Coraline 2: The Fate of the Beldam

The Trip Begins

"Everyone, get up, let's get ready to go!" Wybie says, knocking on all the kids' doors. All the kids seemed to excited to go on this trip like they normally did, which made Coraline and Wybie happy. The kids brought down their backpacks while Wybie brought down the suitcases. Coraline put a plate of pancakes on the table. Before sitting down, Coraline helped Wybie put the suitcases in the car. "Does everyone have everything they want for the flight?" Wybie asked. All the kids nodded. "Alright then." Wybie and Coraline joined their kids at the breakfast table directly after.

Once everyone was done eating, Phoenix helped Coraline wash the dishes. Luckily, the family lived close to the airport, but since everyone was going out of town, they still had traffic to worry about. "Alright everyone, let's go!" Coraline says, ushering everyone out the door. Wybie was already in the driver seat. "I call far back row!" Phoenix yells, running to the car." "I wanna sit in the back!" Cypress whines. "Kids, please! How about Cypress in the back to the airport and Phoenix when we get to Ashland?" Coraline says. "Okay, fine."

Cypress climbed all the way into the back, and Phoenix took his seat next to Archer. Coraline got into the front passenger seat, then Wybie pulled out. Getting out of the neighborhood was not an issue, but once they got on the highway, that's when the traffic hit. "This is what I was afraid of." Coraline says. "Don't worry, we're already making good time. You should call your parents and let them know we're on our way to the airport." Coraline pulled out her phone and dialed her parents' landline. "Hey Mom, we're on our way to the airport! We will. Okay, bye." "She says 'safe travels'".

Wybie pulled into a car drop-off parking lot, and turned in the keys to an employee. The family got on a shuttle with their luggage and was driven to the airport. They got off at their airline entrance, checked in, then went through security. Archer was often nervous about airport security since the machine towered over him. "It's okay honey, it's just going to spin around you." Coraline assures him. She went ahead of him to show him that it was harmless. Archer went in after her. Once the family made it through, they headed towards their gate. While they waited to board, Wybie was reading, Phoenix was doing research on the family tree, Cypress and Archer were watching a movie on Coraline's phone and Coraline was on her computer, checking her reports from her employees, which Wybie noticed.

"Coraline, put your work away, we're on vacation." "I know, but I told my employees that I'd be reachable." "You can't be reachable all the time." "I know, but I still have to approve their timecards and fix their clock in and clock out times." Wybie gave her a look. "Can't one of the other managers do that?" "It's not that simple. I have to approve timecards for anyone under me." Wybie understood in a way, but he thought that Coraline worked too much. "Hey Mom, did you know that great-great-great-great grandpa Adam was born in Ashland?" Phoenix asked, trying to break some of the tension. "No, I didn't. Isn't that cool?" Coraline responded.

Once it was time to board the plane, Coraline had everyone pack up their things and get ready to get in line. Wybie had them get in order of how they were seated. Archer and Cypress were by the windows, Coraline and Wybie were in the aisle and Phoenix was in the aisle seat behind Coraline since it was two seats per row. Boarding didn't take long since it was a small plane, so the Lovat family got comfortable. During taxi, everyone sat comfortably, but Cypress clinged on to Wybie's arm. "It's okay honey, it'll be quick." Cypress never liked take off on planes, but she eased up once the plane was in the sky.

Once the plane was in the air, Coraline paid for the wifi so Phoenix could keep up his research. He was trying to build up his family tree research, mostly on Coraline's side, but he also found out that on Wybie's side, that his great-great aunt was abducted while living in the pink palace. He leaned over in the aisle to ask Wybie about it. "Dad, what happened to great-great aunt Rosa?" He asked. Wybie wasn't sure how to answer. How was he supposed to tell his son that his great-aunt was kidnapped by an evil witch from another dimension? "She disappeared when she and your great-grandmother were kids. No one really knows what happened to her." He answered.

The short flight was less than an hour. While Phoenix was looking into his great-great aunt's disappearance, it turns out that Wybie's answer made the most sense, but Phoenix still found it odd that a body was never found after all these years. Cypress was watching a movie on Wybie's phone while Archer looked out the window in awe. While the plane was descending, everyone began putting their things away. Once the plane touched down, Coraline immediately took out her phone, ready to take it off airplane mode upon the flight attendants' instructions. Once she got the okay to do so, she called her parents.

The Lovat family didn't have to wait long to get their luggage, so they made their way to the shuttle to get a rental car. Wybie reserved a Toyota highlander, and as promised, Phoenix sat in the back row with Cypress and Archer sitting together. It wasn't too long of a drive to the Pink Palace, so they were there before lunch. Mel and Charlie were happily waiting for them on their porch. Archer went running up to them. "Grandma, grandpa!" "Oh hello my dear!" Mel says, bending down to him. "Careful with your hip." Charlie says.

Cypress brought her bag, and gave them each a hug. Cypress was clearly Charlie's favorite as his only granddaughter. Phoenix helped Wybie and Coraline bring in the luggage. "Wybie, how's it going Son?" Charlie says, shaking his hand. "Doing alright. How's your back?" "Could be better, but it's not as bad as it used to be." Wybie began taking the luggage to Coraline's old room which had since been turned into a guest room. The kids were going to have to share the original guest room, but it didn't seem to be an issue. "Mom, Dad." Coraline says, being the last to approach her parents. "Oh Coraline. Our girl." Mel says, hugging her, with Charlie going up behind her. "My twitchy-witchy girl."

Coraline helped Mel make lunch once they got settled in. It was going to be a simple lunch since Coraline didn't want her parents cooking with their hips and backs being in the conditions they are. The family sat in the dining room to eat since there were 7 of them. Once lunch was over, Wybie helped with the dishes while Coraline kept the kids occupied. They were in the study when Coraline noticed the door peaking through the new wallpaper. She felt the flashbacks coming on, but decided to ignore it. Nothing will get in the way of her family reunion.