Hi guys, I've decided on a new system for the summer, untill school restarts in September I'll put up as new chapter of 'Coraline' followed by a new chapter of...smething else. Now you may be asking, why 'Coraline'? ...because it's the easiest to do and because I want to get it over with already. This month's other chapter will be for 'Honor Council' so if you've been waiting for a new chapter of 'Valentine's Day Spell'...stop. At this rate I'll be finished with it when I get my PhD and who knows if I'll still be writing these by then.
Well maybe if you weren't making those anime reviews...
They're fun to make, and anime is something I love.
Don: Or if you didn't keep watching Linkara's Power Rangers analasis videos, we won't have this problem.
Hey, those Power Ranger videos were worth every second!
Raph: Disclaimer: She owns nothing.
Coraline, Sarena Style
Chapter 7
The basement was dark, but had a warmness to it that prevented her from her fear. As she passed through thick red curtains, a flashlight shined in her face. Squinting her eyes, she saw one of Miss. Spink and Forcible's dogs with buttons eyes. It circled her, sniffing, and led her down the ailes, all of which were filled with buttoned eyed dogs, to an empty seat in the front next to the Other Wybie before scampering off.
"Hey Wybie," she whispered as she sat down. The music began playing and the curtain went up. Among the things on stage, the Other Miss. Spink came out of a fish, making her look like a mermaid. She began to sing.
I'm known as the siren of all seven seas
The breaker of hearts by the bay
So if you go swimming with bowlegged women
I might steal your weak heart away
The scene changed from the sea to the shore as she and Other Wybie clapped. The Other Miss. Forcible popped out of a shell wearing…something she was sure Kimra would want to dress Sarena in in front of Leo. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, suddenly getting a flashback of a certain Halloween when Kimra put her in an incredibly provocative witch costume while Leo was sharing her body.
A big-bottomed sea witch may bob through the waves
And hope to lead sailors astray
But a true ocean goddess must fill out her bodice
To present an alluring display
They clapped again. The two women began switching scenes quickly as they began to fight.
Beware of old oysters too large in the chest
Let's banish them from the buffet
I'm far more nutritious
You smell like the fishes
Did I hear a banshee?
You're sea green with envy
The mermaid enchantress
No, I, Birth of Venus
Will send sailors swooning…
The set began to fall apart as the both sang. The Other Forcible finished.
…All day.
The set collapsed as the curtains closed. Other Wybie gave a shrug as if to say "oh well". A dog then pushed a bucket of water on to the stage. The spotlights rose above the stage to the Other Spink and Forcible on two diving bored. Other Miss. Forcible's wig was gone.
"I can't look," she said covering her eyes. Other Wybie patted her shoulder to get her to look.
"Ready to break a leg, Miriam?"
"Our lives for the theater, Apirl?" The two began to jump and on the second jump, they unzipped themselves to reveal two young beautiful women, identical to the ones in all the posters in the real Spink and Forcible's home. The two grabbed trapezes above them and began to perform a routine while reciting from, if Sarena remembered correctly, Shakespeare's Hamlet.
What a piece of work is man!
How noble in reason!
How infinite in faculty
In form, in moving how express and admirable!
In action like an angel
In apprehension how like a god!
It was then that they swooped down and pulled Sarena with them.
The beauty of the world!
Sarena laughed as she was tossed between them. It felt like she had her old abilities back, flipping around the rooftops or with the gymnastics club, or even when she did a performance similar to this with Peej for the school talent show some years before.
The paragon of animals!
A dog licked her nose as the pasted a balcony seat. She somehow ended up on the metal structure holding the trapeze as the Other Spink and Forcible dived into the barrel of water. Her grip slipped and she began to fall as the two came back out. Other Spink caught her with one hand with her balancing on it. Wybie clapped and threw her a rose which she caught. For a moment, she felt like her old self and she was back home, winning the National Martial Arts tournament again.
She and Wybie climbed the stairs out of the basement where Other Mother and Father were waiting at the top.
"Hey there."
"Was it wonderful, dear?" Other Mother asked.
"Oh, yeah. They swooped down and pulled me right out of my seat," Sarena answered, genuinely excited. She didn't notice the sad face on Wybie as he followed the Other Mother and Father to the porch. "Spink and Forcible, only they weren't old ladies. That was just a disguise. But then, I was flying through the air, and it was…"
'like déjà vu'
"…It was magic."
"You do like it here, don't you, Sarenaty?" Other Mother asked.
