Seeing Buttons

Chapter 20 (W)

Chapter 20: Coraline

Wilbur couldn't say the same.

Not entirely. His dream was very different than usual, add luckily it wasn't about the tunnel.

It was a very abstract interpretation of space. Firey balls floating around. And then there was someone else. They had wings like an angel and their clothes were golden. She had blue hair, and couldn't have been very old, maybe about 11 at most.

Wilbur didn't know them.

"Hi Wilbur." She smiled.

"Oh, you're Coraline aren't you?" Wilbur asked and she nodded.

"I really have to thank you for saving me, you and Tommy." She was practically beaming as she talked.

"Yeah, well Tommy seemed to like you, and I wasn't about to let someone just rot away in a place like Tommy described."

"How'd your plan work? I told Tommy that you needed a complicated plan, I did. But you managed to do it with a very simple plan."

"Tommy can drive anyone crazy. I'm just glad her vision was as f***ed up as it was." Wilbur felt pretty good, he could just talk to Tommy's ghost friend and not have to worry about death.

"That... That was me. I kinda, sorta... Threw the Cat at her and he pulled off her button eyes."

"Well I'm glad you did, it really helped us out. Now it's all finally over."

Coraline's face fell. That was concerning.

"Uh... Well. For me, it is..." She mumbled curling into herself.

"What do you mean by that?" Wilbur's mood started to sink. Of course it was too good to be true.

"It's the key. She's starving, and she will not stop until she finds it. She will find it."

Coraline could see Wilbur's disappointment.

"It's not all bad y'know? Both of you are still alive, that's more than some of us can say."

It was quiet for a moment. Then Coraline said,

"You can defeat her. I know you can. She can be defeated."

"Real comforting coming from someone who died trying." Wil mumbled. Fear would hit as soon as he woke up, for now. It was just disappointment. An unsatisfied feeling settled in his stomach.

"Keep Tommy alive for me please? He's kinda the first friend I've made in a long time."

"Oh... Of course."

"Thank you. I have to go now. I'll see you again, hopefully not very soon."

"Yeah."

...

Wilbur woke up. Then the fear hit.

He and Tommy were still in danger.