'Ashland is always quite beatiful during the summer. The skies are somewhat clear and blue compared to the rest of the year. And sometimes you can almost hear the sounds of birds singing their summery songs. But for the residents of Ashland their quiet sanctionaries they call home are sometimes invaded by mother nature with occasional thunderstorms and increasing winds. This week's weather forcast calls for light showers with few breaks in the storm. So if you don't like the rain, this might not be the week for you because…'

And with that 15 year old Coraline turned off the morning news, walked outside, saw no evidence of any rain, and once again questions why she even watches the news, for she herself could predict it far better than any weather man could.

Over the past few years, Coraline had come to reasoning with herself that before school starts everyday, she should catch the news before she goes. Well, actually, she decided she would watch the news for 3 years ago, someone had filed a report on her for stealing a child out of a resident's house, and when she got to school the next day everyone, including Wybie, had suspicions about her antics the day before. Even when she asked why she was being avoided, no one told her, and after, they'd run away hoping they weren't her next victim. She tried to tell them the truth, but she understood how it's hard to believe in things you haven't seen yourself, so she kept it to herself that she was, in fact, babysitting an acquaintance's son. The door was locked and she had to get him out through the window to bring back to her house, but on the way there a passing bystander saw her take the child out of the house and assumed kidnapping. Even though everything is cleared up, she is still hesitant to be seen around town with children.

Coraline walked back inside the house to get something to eat before Wybie came over so they could walk to school. The blue haired girl picked up a bowl and a box of cereal. She set the two things down on the table next to her still ignorant mother typing away. She went back to the fridge to get the milk, but when her stare came over the door, there wasn't any.

"Mom! I thought you said you and dad went shopping?" Coraline said to her mother.

Mel barely looked up, and only because her daughter was practically breathing down her neck. Mel continued typing while mumbling as always…

" Sorry Coraline, we haven't had time yet."

"But you said that you would go! Theres no milk for cereal and no food for lunch… not that i'd want to eat it anyway..." (Coraline said the last part just loud enough so her mother could hear.)

"Well, Coraline," Mel said while she stopped typing completely ,"your father and I are busy. So if we have to work all day to sustain a living as our sacrafice, you need to make your sacrafices as well. I'm sure you won't die if you have to eat your cereal without milk, will you?"

"No, but I'm certain I will die if there's no food at all!" Coraline pointed out, with a sarcastic tone in her voice. "I'd almost trade one of Dad's disgusting death traps instead of death itself. Atleast I would die with a stomach full of food", she said while laying dramatically over her mother's computer with her tongue sticking out, expressing her feelings of death humorously.

"If you can even call that food", Coraline added.

"Listen," Mel said while dragging Coraline off the table,"we'll go shopping as soon as we finish working I promise."

Coraline knew that was a promise she wouldn't, and couldn't, keep.

"Fine. Then I'm going over to Wybie's to get something to eat. And don't expect me to pity you once you've died of starvation too!" the blue haired girl said while grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

"At least grab your coat before you go. I heard its going to start raining", Mel said while opening her computer once again and typing away.

With a sigh, Coraline closed the door to search for her jacket. She decided rather than look prefusely for it, why not jusk ask where it is. And with that thought she ended up in her father's study.

"Hey Dad. Have you seen my jacket?" Coraline asked. There was no response, for Charlie Jones was too, working.

"Dad?" She added.

"Uh-huh", her father mumbled and slightly turned his head and nodded toward the corner.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the girl said while following his line of sight and sure enough in the corner, was her jacket.

"Oh. Thanks Dad..." Coraline said as she walked out of the study and to the door.

It suprised Coraline that after all she did to save her parents, that they were the same, or even worse than before. They ignored her and life outside of staring at botany and the gardening catalogs they were pictured in. No matter how much she tried to jog their memory with the thoughts of the little door, the Beldam, or even that they were stuck in a snow globe, the adults told her she just had a vivid imagination. But Coraline knew it was real.

