Chapter 6: The Curse
Coraline gets shivers as she couldn't believe what she saw.
"How?", Coraline says. "How is this possible? This whole time you were some shape-shifting old man?"
"My history goes way far back than you may think Coraline", said Charlie the black cat. "When you defeated the Beldam, you broke my curse."
"Curse?", replied Coraline.
"Yes. I was cursed by the Beldam when I was just a little boy in my village", the black cat says. "My parents were sorcerers and followed their magical practices which made us the odd one of our village. The Beldam lived a little far off from our village, but her origins are unknown. One night, she saw me and a group of young children playing in the valley fields. It was me she was able to lure with the glowing flies that were coming from the woods. When I saw her, she appeared as a young child just like me asking if I could be her friend; it was like she knew I was alone that night. I ended up walking in the woods that night with her not knowing that she was leading me in a trap. When we walked far off enough, she grew exceeding big and large as her true form and tried to eat me, but I was no regular child that was vulnerable to be eaten; my mother and father used a protection spell as they sensed some form of evil entity lurking around the region we lived upon. Once the beldam realized this, she cursed me to the thing she despised: a cat."
Coraline looks at the black cat from a different perspective. She started to feel bad for him as he did lose his childhood.
"What happened next?", replied Coraline.
"From there, nothing stayed the same. I tried to go to my family, they shewed me away as I watched them go searching for me everywhere", Charlie the black cat replied. "Suddenly, other children began missing with no trace. I was hopeless as I couldn't speak to tell them I was cursed. Eventually, my family moved away to a place where I couldn't find them. Ever since then, I've tried to take down the Beldam with the help of every child that has walked in the other world; sometimes I had great hope, while other times I couldn't do anything but watch them be taken away. Until you came Coraline, you have freed me of the curse I was in for centuries. Because you broke my curse, I was able to take the powers of the Beldam myself and use it for good; however, I am still trying to earn how to use my own born gifts."
"So that's why you were helping me… right?", Coraline replied.
"Not for a personal gain, but to see her gone for good as she has taken my home and life away from me", replied Charlie.
"What should I call you then?", said Coraline.
"Well, you already picked out a name for me; it's Charlie.", replied the black cat.
"Yes, but I feel like your true name is more fitting; besides, my dad's name is Charlie so it would probably be best if- ", Coraline stops speaking as the other villagers stare unnaturally at Coraline and Cheyenne; they stay to look disoriented and unfriendly as they used to look. For the creatures are not of a good essence and are spirits that are workers of mischievous and evil acts.
"You should leave now Coraline", replied the black cat. "For this place is no fairytale despite the death of the old witch."
The black cat ends up running away as the other world's creatures try to harm those not from the other world. Coraline and Cheyenne head over to the well as it begins to glow from the powers of Charlie. They jump in the well and swim downwards until they began falling so deep to the point where they reach the real world.
Coraline falls and viscously hits herself on the lid of the real world, yet no scratched or pain is insight. Cheyenne comes falling which was able to push the lid out of place. From there, they both climb out of well feeling disoriented and aroused as to what they have witnessed.
The morning sun peaks at the east of the pink palace's apartment. Time has passed by so quickly as it seemed.
"We were only there for about 5 minutes", Coraline says.
Cheyenne starts to look gloomy and tired as if she feels drained after a wild party.
"Well… it's over now.", Cheyenne says with a desolate countenance on her face. We have to go to school again."
"Or we can just say that we're not feeling well and stay home and fall out", Coraline comments.
"Maybe you can do that… But I don't have options or excuses like you do Coraline", Cheyenne says in a depressing tone.
Cheyenne leaves Coraline by herself and heads home before her parents could wake up. Coraline doesn't know how she feels about Cheyenne fully but understands how she may feel about the otherworld. For Coraline was once in Cheyenne's shoes before. Coraline heads home with a little guilt as she feels compassion and confused as to what she can do. Suddenly, a buzzing noise from above comes towards Coraline: a bat drone.
Coraline looks at the bat drone with a stern face as she knows that it's Wybie who's flying it. As annoying as she is, she plays it off a bit.
"Hi there, stalker!", Coraline says with impudence. "Literally, it's so early in the morning! What time do you even wake up?"
The bat drone doesn't' say anything. From afar Wybie comes with his screen projector and controller excited as can be.
"You like it!", he shouts, "I was able to make another one!"
"Seems cool!", Coraline replies with no interest.
"We can do the mission now… our protocol", Wybie says with excitement.
Coraline looks a bit puzzled as to what he is talking about.
"Remember", Wybie says then looks left and right to see if anyone is looking. "The magical well", he whispers.
"Oh... about that.", said Coraline.
"Please don't tell me you— ", Wybie says coming with a realization.
Wybie looks at Coraline as she stands there with her messy hair and how she was wearing her pajamas with her yellow coat.
"…. yeah, maybe I had a crazy night that I will explain to you later", Coraline says.
Coraline proceeds inside her house door while Wybie stands there shocked and confused on how all of this was even able to go down without him knowing.
"Well then", Wybie says to himself. "I guess I'll just… be on my way."