Coraline Sequel - Horrors at Night

Under the door

Alice rushed into the forbidden drawing room, giggling as her fine blonde hair swished over her shoulders. She wondered where to hide, there were lots of spots. She started behind the couch, enjoying the protection of sight from anyone who entered the room. She then thought it as impractical, it would be one of the first places Coraline and the boy would look. She hid behind the door, behind the curtains and even in the fireplace, but finally decided that under the pile of boxes behind the wall would do. There was nothing in this small space but dusty things and a small door carved into the wall. There was a faint glow about it, like magic.

Alice studied the door. It had definitely been opened before, and quite often, too, although the hinges were old and rusty. Curiosity began to creep up on her like a cat, and she noticed the scratch marks embedded in the bottom of the door. Silently, she picked at the cracks and rotted wood, until a piece came off in her hand. She threw it away carelessly and reached into the small hole she had made; just big enough for one hand to fit through.

Alice could not feel much. Just damp material sifting through her fingers. If she pressed her ear against the old, small door, she thought she could her muffled footsteps, but no, that must be Coraline searching for her upstairs.

She was about to give up searching when something cold glazed the tips of her small, pink fingers. She dragged the object through the bottom of the door and held it up to her eyes in the small of her palm.

Two big, black buttons with ragged thread that frayed at the ends looked up at her, shining in the dim lights as if they were alive.

Coraline pushed through the heavy doors of the drawing room, Wybie by her side.

"Alice!" She yelled. Unexpectedly, Alice charged out of the small hallway where the little door was. Coraline held her breath.

"That's a curious sight," said Alice, referring to the door. All Coraline could do was squeak in fright.

"Catch!"

Two shiny object sailed in the air toward Coraline, who caught it and almost immediately dropped the two buttons, screaming in fright until Wybie picked them up, stowing them inside his pocket.

"We told you not to go in here!" He yelled.

"What? Scared of a little door?" Alice said, storming back to where it was. She tugged on the loose bottom, Coraline still wailing behind her, until it opened, screeching and creaking as a blast of warm air tugged back her hair. Wybie crouched down beside her, relieved.

"See? Nothing there. Just a pile of bricks. We're just going to get in trouble for being in here, that's all. We should go." He stood and returned to Coraline, but Alice stared at the door in wonder. Maybe Wybie did see bricks, but he didn't know that Alice saw a wide, dusty, dark tunnel, leading to something unknown to the universe.

                                                                                    ****

When Coraline, Wybie and Alice returned to the kitchen, Coraline's mother and father stood at the sink, rubbing soapy water onto food stained dishes.

"Where's mum?" Asked Alice.

"She's gone to the hospital, sweety. Your little brother has decided he wants to meet you earlier than expected!" said Mrs. Jones. Alice grinned.

"That's great!"

"You're going to stay here for the night, kiddo. I'll set up a mattress in Coraline's room, for some company. Ok?" Coraline's dad explained. Alice nodded in agreement.

"Wybie, I've just had a call from your Grandmother. She doesn't know where you are."

"Neither did we until just now," Coraline's dad mumbled. His wife shot him a disapproving look.

"Anyway, I suggest you get going. You guys can meet up again tomorrow?" Mrs. Jones inquired.

"Alright," said Wybie, bid farewell to his companions, and set off toward his house in the dark.

Coraline's father looked at the two girls, his eyes sparkling.

"How about that bed, now?"

Alice was to sleep on a mattress on the ground, with an old cupcake patterned bed spread of Coraline's. They both changed and lay in the silence, the wind rifling through the leaves through the now closed window.

"I'm sorry about before," Alice whispered.

"It was just a joke."

"S'ok," Coraline turned in her bed. Secretly, she was still a little cross. But how was Alice to know of the... It? Wybie had told her how the door was bricked up again, and Coraline pushed some of the boxes in its way just as a precaution. She no longer had the key, and that was a good thing, but not if It could push through the thin barrier between them and escape.

"We should sleep." Coraline suggested, closing her eyes, ignoring the sadistic gleam of the brass plated treasure chest in the corner of her eye.

She dreamt of pleasant things to begin with. Sweets, laughter, birthday cake being thrown and landing in Wybie's face, leaving endless streaks of white sugary icing.

Then she was standing in the drawing room, watching the snow globes on the mantelpiece dance in their magnified state, the grandfather clock ticked loudly in the distance. A scratching emitted from the little door. It was louder, more desperate than she had ever heard it. Coraline peeked over to it, awaiting what would happen next.

First, four spidery red nails clutched the bottom of the door, ripping the wood and opening it, another hand placing itself solidly on the dusty ground, a spider-like figure crawling demonically toward her, spine twisted horrifically, red eyes gleaming in the dark -

Coraline bolted upwards, breathing heavily. She looked around frantically, slowly realizing that she was safe, that she was in her room. She felt her heart start to beat in its particular ba boom ba rhythm, and snuggled back under her covers, staring at the empty mattress below her.

Empty.

The electricity zapped through Coraline once more, dread creeping up on her like a sin. She kicked the sheets away from her and tore down the hall, toward the drawing room, where she was sure Alice would be.

If it weren't too late.