She hurriedly slipped on her jacket and opened the front door. And to her suprise Wybie was standing there with his fist raised in the air. It looked to Coraline like he was just about to knock.

Neither Coraline nor Wybie had changed much in the last few years of their lives. Coraline still has her favorite blue hair styled into a bob. She is somewhat taller than before, but she has gotten used to wearing three quarter length pants which make her look like she is wearing children's clothes.

But for Wybie, well his hunch is still there, so it makes him alot shorter than he really is. So in all actuallity he is around 5'7 instead of 5'11. His 'Curly Locks of Lusciousness' as he liked to call them, were cut when he ran into a street sign on his motorbike. He hit the sign and it cut into his head, and in order to perform surgery, the doctors had to cut his hair. But all in all, they were still the same slug hunting, adventuring, trouble seeking kids.

"H-hey C-coraline. Y-you kinda scared me there!" Wybie said, stuttering due to the initial shock.

"Sorry Why-were-you-born. Hey look. Before we head to school can we stop by your place to get something to eat?"

"Well I already ate Jonesy, but thanks for the offer!" the teen said sarcastically.

"I meant for me, jerk-wad!" Coraline retorted. "You know how my parents are..."

"That I do Coraline Jones. And that is why I brought you this..." he said while he slipped his hand into his bag and pulled out two candy bars. She attempted to take one, but he turned and started walking.

"Or I could just keep 'em to myself!" he stated. Coraline frowned and got down on her knees and groveled.

"Please almighty god of everything weird and nerdy! I ask of you one thing..." as she started the statement she was acting like a worshiper, then she got up and yelled in his ear playfully ,"GIVE ME THE CANDY BAR WYBOURNE!" She punched him in the arm like usual, and with a slight whimper he gave in.

Wybie handed over the snack and said "Fine. But you should really worship me more often."

Coraline took the candy from him and devoured it in a second. Once she was done they started walking. They usually talked about slugs, or made fun of teachers and things like that. But about halfway Wybie remembered something his grandmother told him.

"Oh yeah. Hey Coraline you know that new place they've finished building right past the old well?" he asked.

"Yeah. The tan one on Jacinto road. What about it?" Coraline replied.

"Well since it's closer than a mile from your place, it's on my grandma's property. So last week someone moved in. It's a mom and her daughter. The girl's name is Kaydence Sutherland. Her parents are divorced, so she's at that house for two weeks, then she is at her dad's place for one. Seems kinda unfair huh?"

"Yeah. I guess. Wybie how do you know all that?" Coraline wondered.

"Oh. Well since they came last week my grandma's been making me go take their mail to the mailbox outside their house. So one day Kaydence was outside and we just started talking. Her mom's name is Mary, but I don't wanna bombard you with my opinions, you're just gonna go and see for yourself sometime. Sorry I forgot to tell ya Jonesy..." Wybie said feeling a little bad that he hadn't told Coraline earlier.

"It's fine Why-were-you-born. Well after school we'll drop by and say hey, I guess, and scope out the new meat. We'll have to warn her to stay away from the well cuz of... the rotting wood, and things like that."

It was probably a good idea to warn someone about that stuff before something weird happens. And with that they were finally at school.

After a long hard day of things neither of the kids could care less about, they had their journey home. They mostly had talked about their principle's mustache and the way it moved when he was mad. They walked until they reached Jacinto Road. The two teens walked down the driveway and Wybie pointed out a large, quite modern place, laden with edgy bricks, and metal stairs, as well as window coverings, and only one small glass window, which seemed to be plastered in the attic. They perched themselves on the placemat outside of the door, and for a split second, there was only silence, and nothing else. Coraline knocked while thinking of things to say to her new neighbors. She heard the 'click' of the lock, and the doornob turned.

The door swung open, and a woman about five foot nine, with dirty blonde hair opened the door. She seemed around forty-five and she had a sweet smile plastered on her face.

"Why hello there," the woman said seeming a little suprised by the two teens standing on her doorstep, "I'm Mary Sutherland. And you are?"