"Uh-huh," she answered. It was true, this place was like heaven. It made her feel so much better than she had recently. Other Mother led her into the house. "Good night, Wybie," she called to her friend. As she went inside, she didn't see Other Mother try to get Other Wybie to smile as she closed the door.
"You could stay here forever if you want to," Other Mother told her. She ignored the jolt she got as Other Mother touched her shoulders.
"Really?"
"Sure," answered Other Father. "We'll sing and play games, and Mother will cook your favorite meals." They led her to the dining room.
"There's one tiny little thing we need to do," said Other Mother pulling out a chair for her.
"What's that?" she asked sitting down. Other Father pushed in her chair.
"Well, it's a surprise." He sat down as Other Mother handed her a present.
"For you, our little doll," she said. Sarena opened it. Inside were two black buttons, a spool of black thread, and a needle. The good feeling inside of her began to dim again. "Black is traditional. But if you'd prefer pink or vermillion or chartreuse, though you might make me jealous." She tapped her newer button eye. Sarena was now deathly afraid. She knew what all those jolts were now. It was like when she was trapped in her dream, she was cut off from her brothers, but they were still connected to her. They had been sending powerful warnings to her, warnings that, under normal circumstances, would've ended with Leo taking over her body.
"No way!" she pushed the box away. "You're not sewing buttons in my eyes!" Other Mother caught it.
"Oh, but we need a "yes" if you want to stay here," she said pushing the box back towards her. Other Father picked up the needle and tapped the tip.
"So sharp you won't feel a th…" Other Mother kicked him under the table to shut him up. "Ow!" She picked up the box.
"There, now. It's your decision, darling. We only want what's best for you." She held the box in front of the frightened girl. Sarena got out of her chair.
"I'm going to bed. Right now!" They looked at her confused.
"Bed?"
"Before dinner?"
"I'm really, really tired. Yeah." She faked a yawn. "I just need to sleep on things." She walked towards the doorway.
"Well, of course you do darling. I'll be happy to tuck you in," Other Mother said as she put down the box. Sarena turned to her as backed towards the stairs.
'Oh, no, thanks," she replied. 'You've done so much already." As she turned to the stairs, Other Mother was already in front of her.
"You're welcome. And I…" she paused and grabbed Other Father. 'We aren't worried at all, darling. Soon you'll see things our way." She gently brushed the girl's nose who flinched as the jolt returned. They moved to allow her to go upstairs. She smiled uneasily at them as she climbed up the stairs and when she got to the second landing, she dashed up the last flight of stairs to her room. As she closed the door, the swan origami flew up to her.
"What's wrong Sarena? Don't you want to play?" She started to gather up them and all the toys into the chest at the end of her bed, grateful that the furniture didn't move too.
"Hey!" She looked over toward her friends' picture. They had button eyes now.
"Where's your buttons, Princess?"
"You want to stay, don't you?" She slammed the trunk lid.
"I'm going home tonight, girls, and I won't be back." She piled all the furniture, besides the bed, in front of the door to keep the…whoever they were out. She didn't even remember why she had come to this world. All she wanted to do was see April and Casey again. If she was going to go home, she'd do it in her own clothes. She took off the clothes Other Mother made, and put back on her uniform. Pulling the covers over her head, she placed her bag under her and keep her dagger out. She wouldn't accidently stab herself with it, she could still manage that much, and it helped her feel better to know it was there.
'Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep.' She chanted in her head. The Other family's words rang through her head as she finally fell asleep.
Sarena!
Leo!
She remembered now, that was why she came to this world, to find her family. Leo's voice was louder now.
Leo?
Something was weird, she was in her mermaid form, something she hadn't done since before her family disappeared. She could see Leo floating in front of her, he was unconscious.
"Leo!" she cried. She swam towards him, but just before she could reach him something grabbed her arm. She turned around, it was the Other Mother, but she looked nothing like April now or anything human for that matter. She looked more like a giant spider.
"You know I love you," it said. She struggled against her, all the while reaching out for Leo as he began to drift farther and farther from her.
"Leo!" Suddenly, Other Mother's grip on her left as a bright blue light blocked her vision. Something else gripped her hand, a three fingered something.
"Gomenazai, Koi. Aishiteru." It was Leo.
"Leo! Please, don't leave me! Leo!"
Okay, look forward to the next chapter of 'Honor Council' sometime before the end of the month. I'll be leaving in the middle of August to go to a beach house, so I'll try to get both chapters for August up before then.
Leo: You could do this faster if you stop watching so much.
SHUT UP! WHAT ARE YOU? MY PARENTS!
Mikey: Read and Review
All: Later!
...Now get out before I shoot you.
All, but Aneras: leaves
