What If? The Abyss

It's just us now

Lyra's eyelids fluttered open catching a glance of the woman standing before her. Mrs Coulter turned around concealing the sudden emotion on her face. Marisa started fast walking in the dark. She was hyperventilating as she pushed past several people. She couldn't breath..why couldn't she breath?

She stumbled to cross the road just as a large van shot passed spraying Mrs Coulter with mud and water. The monkey (who had been hiding in the bushes) suddenly collapsed. 

The voices had become to much for Marisa who fell to her knees in the pitch black screaming and retching. She didn't understand why she was alive, she didn't want to be. It was more torture being alive knowing that she would never be able to watch her only daughter grow up than be dead...with her lover.

However, a warm presence was suddenly by her side holding her hair back as the woman gagged. Marisa then doubled over and collapsed into the arms of Lyra. She sobbed into her daughter's chest as Lyra gripped onto her, tears streaming down her face too. Lyra's eyes met Will who was smiling warmly at them from behind the corner of a building. 

The pair were still latched onto each other, fearing to let go.

THE NEXT MORNING...

Marisa woke up with a large headache, in a bed not comfortable but not uncomfortable wrapped in blankets. She then realised she was no longer in her clothes but wrapped in some sort of robe with colourful flower patterns dotted around it. As she looked up, she saw Lyra sat there with a glass of something.

"It's Camomile" she said encouragingly. "It's what my mother fed me when I'd been upset..and it worked most of the time." Marisa smiled sadly at the memory of the last time they spoke, properly anyway...at Bolvanger. A single tear rolled down her face but Lyra caught it shushing her kindly.  

"You said we can talk?" The woman said hoarse and weakly. Lyra nodded slowly, and buried her head on the pillow next to Marisa.

"Where are we darling?" She asked politely clearly confused. 

"Citagazze mot..mu...Mrs Coulter." Was the response. Mrs Coulter suddenly recognised the room..where she killed Lena Feldt. A pang of guilt seared her heart and she pulled Lyra tighter. 

Mrs Coulter told Lyra the full story. She told her everything and it was the whole truth. "Ask the alethiometer if you want to Lyra." Mrs Coulter said sensing Pan's uneasy around the monkey.

"No." Lyra said shaking her head.

"I trust you."

Marisa sighed shakily and planted a kiss on Lyra's forehead. She silently sobbed into her daughter's hair and went for the monkey when he told her to be stronger. Lyra caught her fist mid swing and Pan patted the golden monkey on the head. 

Then Will appeared with an omelette, not wanting to get in the way he placed it on a side table, but not before quickly checking a wound on Mrs Coulter's head.

For the first time ever, Lyra felt loved. But not just by her mother.

Will squeezed Lyra's shoulder's kindly and Mrs Coulter couldn't help but glare at him. That was her daughter and there were boundaries. Awkwardly he walked out with his head down while Kirjava shuffled about nervously. This caused Mrs Coulter and Lyra to chuckle as Pan and Ozymandias sat close to each other.

It was just them now. Will, Mrs Coulter and her daughter.