A/N: Is the world ending? I just updated in less than two days. This story is going to go in a completely different direction than my last. I hope it won't get too confusing and strange.

Shorter, I know, but I felt like the next part of the story couldn't fit in this chapter.

I awoke the next morning feeling strange.

It wasn't the strange feeling you get after waking up from a dream or when you're in the state between reality and sleep. No, this was a feeling I had never experienced before. I couldn't seem to put it into words. My head felt light but my body ached as if I had been walking a long distance before I went to bed. Groaning, I cracked my limbs as I rolled over under the sheets.

14.

My eyes snapped open after I pulled the comforter over my head. It was my 14th birthday. Perhaps this was why I felt strange, for I had just turned a year older. No, that couldn't be it, my mind shot back at me. I usually felt normal and unchanged when I woke up on my birthday, as if I was the same age as the day before. This feeling was... eerie. It was no where near good.

Then I noticed something else. I couldn't smell my dad's birthday waffles he made every year. They weren't a bit good, and the smell was even worse than the taste. He always got up earlier than I did to prepare a couple for me before I woke up. Still, it was nice that he thought of me in that way. Wondering if why I couldn't smell anything was because I was under the covers, I threw them away from my body.

My heart slammed against my rib cage.

Trembling, I allowed my vision to become clearer than before. Once my fingers found my blue blanket, I pulled it up near my face, blinking rapidly. I was hoping that everything seemed more bright and... colorful just because I was used to the darkness of sleep, but my sight soon changed my mind completely.

I was definitely not in my regular bedroom.

First of all, my band posters had disappeared from the walls completely. My brain desperately hoped that my mother just got sick of them and decided to remove them from the walls while I was asleep. My hopes were destroyed when I processed that the walls were a bright pink. My walls were never pink. The only time they were ever that color was when--

"Oh hell no," I whispered aloud. The CDs and various books that usually lined my shelves were replaced by colorful, unbelievably familiar moving toys.

"Hey soldier!" I heard a voice say in a strange accent. My head snapped to the spot on the shelf where I heard the voice, and I realized it was a stuffed giraffe with an army tank for a body. My eyes grew wide, and I nearly fell off the bed.

"No... No. Oh my God, no!" This time I actually did fall off the bed, my arms a second too late to catch myself. I landed hardly on my backside, wincing as a sharp pain made its way up my back.

"Easy there, baby," I heard another voice say. I could recognize that voice anywhere. It was definitely that blue octopus toy that had a single button eye in the middle of its face. Refusing to look up at the toys, I put shaking fingers to my face.

"This can't be happening," I said louder this time. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Not yet. I was... We were..."

"Hello, Coraline! We haven't seen you in such a long time!" Hauntingly familiar dragonflies buzzed around near my face, flying around with excitement. "We're so glad that you have returned!"

With a strangled whimper, I backed up into my end table. Although I was wide awake at this point, I still could barely function. The alive objects that were surrounding me for the first time in three years was too much.

I pointed a shaking, accusing finger at the dragonflies. "Y-You can't be real! This is j-just a dream. I'm just n-nervous about what I'm going to do today and--"

I was interrupted by an all too familiar sugar coated voice.

"Lovely! You're awake," the voice said with far too fake enthusiasm. I felt a chilling hand make its way to my shoulder, where its unbelievable cold temperature traveled up my spine.

My whole body froze completely. My breath hitched in my throat, and I couldn't find my voice to even let out a terrified scream. My eyes darted to my shoulder where they met with a pale, bony hand. Each fingernail was painted neatly with a deep red color that sickeningly reminded me of blood.

All of the toys and objects in the room seemed to have stopped moving and disappeared completely. I was now alone with...

My mind refused to comprehend who was currently behind me. How did she even get there? Last time I checked, I was alone in a room with creepy, talking toys. Knowing the possible world I was now in, it could make anything happen.

"It was such a trouble to get you here," she mused thoughtfully. "It took most of my power that took me ages to regain to transfer you here!" Hearing the fake smile in her voice, she added, "It's just wonderful to see you again after you left me in that mess."

"Shut up," I whispered, my teeth beginning to clench. "Just shut up!" I yanked away from her grasp, my shoulder feeling the ghost of her touch that was once there. Pushing back a shiver, I allowed myself to get up and stare at the monster that had the nerve to capture me again.

I stumbled backwards when I saw her face. I knew who I was about to see, but it was still a shock to see the person I feared most after all those years. The Beldam, who haunted my mind and dreams, stared at me with a slight smirk playing on her picture perfect features. She was back in her original form when I came to the Other World for the first time. Her button eyes gleamed with amusement as my eyes remained glued on her face. As I stood beside her then, I realized that we were almost the same height.

I opened my mouth to shoot another insult in her direction, but words couldn't seem to escape from my throat. I merely stood there, dumbfounded by the entire situation.

The Beldam made a sound that was close to a giggle. "Unbelievable. Look how much you've grown, Coraline!" I tensed as she made her way over to me, but I didn't move. Her fingers found my hair, and if I wasn't so overwhelmed with fear, I would have slapped her across the face. "Still not bored with the color blue, I see. And those curves! I'd say you're going to become just as attractive as I am someday." If she didn't have buttons for eyes, I swear she would have winked then. I, personally, was already fed up.

"If you're done staring at my body," I spat, "I would like to know why you've brought me back to Hell."

