The sun was setting; Bella and Wybie sat under the huge old oak in the forest, where they had sat yesterday. Wybie had not yet spoken, Bella wondered why, perhaps something bad had happened to Coraline… Bella hoped not.

'Coraline is trapped behind the mirror again… On the other side of the door' Wybie said, 'I should have listened to her… Helped her, but I thought she was crazy' Wybie said sadly, Bella swore she saw a tear fall down his cheek…

'It all started off with this doll…' Wybie said 'I found it in our house… My grandma wasn't home and I was snooping about in her stuff for my Game-boy which she had stolen… This all happened a while ago, Coraline and I were 11'

… 'My grandma had this huge trunk in her wardrobe; I never knew what she kept in there… I thought she might be hiding my Game-boy in there… It was a beautiful trunk, white with gold lace around the edges… It was obviously old'

… 'it wasn't locked, so I opened it… There was a bunch of old photos and stuff like that, but there was also this doll… This doll, that looked just like Coraline'

… 'I had met her the day before, she had short blue hair, a dragonfly clip holding it all back and a lovely yellow raincoat with lovely yellow gumboots to match' Bella didn't want to interrupt Wybie, this was an interesting story..

He went on…

'The doll was dressed just the same; it had the same clothes, even the same hair… That trunk hadn't been open for years; I should have suspected something was up' Wybie said angrily 'the doll… It had these two, black buttons for eyes…'

Wybie stopped for a minute… Bella thought about the doll, she had so many questions but she was certain Wybie would answer them if she just remained quiet…

'Stupidly, I sent her the doll, wrapped it up in a package with a note and everything, she took it everywhere with her' Wybie continued…

'Her parents went missing one day, and I came over to ask for the doll back… Grandma said it was her sisters, but that didn't make sense, the doll looked just like Coraline'… 'Stupidly I went to her house to ask for the doll back, she showed me this little door and said that it led to another world where everything is better only it's all a trap… she told me she had seen my grandma's twin sister, who also went missing from the pink palace' … 'I told her she was crazy… She threw a shoe at me'

'Bella this is a pretty long story… Are you sure you want to hear?' Wybie asked.

'Yes, please, continue' Bella said simply, questions still dancing about in her mind.

'Well… Uhm, where was I' … Wybie thought 'Oh… Coraline got her parents back… She told me everything' … 'Oh, where do I begin' Wybie was having trouble…

'Wybie, tell me what Coraline told you… What exactly was behind the little door?' Bella decided to give him some help.

'Coraline visited the two old ladies who used to live down stairs… Now the Bigson family lives there, but they used to be the two old ladies… Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, I didn't know them, but Coraline told me all about them' … ' She told me they read her tea leaves and said she was in terrible danger' …

'Coraline found this little door one day, she asked her mum to open it and she said no… Eventually she did, she found a huge, black, rusty key with a button on the end and it fit'… 'The door opened, but it was just bricks, Coraline was disappointed'

… 'She told me about a dream she had, the night she discovered the door… She said there were all these mice, chanting songs and stuff to her… And then she was awakened by a little mouse…' … ' She followed the little mouse, it went into the drawing room and through the door… This time when Coraline opened it, it wasn't bricked up… It was a huge long tunnel'

… 'The crazy man who lives upstairs, the man with the mice circus, … He's lived in the pink palace for a long time, he lived there back when Coraline did' … 'Coraline told me this, she said the day after she had the dream, warned her, not to go through the little door. Coraline said 'but it's all… Bricked up' …

Wybie told Bella about all the times Coraline had gone through the little door, he told her about the talking Cat who only talks to some people, Cora… He told her about the other mother or, the Beldam… He told her about the game they played, just as Coraline had told him…

Then he told her about the well… 'Coraline and I wrapped up the hand, placed a rock on top of it and tied it up using the key, we threw it into the well' … 'Coraline thought it was over, she had finally gotten back to normal, but one day…'

'One day the hand reformed, the other mother had finally gained the strength, she ripped through the fabric, retrieved the key, scampered up the wall and back to Coraline house… She opened the little door and presented herself with the key' … 'Coraline and I were so stupid'

'I'm not sure what happened to Coraline next, Cora only told me she was taken by the Beldam again… Like I told you, Cora can go to the other world when he likes, he doesn't need to use the little door… He's been going there for a long time, he's magical and the Beldam hates him!'

'I think the Beldam got out, into the real Pink Palace… I think she stole Coraline in her sleep and against her will sowed the buttons into her eyes… I think Coraline is in the other world… Behind the mirror'

Bella found it hard to take in all the information, what she had heard was impossible… Yet she knew it was true, she was scared… Knowing there was another world behind that little door in her house, a little door which she hadn't even noticed.

It was too much…

'Coraline, Coraline is… trapped!' … 'Wybie, this is impossible, it's crazy, it's scary Wybie' Bella spoke hurriedly, she was panicked.

She had to go home and see the little door for herself…

Bella ran, she ran from Wybie without saying another word, she left him there in the forest and she ran… She ran home, she ran to the little door hoping it wasn't there.

'What are you planning on doing, Bella Morris Vine?' The familiar voice stopped her in her tracks; she turned around to find Cora, licking his paws behind her.

'Leave me alone Cora, you're trouble, that's what you are'

'I know more than you'll ever know… What Wybie told you is what Wybie knows, I know more'

'What would you know, stupid Cat?'

'I know what she wants… The Beldam'

'And what is that?' screamed Bella.

'Someone to love'

Bella turned… She left the cat in the woods and ran angrily to the little door, in the drawing room.