My new life

What do you mean

When I woke up, I noticed my curtains weren't pulled back nor was my door left an inch open to let the lights from the hallway shine into my room. My room was just pitch black.

I could hear the cuckoo clock going off in the hall.

"I counted seven Pan. I wonder why she hasn't had the maid wake me up"

"Its awfully quiet in the flat" Pan added

I then realised that It's been roughly a month since we've been living with Mrs. Coulter. Some days we have fun with planning our first trip to the north and then there are days where she tries to teach me.

"Books aren't what I'm best at" is what id say when my mind would wonder off during our lessons.

Mrs. Coulter would just roll her eyes and ask, "And what are you best at?" and when I couldn't answer her quick enough, she would snap back and ask me to read the whole chapter aloud as a punishment.

I was getting ready for our normal boring four-hour lesson on particles and mapping. When I got to the front room, the books were out but no Mrs. Coulter. I sat down on my chair and waited thinking Mrs. Coulter would be back from the kitchen or her bedroom. Thirty minutes passed and still no Mrs. Coulter, I then got up and searched the flat worried she was either hurt or testing my fight or flight instincts for an upcoming practical survival test.

I searched that whole flat and I couldn't find her anywhere. It's odd they say silence is deafening and its true, it was odd not hearing movement from the staff or the cook in the kitchen. Where was everybody?

Before I was about to give up, Pan could sense another daemons sadness. With this he got very sad which made me sad. We eventually got closer to Mrs. Coulter's bedroom, and I could hear sobbing. I knocked on the door "Mrs. Coulter?" I called out.... Nothing. I call out again and I hear this muffled "Lyra?... come in"

I was hesitant at first, but I had this feeling I was needed, and I slowly went in.

"Are you.... Are you ok?" I said to the body that was curled up in a ball on the fluffy white rug in the middle of the room. She quickly sat up and grabbed my hands, I noticed a pile of papers on the floor. "What.... What are they for? I promise I'll be good. Please don't send me back to Jordan college, I want to stay here" I took a deep breath "With you"

Mrs. Coulter smiled and cupped my face "No darling I'm not sending you anywhere, you mean so much to me and I need you here. I..... I wanted to adopt you. I know it sounds silly since we've only known each other for a month but it feels like I've known you all your life" I was a little confused but liked the idea of someone wanting me in their life unlike my uncle Asriel who only saw me once a year if that when he'd come back to Jordan and ask the master for funding for his next trip. I was always confused he was called Lord Asriel but always asked the college for funds. I thought those with the titles like Lords and Ladies were loaded with money. I guess I was wrong.

Back to the paperwork on the floor and the crying Mrs. Coulter.

I asked why she was sad as I thought it would be a happy moment.... well for me it was.

"Your fa..... uncle denied me the rights to adopt you and that is the reason I am sad. He thinks I would be an unfit mother" her tone got angry and that scared me.

"Well, it doesn't matter. I think you'd be a fantastic mother and we don't need a silly piece of paper. I'd be honoured to be your daughter" I never saw someone smile so big. I always imagined who and what my mother would look like and oddly I imagined her to look like Mrs. Coulter. Poise and has power like a Lady would have, and a glamorous house. It felt like I hit the jackpot.