Coraline 2: The Return of the Other Mother

Chapter 5: The Well

"So she isn't some weird goblin that hangs out in the woods all day stealing jewelry?" Coraline cracked an eye open, hearing a high-pitched, haughty voice interrupt her dreams. The room was much darker than it had been when she laid down, and she wondered how many hours she had been sleeping.

"Well she is definitely a goblin, but yes she does have a home too." Wybie responded teasingly. Coraline sat up, rubbing her eyes, glaring at him. He laughed and pulled Willow closer to him. "I think it's time for a proper introduction. Willow, this is my best friend Coraline Jones. She may be a goblin, but she's a friendly goblin, and she's going to help me entertain you tonight."

Coraline hopped off the bed, giving a small bow. Willow giggled and curtsied in return. Coraline was definitely going to like this girl.

"And Coraline, this is the Queen of the Pink Palace, Miss Willow Lovat. Be careful to keep her pleased tonight, or she may just... chop off your head!" He flipped Willow off of her feet on that last word, and she hung upside down, laughing her head off.

The three of them played as the sun set, waiting for the experimental dinner her dad was cooking. Coraline created stories that Wybie acted out, and Willow interjected with her own narratives. Tales of evil queens, dancing mushrooms, and dashing princes floated through the air, and Coraline felt a small moment of joy that she hadn't experienced in some time.

Coraline had always felt constrained by expectations from her parents and responsibilities she had to take on, but in this moment, twirling around the room with the two of them, she felt free of any problems. The thoughts of spiders and button eyes seemed far, and Coraline felt herself begin to relax. Why was it that it was so easy to be a child when she was expected to be an adult?

"You okay?" She could see Wybie examining her, a hint of concern in his eyes as Willow sat on his back. Willow had her head cocked to the right, as if trying to piece together a puzzle she couldn't quite solve. Coraline wanted to snap a picture of this moment, freeze it in time. A moment without fear or insecurities, a time where she felt that she could be anything, whether that was an evil queen or a hero who could kill a spider monster.

Coraline smiled, wider than she had in some time, "Never better." Wybie smiled back, a look of relief passing over his face. They continued to play for a while, until Willow reached over on her nightstand and pulled out a stack of cards.

"What are these?" The cards were black, with a slight shine to them when you twisted them in the sunlight.

"Those are tarot cards, and they aren't really toys." Willow visibly wilted, looking disappointed as she turned over one of the cards. "But I can teach you, we just have to be careful."

Together, the three sat in a small circle with the cards spread between them. Coraline carefully explained that tarot cards were not playing cards, but instead were devices to help understand problems and see the future. The cards always were a bit warm to the touch, as if radiating energy directly back at her. Coraline loved them, and she brought them everywhere she went, despite odd looks from her roommate in college. They were her tether to the unnatural, and they helped her see problems from a different point of view.

"For this exercise, why don't we all just imagine a problem we are having, and we can each pick one card. When you flip it over, I can explain what it means."

Willow went first. Her hands hovered over the cards until they darted down, picking one directly in the middle. She flipped it over proudly, looking up at Coraline.

Coraline snickered, knowing that Willow wouldn't be please, "Now that, my young queen, would be the Fool."

"Excuse me? I am not a fool, peasant." She sat up straighter, crossing her arms in defiance.