To catch a fly

"You do like it here, don't you, Coraline? My other mother used her usual charming voice; it almost put me to sleep. It had been so nice here, much better than my other house, and mom number one and dad number one. I wanted to stay here forever

"Uh-huh." It was true, I did like it here.

"Good night, Wybie." I said good night to my mute friend, he smiled but it quickly turned into a frown. My other mother turned me around and began walking me to the kitchen, she stopped once I was there and turned back to the door, she corrected Wybie's frown pulling on the sides of her on lips, he only increased his long face, he knew what she was going to do to Coraline next.

"You could stay here forever if you want to." I smiled, I'd like that, I'd like that a lot I thought.

"Really?" I smiled more almost jumping out of my comfy seat at the kitchen table.

"Sure. We'll sing and play games, and Mother will cook your favourite meals." My other father joined the conversation. I thought to myself, did I just think of my other mother as mother…

"There's one tiny little thing we need to do." My 'Mother' was eager.

"What's that?" I wasn't worried at all; I wanted to stay there bad.

"Well, it's a surprise." My mother smiled, and even wider smile than before, it comforted me.

I ran over to her seat, I jumped into her lap and stayed there, she cuddled me and I put my hands around her arms. I turned my head around and snuggled it into my mom's shoulder.

"For you, our little doll." She placed a hexagonal box in front of me.

…I opened it, two black buttons, the same as hers, a needle and some thread.

"Black is traditional. But if you'd prefer pink or vermillion or chartreuse...Though you might make me jealous."

"It doesn't hurt my dear" My mother added.

I thought over it in my mind. She was so nice, she kept me fed and was an amazing cook, and her hugs were warm, much like my old mother's. She had an amazing scent that made me feel safe and warm, she knew me like the back of her hand, why my old mother didn't even know if I liked my eggs sunny side up or over easy, my old mother didn't know my favourite colour or perfume.

"What will happen when I grow up?"

"Why you can do what you like dear, I will keep you fed and warm, and you can go out with your friends, to the club, wherever you like."

"You mean there's more than just this house, and the garden?"

"Of course dear" She was still holding me, I was still in her lap with my head snuggle deep into her shoulder...her hair smelt good, the father was on the other side of the table."

"I'll be right back dear."

She left, I was all alone with other father, I didn't know him that well.

"Hey dad" I thought about my words, I didn't regret them, if I was going to make this world my new home I had to get to know my dad.

"Hello, Coraline, are you going to stay here forever?'

"I think I will dad"

"Coraline, dear" Mom came into the room, with a trolley full of food, she placed the food in front of me

"Hmmmm, this smells good"

"As always Coraline" Mom smiled.

I dug into my food, eating chicken and potato and peas and corn and gravy and milkshake and ice-cream.

"Oh, my god I'm stuffed" I spoke with my mouth full of ice-cream.

Mom and dad didn't eat, they just watched me...smiling.

Mom left again, this time she came back with Wybie who she shoved into the kitchen forcefully.

"Hey, Jonsey" He struggled but managed to smile.

"Wybie, you just talked!" His posture was better too.

"Yeah, Miss, Jones just fixed me"

"Thanks mum"

"Coraline, is that a yes, for staying here forever?"

"….y…yes"

"That's great Jonsey!" Wybie hugged me, he looked into my eyes as if to say good bye, next time he saw me they'd be buttons.

~xXx~

Mom took me to the stairs, she stopped outside of a little door, I had always thought it was a broom closet…until she opened it.

Behind the door were stairs, they seemed never ending. Mom walked me down, Wybie and dad didn't follow.

We walked for minutes; it felt like hours, I took in the blue and purple glowing walls, much like that in the passage way from my old home to my new one. Those walls would be one of the last few things I saw, with my real eyes.

~xXx~

I looked at mom, she looked slightly different, her neck was longer, so were her fingers and there was one small crack on her face…I thought about what cat said…or maybe she just wants something to eat…

No! no way, that couldn't be true…but mom looked scary…she was thinner…My mind was still made up, how bad could it be, how much could it hurt

For the first time since agreeing to mom sewing buttons in my eyes, I was scared, I was finally thinking.

I couldn't back out now, we were at the end of the stairs, and there was another door, a bigger door this time.

Mom opened the door, it was a small dark room, and I couldn't see anything I think mum could. I grabbed a hold of moms arm and snuggled into it.

"Now Coraline" the sweetness was gone from her voice, now her voice made me want to run not fall asleep.

"Mom"

"Coraline!"

"Mom where are you?"

"I'm still here Coraline"

She picked me up, she threw me onto a table and strapped me to it, I couldn't move. She put tape on my mouth, I tried to scream but nothing came out, I tried to move but was stuck to the table.

"I'll remove the tape when you stop struggling dear" She used her sweet voice once more.

