of meanings. Reading one is bad for your mental health unless you're a professional alethiometrist (just kidding about that). Anyway, sorry this chapter's a bit short, I'll really try and make them longer in the future.
For now though...
Enjoy! BTW, please review! If you figure out what the alethiometer's saying at the end of the chapter, write it down in a review! It's a MAJOR giveaway to the plot if you can get it right!
LYRA
Lyra Belacqua jolted awake, throwing her head about madly, blinking rapidly for the sleep to get out of her eyes. Her daemon, suddenly awake as well, thrashed about the pillows. Her sheets lie on the floor in a heap of mess, forgotten.
"Wha - "
"Hush, Lyra!" her Headmistress scolded, whispering urgently so as to not awaken Lyra's roommates around her, all still asleep. "Don't make too much fuss, child. It's still four in the morning. Dress, and come, quickly. The accelerator is just warming up. You don't want to miss this!"
Lyra stretched her arms, yawning quite overtly, earning a stern look from her Headmistress.
"Right," she mumbled sleepily, earning yet another sharp look from her mentor. "I'll be down in a mo'. Just give me and Pan here some time to dress." She yawned again.
"Well," Dame Hannah said after throwing Lyra one final nasty look, "you better get up there quickly, or we'll start without you!"
She then stormed out of the dormitory quietly, which was not something anyone could've done, and slammed the door shut, also quietly, which was also not something anyone could've done. But again, this was Dame Hannah.
The dormitory was normal in every way you'd expect it to be. It was a small, cramped room, with four small beds in four corners, in three of which lied asleep, peaceful young ladies, and in the other one sat a very disgruntled and sleepy Lyra Belacqua. The room was rather organized, save for Lyra's small corner, which comprised of a small writing desk overflowing with papers and scraps. The moderately-high ceiling was elaborately decorated with painted green vines, which crept down the sides of the four walls.
Lyra yawned again, attempting to stifle it with her hands. Even her sleeping gown was messy.
"Reckon we should get going," Pantalaimon, Lyra's daemon, her soul's embodiment, mumbled sleepily.
"Right you are," Lyra yawned again.
She slowly pushed herself off the bed, and began rummaging through her small drawer for something clean and presentable to wear. It would cause her no end of trouble if she showed up at the accelerator wearing something nasty in front of the Headmistress.
She dressed slowly, picking out the one with light blue laces at the end of everything. Putting on her skirt, she suddenly sneezed loudly. She looked around and, after making sure everyone was still sound asleep, put on a warm, thick white coat for good measure. She walked into the restroom and stared at the mirror a tad after brushing her teeth.
Her pale blue eyes stared back at her. It had been at least three years since she and Will had parted ways. After returning, she enrolled in St. Sophia's College to relearn the ways of the alethiometer. Her research had quickly evolved into advanced experimental theology, and had carried her far. Recently, her college had received a generous donation to fund the creation of a new particle accelerator, which was cutting-edge technology, and they were hoping to produce first-hand results regarding Dust break-down with it.
She pulled her dirty blond hair back into a ponytail and walked out the dormitory, pausing only to pick up her satchel with the alethiometer inside. She closed the door behind her with a silent finality, and walked quickly down the carpeted hallway, Pantalaimon jogging by her, hoping not to break into a fresh sprint. Maybe she wouldn't be too late, and Dame Hannah would not be too cross. Hopefully.
She had no idea that while she walked briskly, her alethiometer was repeatedly pointing to symbols wildly inside her satchel:
Apple, Hourglass, Thunderbolt, Tree…
Apple, Hourglass, Thunderbolt, Tree…
Apple, Hourglass, Thunderbolt, Tree…