Disclaimer: I do not own His Dark Materials

Chapter 2

Midsummer Day. It was here. After months and months of constant waiting it was finally here. I headed out at eleven, excitement filling my heart. Mary had offered to drive me, but I preferred to walk. I wanted to get my feelings in order before I sat down on that bench in the Botanic Garden, and walking always seemed to help. My daemon, Kirjava was with me. She wouldn’t miss this day for the world.

When I got there, my stomach was starting to twist and turn into sailor knots and the tons of people didn’t help. Apparently it was free park day and with the added bonus of the gorgeous weather and flowers in bloom, masses turned out to walk the grounds of the Botanic Garden. It took forever just to get through the crowds, by that time it was already midday. Walking fast I headed towards the spot that Lyra had shown me almost two years ago. As I moved, her words filled my head.

“On Midsummer Day,” she said. “At midday. As long as I live. As long as I live…”

“As long as I live…” I muttered.

Pure sadness started to fill my broken heart. There was no way that I could survive another year without her. No way.

“You have to try, Will,” stated Kirjava, trailing behind me.

I stopped and looked down at her. I was still not used to having a daemon outside of me. It always felt so weird when I felt her feelings as I was now. She was sad too, but brave and ready to face anything. She was me. Myself.

“We have to go,” she said.

I nodded and continued to walk. My footsteps slowed as I got nearer and nearer. Sadness was engulfing me whole. I almost couldn’t move, but I had to. For Lyra. The bench was in sight. I clutched the box, the one that I always took to the Botanic Garden, tightly as the bench came closer and closer. Once I was there, I sat down, feeling the sorrow weighing down upon me. Kirjava jumped up on bench beside me, as I began to look down at the box. It was wooden and plain but contained one of the tools that changed the world, and my life. Inside were the pieces of the Subtle Knife. I stroked the box, wishing with all my might that the pieces would be able to make a window to Lyra’s world. I would give anything just to see her again, just to hear her voice again, just to kiss her again.

I sighed, knowing that will never happen and feeling my heart break in response. I turned to Kirjava and petted her, knowing that she was feeling the same misery as I was feeling. Suddenly there was a crash, and a girl fell into view. She had dark brown hair, which was now filled with leaves from the bush she just fell onto. Her eyes were a light grayish blue, like an overcast sky, while her thin frame was covered by a summer dress, and her feet by faded black converse. She looked frightened and worried. It wasn’t until she looked over at my daemon, that I gave any thought as to who she was.

But this girl was staring at Kirjava, and no one in this world besides me and Mary could see daemons. Shock radiated throughout my body. There was something different about this girl. Something extremely different.

“Who are you?” I asked, standing up.

But instead of answering she got up and ran, like someone running from a man-eating monster. I had to follow her. She might be from another world, and maybe found herself here through a window. That window might lead me to Lyra.

Kirjava leaped in front of me as I struggled to catch up to this girl. She was running so fast and had such a head start, that it was all I could do to keep her in my sight though the maze of trees, bushes, and flower beds that made up the Botanic Garden.

I ran and ran. I had to find out who this girl was, I just had to. I couldn’t let her get away. She might be the only chance that I had to seeing Lyra again. Run, run, run, I instructed my legs. Suddenly heard a small shriek, and felt my daemon struggling with something. I picked up the pace, knowing that something was happening.

When I finally burst out of the bushes, I got the situation in a few seconds. The girl’s brown nightingale daemon was struggling in the grasp of Kirjava’s mouth, while the girl herself was standing planted to the ground, face contorted with fear and pain both for her daemon and herself.

“Who are you?” I asked again, before she had a chance to run off.

She didn’t answer. Instead she collapsed to the ground and fainted. I stood there, staring at the girl, my chest heaving from running and my heart pounding fast in my chest, while Kirjava held the now limp girl’s daemon in her jaws. All the while the sun sparkled high above giving off its murdering midday heat.