I lay there still and calm, I stopped moving and took slow deep breaths through my nose. She removed the tape.

"Owwww!" I screamed out in pain.

"Sorry dear, my dear, dear, Coraline… soon you will see things our way."

She stroked my head, kissed it, and then she licked my hand.

"You're a tasty one Coraline" She sneered, still using her sweet voice, she continued to lick my hand, I wanted to stop her, I wanted to scream…but my voice had left me…left me all alone in the dark with an evil witch who wanted to eat me and sew buttons in my eyes… great, just great.

My voice had found me and I screamed out in pain as she bit my hand, It bled, it bled badly…She sucked up all the blood with her long, long tongue.

"Do you want to eat me, or love me?" I don't know how I managed the words.

"Both darling, dear, beautiful Coraline…Oh how I love you my darling girl. Your blue hair, your flesh…your blood, hahaha" she used her sweet voice, it hypnotised me, I couldn't think properly.

"Fine" I couldn't manage any other word, my body wouldn't let me.

With a swift movement she reached over to something nearby, I could only hear her, I still couldn't see a thing.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH" I screamed out in pain, she had placed a button over one of my closed eyes and put a needle through one of the holes, the needle punctured my eye and blood began to pour down my cheeks and into my mouth.

She struggled to pull the needle through the next hole from the inside of my eye….soon enough I had one button eye.

I took my last look at darkness with my real eye. She placed another button over my left eye and pushed the needle in.

This time I didn't scream out in pain...at first.

"Oh, so that didn't hurt aye?" she pushed the needle deeper into my eye, I was sure I was going to die. More and more blood gushed down the side of my face and dripped into my mouth; I choked on the blood in my throat and spat in out all over my clothes.

The second button was in...I was one of them…I didn't know if she was going to eat me...make me serve her…love me.

I could suddenly see the room. It was still dark, it was only lit with candles, 10 or so and their flame wasn't the usual orange and red, but green and blue…

I looked to the Beldam. She was smiling, blood dripping from her mouth; I hadn't noticed the other bites all over my arm. My arm was bleeding badly and she licked it all up laughing and smiling.

I couldn't stop her, I was still strapped to the table and I didn't have the strength to talk.

"Coraline. You look so much more beautiful now dear...A true faery's child you are…With wild, wild eyes"

I sobbed to myself, it was all over, and I was a fool. I'd let her win.

The other mother walked me up the long dark stairs, I could see so much more now, so much more than blue and purple walls there were old toys and cob webs everywhere, there were no walls, just space, endless space.

"Coraline…" She sang my name softly to her self.

…I didn't speak…

"How old am I?"

"However old a spider must be to catch a fly" She spoke like a wise old witch.

"A fly"

"Coraline, I'm old."

…

I've been stuck here for centuries now. I haven't had a proper meal for a 100 years and a small taste of your blood won't keep me going for long, you have to promise me something my dear."

"What if I say no?"

"Then you'll die. You're a real child Coraline, now that you have buttons you must eat to survive and that is what you must promise me, you will catch flies and you will not fail."

"Then I'll die"

"I'll surely be gone in a few weeks and then I'll be stone, if you don't eat you'll be stone to and it will all be over, all hope of you seeing your family again will be lost"

"You mean there's hope"

"Yes"

"….ahhh" I only breathed but I was saying yes, I didn't want to die, either way I had buttons in my eyes, I may not have known it but I too was an evil witch longing for a meal and someone to love.

"That wasn't so hard now my darling Coraline"

"No"

Mom began to sing then, a sweet poem.

"I met a lady, in the meads

Full beautiful, a feary's child

Her hair was long, her foot was light and her eyes were wild." She sang the poem softly.

I reached up to touch my eyes; they were big, black buttons.

Bella sat in her room on her favourite pink chair by the window. It was cold outside, autumn had just ended and winter was here bringing its fierce chill with it.

It had been summer when she, her sister and her parents moved to the pink palace, she had to move away from her friends who were still in Australia, where it was summer and come to America…She hated the place.

Bella missed her friends greatly, especially her best friend, Victoria, Tori for short. Tori had short blond hair and it was thick, Tori played basketball. Bella didn't play a sport, she played hockey back in Australia, she had only played in school but she was good and always made the team.

Her open window sent a slight breeze towards her blowing about her long dark brown hair. She took a black hair tie off her wrist and tied her hair into a medium ponytail; she admired the shine and slight wave to her hair in the round mosaic mirror on her windowsill.

That mirror had been there when she arrived at the pink palace 2 months ago, though it was old it was very pretty.

Her mirror reflected her school blazer, shirt, tie and skirt, hanging from her bunk ready for next term, she shared a room with her little sister, Eliza who had turned 10 last month, only two years younger than herself.