Author's note:

Before I start this story, I would just like to say: I have never seen the Coraline movie. I have only read the book, in the book, Coraline does not have blue hair, and I just can't write a Coraline that is so different to the one I read about. So, Coraline doesn't have blue hair in this fanfic. Also, in the book, there is no Wybie. So there is no Wybie in this story, either. The set of flats is not called Pink Palace apartments, and it is not home to several dysfunctional rooms like in the movie. The rooms are average, not disgusting. Thank-you very much.

"Now, the only thing to do is to plant the key where she will find it. Rat! Come here!" The beldam clapped her hands and a large, dirty black rat scurried into the room. "Hide this key where Sophie Elder will find it. With our luck, she will be here in no time, and I will have another child to entice into my foul world!" She cackled cruelly as she dropped the key into the rat's mouth. "Everything is ready, my sweet little rat. Sophie's stay in the 'other world' will be more realistic then ever!" The beldam cackled again as she watched the rat scurry into the drawing room.

XxX

"Please?" Sophie Elder begged her older sister Laura. "Just a little bit?"

"I've told you a million times, Sophie. No. I paid good money for that thing and there's no way I'm letting my bratty little sister use it." Said Laura, indicating her hair curler. "And anyway, shouldn't you be unpacking?" Laura smirked as Sophie huffed and walked away. Once in her room, Sophie collapsed onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. She had just moved into this area, and so far nothing had changed. Her parents still didn't give her any attention, and Laura was still the mean older sister she had always been. She was due to start school in a few days, and wanted to make a good impression on people. Therefore, she needed her sister's hair curler. So far though, she had had no luck in persuading Laura. Sophie suddenly froze abruptly. She could have sworn she heard a scurrying sound next to her suitcase, like that of a rat. She listened closely.

Oh well… Maybe I just imagined it.

"Sophie? Have you finished unpacking?" Her mother's voice sounded from downstairs.

"Almost!" Shouted Sophie, when in reality she had not even opened her suitcase.

"Well, I want you to hurry up. Remember, the Jones's have invited us to dinner tonight!" Called her mother.

Despite being so angry with Laura, Sophie lightened up a little bit. She hadn't had many friends back in Michigan, and she was keen to meet the Jones's who lived in the flat on the other side of her own. She had heard they had a daughter her age, and she could really do with someone to talk to, apart from Laura. She knew there were other people living in her set of flats, though she had never met any of them. She was hoping the Jones family would introduce her to the other's that lived in the set of flats. She walked over to her suitcase and shoved it open, roughly pulling out random objects. She took out her sneakers, her stamp collection, a pair of gumboots, a half-eaten piece of bubble gum, and a strange black key. She had never seen this key before. She ran downstairs.

"Mum? Did you put a key in my suitcase?" Sophie asked curiously.

"No, I didn't, Sophie. Hurry up and unpack. I'd hate to be late to the Jones's house."

"Ok, Ok. I will. Where's dad?" She asked.

"He's grocery shopping." Said her mother.

Sophie sighed and walked back upstairs. It was probably Laura's idea of a joke, trying to scare her with a mysterious key. She wasn't about to give Laura the satisfaction of knowing she found it. Still, she should keep it, just in case it unlocked something useful. What if it belonged to Laura's diary? Oh, Sophie would really get her revenge then. Making a mental note to try the key into Laura's diary lock later, Sophie gently placed the rusty key on her bedside table and finished unpacking.

At quarter to seven, Sophie's mother called out to Sophie, telling her to come downstairs. Laura was already waiting. As they were walking out of the door, her father pulled up into the driveway.

"Hello, Sophie. Did you guys have a nice day?" He asked.

"It was alright, I guess…Not particularly eventful." Said Sophie.

"Oh well. Hopefully the next few days will be better, huh?" He ruffled her hair.

"I guess so." Sophie grinned. Her dad could always cheer her up. The family made their way to the flat on the other side of theirs.

"Now, girls, I want you to be on you BEST BEHAVIOUR." Said her Mother. "Understand?"

"Yes, Mum." Sophie and Laura said in unison, as they reached the door of the Jones's flat. Sophie's mother knocked three times, and they waited. After a few minutes, the door swung open, and they were greeted by a kind-looking woman.

