Coraline 2: The Fate of the Beldam

It's a Deal

Coraline and Wybie cautiously walked towards the other pink palace, noticing the eerie differences between now and when they first saw their kids in this world. The tree branches were drooping, creating what looked like a creepy hand with really long fingers, the sky was cloudy, creating this hazy view of the other world. It was very quiet, making Wybie and Coraline very nervous, as if something could happen at any moment. When they finally reached the other pink palace, Coraline immediately started looking for the beldam. They started by looking in the living room, which where she was sitting, just like the final battle when Coraline was a kid.

"Where are my children?" Coraline demandingly asks. The beldam giggled in a sadistic way. "You'll never find them Coraline." However, Coraline wasn't going to play this game again. "Enough Florence!" Suddenly, Florence fell backwards as if she lost her balance. When she regained her footing, she looked Coraline in the eyes. "You know about the family tree." She says. "Yes. I know you're a distant aunt of mine, but I'm here for my children." "You won't find them Coraline. They're mine now." Coraline shook her head.

"You weren't always like this Aunt Florence, what happened?" Coraline looked at Florence, but Florence couldn't answer. When she tried, she was raised into the air, and started screaming in pain. Coraline stood back in horror. A black cloud showed up. "Don't you say a word, beldam!" Coraline had heard this voice before, except last time, it wasn't a black cloud. "You?!" "Yes Coraline Lovat, it's me. Your old trusted friend." Coraline's facial expression suddenly went angry. "I trusted you!" Wybie still didn't understand. "Coraline, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Wybie, the black cat we knew as kids is the evil fairy." Coraline answers, not looking at him. Wybie's face dropped. "That's right Why-Born Lovat. Thank you for letting me be around you. I thought you would make a good fit for my beldam here until Coraline came along. She was much more curious and willing to enter the other world. Unfortunately, my worthless beldam was losing her touch, and failed to keep Coraline. Of course, your grandmother never let you near the portal. Now that I have your children, I can keep you all here for eternity." The spirit laughed the most evil laugh anyone had heard, then disappeared, taking the beldam with it. "Wybie, we need to find that wand!" "Well even if we do, we don't know the spell that banishes it to that world." Coraline felt at a loss. "You're right."

Coraline wasn't sure where to start in terms of finding the wand. She knew she wouldn't be able to find Archer, Cypress and Phoenix until after she defeated the fairy. "Maybe we should start looking around in this world. Maybe we'll find some kind of clue." Coraline knew Wybie was right, so they immediately got up and started looking in the house. Though neither of them knew exactly what they were looking for, they just kept searching for something out of the ordinary, or anything related to searching for a wand. "Coraline, we may be here forever. Maybe we should go back to the real world and do more research. We don't even know where to begin."

Coraline almost agreed until the kids appeared in a nearby mirror. "Mommy! Daddy! Help us!" Archer screams. Cypress was crying in the background, but Phoenix wasn't seen anywhere. Suddenly, Phoenix was shown tied to a table with the beldam in the background getting sewing supplies ready. Phoenix looked terrified and his head wound was visibly bigger. "Hurry up Coraline and Why-born Lovat, or you'll never see your son again!" The spirit warns. The view of Phoenix vanished. "No! Phoenix! Wybie, we need to hurry!" Coraline says, panicking. "I know, but we don't even know where to start. Do you have your phone?" Coraline nodded.

She immediately pulled it out and started researching ways to find an evil fairy's missing wand, but was having no luck. Coraline thought for a moment. "Last time I defeated the beldam, I played a game. What if we did the same with the spirit?" "What if it doesn't work?" "It will, trust me." Wybie nodded, and followed Coraline's lead. "Hey spirit! I have a challenge for you!" She called out. The spirit appeared in its horrifying living black cloud form. "Let's play a game." Coraline says. "Hmmm, challenge accepted. What are the terms and conditions?"

"If we find your wand, you set our children free. If not, you can keep us too." The evil fairy laughed. "You really think you can beat me? Alright Coraline, I'll take you up on that deal. It will be fun to watch you fail, and your souls will nourish the other world for a very long time." Coraline and Wybie gave the spirit a suspicious glare. "My wand is broken up into 5 pieces, and spread out throughout this world. I will give you 5 days to find all the pieces of the wand. If you find all 5 pieces, I'll give you the spell. Defeating me will automatically set everyone free, including Florence Garner." Coraline and Wybie's eyebrows raised. "Free the beldam?" Wybie asked, looking at Coraline. "She's under a spell of some kind, Wybie."

"But if you fail, your souls will be the last to go, and you'll have to watch your children, and Florence die in front of you." Coraline's blood ran warm. No one threatens her children and gets away with it. "Do we have a deal?" The Spirit asked. "Deal!" Wybie says. "Yes, deal." "If I were you, I would spread out. Look for the wood that doesn't belong. You have 5 days. Good luck." The spirit cackled, and disappeared. "Alright. There's no time to lose. Let's go!" Coraline says, dragging Wybie away. "Look for the wood that doesn't belong" echoed in Coraline and Wybie's heads, leading them to think that the spirit was implying that they start by looking around the pink palace. The game had begun.