𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 «« Matthew Gray Gubler.

4.0

Anagnorisis IV.
Fictitious.

"You're not real. You, this place, none of it is real."

Diana cocked her head. "Sorry, darling?"

With a shaky breath, Coraline looked around her. "My own brain has been tricking me- this is all in my head. I need to get out of here."

"Cora, Coraline, look at me." She spoke sternly. "How could you think this is a trick?"

"Because you're dead, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life dwelling over it!"

The princess of Wales frowned, holding her hand out. "Touch."

She did as she was told, eyes flooding with tears when her hand went straight through her mother's. "I can't feel you anymore."

"But I'm right here, love. I always will be."

"Please, don't do this to me. Don't bait me. You're not real." She reminded.

"Who says I'm not real?"

Coraline pulled away, scoffing. "Life doesn't work like that. Death doesn't work like that."

Diana raised her eyebrows in disappointment. "Don't say that."

"And what if I don't need you anymore?" Silence. "I have people in the real world, I don't need some insane coping mechanism. I'm done, I've dealt with your death,  it's over."

"You'll always need me, Cora. I'm your mother."

"Not anymore. Now you're just some twisted, warped image in my brain! A memento! I am the happiest I've ever been in my life. I'm getting married, I'm about to be an aunt, I did not need you here for any of that!"

The older woman huffed. "Fine then."

"You know I didn't mean it like that."

She didn't receive a reaction, instead, Coraline shot up from her bed, breathing heavy.

Matthew awoke at the absence of his fiancé, narrowing his eyes at her upright form. "Hey, baby, you okay?" He asked, voice groggy from sleep.

Grinning, she nodded. "I think I'm fantastic."

The actor offered a crooked smile, unsure of her sudden burst of cheerfulness at 3am. "Glad to hear that." Was all he got out before she crashed her lips onto his, both of them giggling through the kiss.

Letting go is a far greater power than hanging on.