"Oh, you must be the Elder's! Hi, I'm Melissa Jones. This is my husband, Charlie, and this is my daughter, Coraline." Said Mrs Jones.

"We're very pleased to meet you." Said Sophie's mother. "I'm Stacey Elder, This is my husband, Phil, and these are my daughters, Laura and Sophie."

"Very pleased to meet you too! Now, why don't you come in? Don't let us keep you waiting out here in the cold!" Said Mrs Jones. Sophie followed her parents and sister into the living room of the house.

"Coraline, why don't you take Sophie up to your room?" Said Mrs Jones.

"Ok, Mum." Said Coraline. "Come on." She added, and Sophie followed her upstairs. They went to her room, and Coraline collapsed onto the bed. There were a few minutes of awkward silence. Sophie was just beginning to wonder if she should start the conversation herself, but thankfully, Coraline bet her to it.

"Do you like it here?" She asked.

"I don't know…" Sophie replied. "It's better than my old home, I guess, but…"

"There isn't much to do?" Coraline suggested.

"Yeah. There isn't." Said Sophie.

"Well, hopefully, that's about to change." Said Coraline, a grin spreading onto her face. Despite herself, Sophie grinned too. She found she just 'clicked' with Coraline. She was like the sister she never had. Sophie and Coraline talked about everything from food to fauna until her mother came up to tell them that dinner was ready. Sophie and Coraline walked downstairs. When Sophie spotted the dinner table, she blinked in surprise. She was expecting a home-made meal, bursting with hidden vegetables. Instead, the table was piled to the top with take-away food. 3 boxes of pizza, several cans of cola and lemonade, no less than 12 boxes of fries, chicken-Salad wraps, nuggets, cheeseburgers, and a large bucket of fried chicken dripping in grease. This was her type of food.

"Sorry about this." Said Mrs Jones. "We didn't have much time to prepare, and I'm a terrible cook. Plus, I didn't know what type of take-away you guys like, so I had to get some of everything."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Said Mum. "I know how you feel. I'm a terrible cook too!"

The two women began talking franticly, and soon after, the men followed. Sophie was having the best time she had ever had since she moved houses. She was talking to Coraline as she helped herself to much more unhealthy food then she had ever been allowed to eat at home. When dinner was finished, Sophie and Coraline went to explore the house.

"What's this?" Asked Sophie, as she noticed a large mahogany-wood door.

"Oh, nothing." Said Coraline, looking extremely shifty.

"Coraline! What is it?" Said Sophie. She was just beginning to thing she would never weed the truth out of Coraline, but Coraline began to look thoughtful.

"Can you keep a secret?" She asked.

"It depends." Sophie smirked. "Nah, I can."

"Well… What would you say if I told you that that door lead to another world?" Asked Coraline.

"Well, it depends. What sort of world?" Asked Sophie.

"A world where everything is the exact opposite to how it is in the real world. Where your parents can give you anything you want, and everything is interesting."

"I'd say you were completely bonkers, Coraline." Said Sophie.

"Don't worry about it." Said Coraline, as she turned away, looking half disappointed and half relieved.

"No, No, No! I didn't mean that!" Said Sophie quickly. "Can you show me this 'Other world'?"

"Sophie, I know it sounds like a wonderful place, but it's terrible. You have an "Other Family", and they are all the exact opposite of your own family. It really isn't a nice place to hang out."

"Ok." Sighed Sophie. "How do you get in?"

"With a key." Said Coraline. "But I disposed of the key. I'm not sure if my 'Other Mother' can make a new one, but I don't have it anymore."

"Oh." Said Sophie. "Ok."

"Sophie?" Called Mrs Elder. "We're going home now!"

"Bye, Coraline. It was great meeting you. Maybe we can meet again some other time." Said Sophie.

"Yeah. Sounds good." Coraline smiled. Sophie walked out of the door and downstairs.

"Thanks again, Stacey. And you too, Phil. We'll hope to see you guys again soon!" Said Mrs Elder, as they walked into the cold night and back into their apartment. As Sophie reached her bedroom, her mother could be heard telling her to brush her teeth, but Sophie was only half listening… For something had just clicked in her mind.

"The key…" Sophie Gasped. But It couldn't be… could it?

Next chapter: The truth is revealed about the Key.