She had finally convinced her parents to buy a television. It took a few years and a lot of pleading, but Coraline did it! After her parents had finished yet another catalogue, they had the money to buy a TV. It was a joint decision that decided it should go into the drawing room, a decision that Coraline was not a part of. It was all ready to go, bought & set up, a week after the catalogue had been finished and turned in.
Coraline was very happy to introduce TV into the 150 year old house. She loved cartoons and the only time she got to watch any was when she was over at Wybie's. Otherwise, she had to find ways to entertain herself. She felt very detached from the rest of the world without a TV set. Her parents even read the news in the newspaper!
Blegh. If that wasn't last century, she didn't know what was.
She was excited the day she got to try out the new TV. However, the young girl was still weary of the drawing room. It held horribe memories only she could remember. The scratches from one fateful night were still there as proof it was more than a dream. It had been a reality and that still scared the now-teenager. She pushed fear for now to test out the new piece of equipment. She sat on the hard, lumpy, ugly, mustard covered couch and attempted to get comfortable as she watched old cartoons she had fond memories of. After a hour or so, she ended up laying down on the couch - her blue hair now all against the ugly-colored disaster.
She was watching The Fairly Odd Parents (Cosmo was her favorite) when the commercial came on.
She hated commercials anyway.
The first, and creepiest thing, she noticed was that they were all smiling. Just as happy as they could be. Some of them were freckled, and worse of all, one had blue hair - almost exactly the color of her hair. One had pink. They all were in beautifully knitted dresses, all tanned with perfectly curled hair. Their button eyes were gleaming. That was the worst and scariest part. They were sewn just like the Other Mother's. These horrid dolls, smiling with a happy melody playing in the background. New! Lalaloopsy! New! Lalaloopsy! it sang.
Coraline panicked. Her body froze for a few seconds as fear went through her. Oh no. Not again. Not these memories. She reached for the remote, grabbing it and yelling. No! No! That button turns up the volume! She realized this as the damned singing and the damned melody on the damned commercial for the damned dolls, NEW! LALALOOPSY!!, grew louder along with her screams. Her heart was in her throat and her hands were sweaty as she fumbled for the power button.
Finally, the TV went black, showing her success. Coraline sat in shock, not able to move.
"What?" Her dad burst in, carrying a bat and looking all around the room. "What's wrong? Are we being robbed?" The teenage girl shook her head, unable to form words.
"Oh." He said, a little disappointed. "Then what was the racket? All the yelling?"
"It... It was the TV?" Coraline managed. She couldn't exactly explain this one to her dad. He had a hard enough time grasping her fear of thread and buttons along with the new-found hatred of spiders his daughter had somehow gained.
"Well," he pushed his glasses back on his nose, "tell me if the TV yells like that again. I'll be ready." He smirked and left.
Coraline glanced between the television and the small door to her left. She was still terrified. How? Why? Were kids actually buying these lalaloopsy dolls? Were they spies, like Coraline's doll, or was Coraline just crazy?
No, she decided. That wasn't possible. She left the other mother behind the small door to die alone.
Unless there were more.
"You're not fooling anyone..." Coraline muttered at the door, trying to sound brave.
BANG.
Coraline yelped and ran outside, slamming the door behind her and forgetting her banana-colored coat.
"Charlie!" Mel yelled to her husband across the hall, hearing her daughter slam the front door.
"Sorry!" He yelled back. "My bad. I dropped the bat."
"Be more careful!" His wife scolded. "You know how jumpy she is."
"I know, I know... I wonder what about this time."
"Who knows with her."