Her signature smirk disappeared from her face. "Language, Coraline. I'd be really disappointed if you picked up a couple of words while you were gone. Are boys becoming a problem, too?"

I was not about to let her go there. "I would appreciate it if you stopped changing the subject."

The Beldam gave an impatient sigh, then removed herself from my hair. "If you really must know, then I will tell you. As you may recall, you beat me at my own game."

"Why do I find that hard to forget?" I asked, hoping my annoyed gaze would burn a hole in her face. I felt like punching her hard in the stomach, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. It was if the monster that stood before me was controlling my actions.

"Because of this, I lost all power. I couldn't make things or change the world around me, let alone move! If it didn't take as long for me to regain my strength, I would have had you return here ages ago. But, once my powers returned to my body, I got rid of that nasty old shell and returned to this." She pointed to herself as if she was the most attractive person alive.

"Wonderful story. Could you please get on to the main idea of why I'm here? Is it just because you want to sew buttons in my eyes again and eat my soul?"

The Beldam waved my comment off. "Goodness, no! You beat me, Coraline, therefore I don't have the right to do anything like that anymore. It's part of the code."

"The... what?"

"There are others like me, you know." She stared into space, a new smile forming at her lips. "If we are defeated by a child, which I might add, rarely occurs, then we must follow the code of our kind."

I suddenly felt colder than before, and I was suddenly interested in the full moon outside the bedroom window. "What does the code say?" I asked.

"The code says that we're no longer allowed to use the child for our needs. That means I can't use you for nutrients for my body, as I did to the others who once came here," she replied casually.

The Ghost Children. Their sorrowed faces soon came to mind, and I grimaced. At least they were in heaven now, most likely enjoying the wonders of being free. I wondered why The Beldam talked about eating children so casually, but then again, she wasn't even human.

"That doesn't make any sense!" I said loudly, suddenly angry again. "What, did you just bring me here for your own amusement? Or did you get lonely with a bunch of dolls for friends?"

The Beldam smirked once again. "Careful with your words. I'm still allowed to do what I want with you if you become difficult."

I settled into silence, not wanting to know what the spider witch had in mind.

"There is more to the code than just what I said. It's something our kind has practiced since the beginning of time."

I could tell this wasn't going to be pretty. "And that is?"

"Since you've beaten my game, the code states that you must become like me."

A sickening feeling traveled down to my stomach. My eyes wide, I hoped that I heard her words wrong. The code states that you must become like me. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe and I struggled to keep my balance as I was at a loss for words. "Which means?" I barely whispered.

"In order for you to not get buttons sewn into your eyes and die eventually, you must learn the ways of our kind. This means that you'll learn how to manipulate this world and create whatever your heart desires." I could tell that she was enjoying my reaction, for her twisted version of a smile had grown.

My mouth soon became dry and an overwhelming headache found its way to my forehead. I clutched at the area above my eyebrows, settling myself on the bed that was definitely not mine. "No. No way in hell am I becoming a... a... spider monster like you!" I almost screamed.

The Beldam frowned. "The consequences are as I just stated. You will die here, and you'll possibly never see your friend again."

"Friend?"

She had my full attention now. "You know, the quiet one that likes to cause trouble."

My heart ached. Someone I hadn't thought about for quite a long while entered my mind. The image of Other Wybie, sad smile and all was the only thing I could think about. He was still alive? And I could see him?

"Other Wybie," I stated. "Where is he?" My voice was suddenly desperate. I longed to see the tragic version of my talkative friend that once helped me in my time of need. The thought of him being alive and possibly well was enough to clear my thoughts of everything else.

"I'll allow you to see him once you agree to what I have told you," The Beldam replied. I felt ashamed after how I reacted to her words, for she now was staring at me with more disgusting amusement than before.

I sat motionless on the bed, my mind whirling.

"There's always room for more of us, Coraline. We're slowly dying out. None of us have been created since an unbelievable amount of time. Houses like this one are gradually being destroyed. A child hasn't defeated one of us in over a thousand years."

My hands were shaking again. "I... I can't kill innocent children. I-It's... inhuman."

"You have no other choice but to learn. You're the perfect person to become like one of us. You have enough knowledge of this world as it is, and I can tell you'll posses great power. Perhaps such power that even surpasses my own," she told me.

"Will I be able to see my family again? Do you swear that you'll let me see Other Wybie, and not sew buttons in my eyes or possibly kill me?" This was all I cared about at this point.

"If you listen and cooperate, then yes. I will allow this."

This was not what I expected. I expected to just be lured back here to be tortured and killed, not to become like the Beldam! I had no desire to be like... whatever she was. When my brain remembered the consequences of me not following this new code, I knew I had no other choice.

"When do we start?" I asked wearily.

The Beldam's Cheshire Cat grin returned. "As soon as possible. We must prepare before the others return to see your progress."

My head whipped up to look at her. "Others?"

"Oh yes. They will definitely come to see you." The Beldam paused for a moment, staring into space. It looked as though she was staring into space anyway. "Have you ever heard of the poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci?"

I stared at her blankly. "Poem?" I glanced out the window and saw something flash by it that strongly resembled Cat.

"It's more of a ballad, but..." Something flashed before her button eyes, and then her normal, creepy expression returned. "Never mind then, Coraline. We best get started."