"The second is in your reflection of tastes." Coraline whispered as the pair crept slowly through the hall. "That has to be the kitchen!"

"No shit." Wybie muttered under his breath. As far as he was concerned, he just wanted to go home. Why couldn't they just go back through the door? Wybie was about to turn on his heels and grab Coraline's arm when he realized that the Other Mother must be waiting in there for them. "Damn." He swore again.

Coraline whipped around, covering Wybie's mouth with her hands. "Shut up!" She hissed, pointing to the kitchen door. A low moan echoed through the house. Wybie and Coraline crept up to the door and pushed it open slowly. Sitting there, in a deep sleep, was an enormous rat. It was the most disgusting rat Wybie had ever seen. Its fur was a sickly green-yellow, while its claws were as black as night. It wore a red collar with a tag on it. As it slept, it clung to a huge wheel of cheese.

Wybie looked at Coraline. "So where is it?" He mouthed to her. Coraline fumbled inside his coat pocket, pulling out a small triangular stone. She put it up to her eye, surveying the monster and his surroundings. She pointed to the huge wheel of cheese. "In the wheel." She mouthed back.

Wybie gripped his hammer even tighter. "Grab it when I run" He mouthed, making a running movement with his hands. Coraline stiffened, but she nodded. She trusted Wybie.

The boy went through the door, watching the rat as he tip-toed closer. When he reached the slumbering beast, he brought down the hammer with a mighty SPLAT! The rat instantly woke up, his blood red eyes glaring at Wybie. Wybie turned without a scream and ran out of the house, leaving behind his bag. The rat abandoned the cheese wheel and ran after the boy, his head spurting blood. Coraline sprinted up to the wheel and stuck her hand in, wrenching out a small rubber ball. She put it in her pocket, grabbed the bag, and ran out after the rat.

Wybie panted as he ran like hell from the monster. It screeched behind him in agony and rage. He rounded a tree and ran back towards the house, the rat on his heels. Hopefully Coraline and him would be able to lock it out. Suddenly, as irony had it, he tripped on a tree branch. Almost instantly the rat was upon him, his breath stinking of flesh.

"WYBIE!" Coraline screamed, pulling out the boomerang and throwing it. It struck the rat directly on its wound, making it howl in pain. Wybie scrambled up and made it into the house, locking the door behind him and Coraline. The rat screamed and fell down in the yard, obviously dead.

The two children looked at each other for a moment before Coraline reached up and wrapped her hands around Wybie's waist, squeezing. "I thought you were going to die." She whispered, squeezing him even tighter. Tears escaped her eyes as Wybie hugged her back. "I'm not going anywhere, don't you worry." He said seriously. He pushed her away after a while. "Did you get it?" Coraline nodded, holding out the rubber ball.

"Alright," Wybie sighed in relief "Let's finish this. What was her last clue?"

"The final soul is a piece of a pillow that has broken from the nest." Coraline said. "But I have no idea what that means."

"Neither do I." He said, putting the rubber ball away in his coat pocket. "But we'd better think of it soon."

"Yes." Coraline agreed. Suddenly, someone from behind her put a bag over her head.