Twisted Fates

Chapter 22

There was no way that her friends were getting out.

Luckily, she no longer had the key.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Turn back to the form you had when you first came here."

She did.

Wybie reached his hand into his pocket.

And felt the key.

Maybe they had a chance of escaping.

But were they able to get their friend?

The answer was likely 'no'.

The girl had given herself out for them.

Now it was their turn.

He knew that his other friends were still affected by the magic.

Then, he heard, "Now, daughter . . . what do you want to do with your old friends?"

He turned, and the girl, blood still flowing down her skin, buttons pressed against her face.

He knew that she couldn't see him. Knew that she was no longer the Coraline that he knew. She would kill him without a second thought.

"My name is Coraline Jones, and I think that we should keep them here." Wybie heard. "I think we should take that boy first."

Wybie jumped.

Coraline was pointing towards him.

Her face. Her voice.

So emotionless.

"I'll have to take your eyes first."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kubo heard that.

He had seen Coraline choose Wybie.

He was moving, but yet he wasn't.

The strange magic was controlling his body, and Kubo fought for control.

"Mother, take him."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Wybie made to run, but the Beldam got there first.

"J-Jonesy! It's me! It's Wybie!"

"I know. Join me. Let's stay friends."

The magic that he knew his friend had would cause her to go further into the darkness.

He felt two hands made of pins grab him.

"Coraline, please!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The Beldam groaned.

Magic got them all into this. Maybe magic could get them out of it.

He fought.

Control was so difficult.

"Coraline!"

Kubo yelled, hand coming down on the strings.

The magic blew them both ways.

He had broken out of the spell. Feeling the pure, clean magic pass through his body gave him a sense of relief and happiness.

He looked over at Norman.

He nodded at him.

Now they had to help Coraline.

Magic was neither good nor bad, yet it was both at the same time. It only depended on the influence the user had on the source.

He knew that it would be tough to break the blue-haired girl out of the Beldam's control, but he had to try.

He looked over to Eggs, then to Norman and even glanced at Mr Link.

They all had magic in their veins. That was why they had all turned.

When Coraline looked over at him, he pulled his hand into the air and strummed again, with more force than the previous strum.

"Coraline." A gentle strum.

"Coraline." Another. "We are your friends. You gave up your life for us."

Coraline let out a feral shriek, lunging for them.

He blew her back with another stroke of his hand, beginning to advance. "Come back to us, Coraline."

A low laugh as she got to her feet. "It's too late. Your precious Coraline had already given in to the darkness."

"Please . . . "

Another dark chuckle. "Don't you get it, Kubo? She's gone."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

That couldn't be true.

Coraline was still there. He believed it.

No, he knew it.

It was Wybie's turn to stand as he looked at his longest friend. "Please, Jonesy. You're the reason none of us died. Come back. We need you."

"G-guys?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Coraline saw through her eyes. Or what used to be her eyes.

She was surprised how the buttons actually worked.

"G-guys?"

You surrendered. You obey me.

She knew that she couldn't just succumb.

If she was going down, she was going down with a fight.

And she was taking the Beldam with her.

You are nothing. Now, you are mine.

Was she?

You belong to me.

No.

She knew that she had to overcome this.

My name is Coraline Jones. I escaped from the Beldam once before, and I can do it again.

It was an effort to regain control.

Her magic thrashed and roiled, but Coraline willed it to obey.

She looked over at her friend.

There was still something wrong.

She knew that very well.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The girl stood as still as a statue, leaving the Beldam unprotected.

Kubo didn't know what to do.

Coraline's fingers twitched, barely a noticeable movement.

The Beldam grinned. Made no move even as Kubo advanced on her.

He strummed a final time, before he joined hands with everyone else in the room.

"Magic doesn't determine you. You determine the magic."

Their hands glowed, the warmth from the magic put a smile on his face.

"You may look like all our Mothers, but you will never be them."

Then, they aimed at the Beldam.

"Stop!"

Coraline.