(A/N): I finished my complete exploration of the Coraline FF archives (AKA from page one to eightteen) a few weeks ago. Along the way, I noticed a few things, common patterns, if you will. One of them was the Coraline sequel. I've written a few of those myself XD
Another one was generations, showing the story of Coraline's parents, or her kids, or her grandkids, or what-have-you. Well, here's my (still extremely depressing) take on one of those kind of stories.
Read of the Empty Coffin... and be depressed. XD
I finished telling my mother of the strange dream I'd had. She was scared stiff the entire time. I wondered what was wrong.
"You go get your coat," Mother said. "We're going on a trip."
And so I got into the car, and we drove away.
I wondered why we were going to the graveyard. But we were, and I didn't bother to ask why.
And when we walked up to my grandma's gravestone, I wondered what Mother was going to tell me.
Way before I was born, my grandma had disappeared mysteriously, and left my mother and Grandpa. They knew she was dead, though, so they had a funeral and buried a coffin here. An empty coffin.
Sometimes I wondered what happened to Grandma, where she went, how they knew she was dead. But Mother didn't like to talk about it.
After we'd stood there for a while, Mother spoke.
"A long time ago, your grandmother had a strange dream much like yours, except it was more welcoming. But what she thought was a dream wasn't a dream, and it was all real. And when she came back, there was actual evidence it was real. The next night, the same thing happened. More evidence.
"Eventually she discovered absolute proof that the world was real, and went to the world to see the proof. It was then that she discovered that the place was not a dream come true, but a nightmare. She escaped, but trouble followed her, and she had to go back to save her parents.
"Your grandma played a game with the creature, and she won. Not only did she save her parents, but she saved the souls of three other children who had been previously captured. She threw the key down the well, but decided that it wasn't safe enough there, and took it back to keep for herself.
"Years passed. Eventually she and Grandpa had me, and time went on and all was well for a while. Then came the day that I discovered the place where she had gone as a child, as you now have discovered it in these haunting dreams, and went there and discovered the wonders. But Grandma knew that I was going to fall into the trap, much like she did, and she went back to the world she feared so, to save me and sacrifice herself, for she knew that the creature only wanted her."
Mother sobbed, but continued.
"But before she went… she asked me something.
"She asked me to lock the door behind her, and keep the key to remember what she did, and why we should move away as quickly as possible and never come back."
Mother stopped talking for a while. Tears were brimming in her eyes. I knew that she had a close relationship with Grandma.
"And I did lock the door. I regret it so, but I couldn't move away," she said, "And now, I have you. And I want you to keep the key for me. I want you to remember, too. And I want you to beware that place, and never go there. Understand?"
Mother handed me the key. It was cold, and black, and tipped with the symbol my dreams told me to fear.
I told her I understood, and we got back in the car and went home.
But I knew that Mother would never be happy. She wouldn't like what I would do to make her happy, but she would be happier.
When we got home, I prepared for what I had to do.
And in the middle of the night, I unlocked the door, and hoped I would make my mother happy.
I knew she wouldn't be able to bear another empty coffin.
(A/N): The surprising thing (and yet the obvious thing) is that the last sentence only works if you haven't read the story before. That's why I'm a bit iffy on the subject of a prequel/sequel right now, but, if enough interest is generated, I will make a prequel/sequel/whatever-other-crap-you-want-while-I'm-at-it XD