A/N: Three chapters already and it's only 4:53 PM! Now here's the one that I've been waiting for, since...yesterday? Wow, I'm getting this done faster than I thought... R&R please!
Oh and I keep forgetting Disclaimers, ugh! I'm not used to this!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Coraline or any Coraline characters, I only own Austin.
There!I remembered.
Chapter 5
Austin shuffled down the stairs and stepped into the parlor, once again his curiosity had led him here. He thought he heard the humming from behind the little wallpaper door. He kneeled down next to the door and swung it open, he expected bricks but instead found a blue and purple tunnel.
Maybe this place isn't so bad, he thought.
He crawled through the cushion-like tunnel and crawled through the other side. He found himself back in the parlor, but something caught his attention. It was the familiar humming he'd been hearing. He heard it coming from the kitchen.
Don't go Austin! Get back into the tunnel, it might be dangerous! his conscience told him.
What's the harm? Go check it out! his curiosity told him.
As usual, his curiosity was his guide. He stepped into the kitchen the see Mrs. Jones standing at the stove, her back toward him.
"M-Mrs. Jones, is everything o-okay?" Austin stammered nervously, inside he was really shy, but he didn't like to show it.
Mrs. Jones turned around, "Everything is just fine, Austin dear."
She looked like how she should have been, same hair, same white sweater, the only difference was her eyes. He didn't even think those things counted as eyes, because in their place were two charcoal black buttons.
A shiver ran down his back at the sight o them, "Y-you're not my legal guardian, the last time I checked Mrs. Jones didn't have-" Austin gulped "-b-b-bu-"
"B-b-b-buttons?" she button eyed woman finished, "I'm your Other Mother sweetheart."
Austin didn't like the sound of that, "Mrs. Jones isn't my mother, w-which means you're not my mother e-either, my mother is-" He stopped himself.
"But, I am Coraline's Other Mother, and you can call me that if you like." She said Coraline as if the word was a bad taste in her mouth, "But you don't have to, if that is what you wish." Her tone sounded genuinely hurt, not like the fake hurt Austin had heard before, the Other Mother didn't seem so bad.
"Oh, okay." Was all Austin could say.
The Other Mother gained her sweet tone when she said, "You seem hungry, would you like something to eat?"
Austin realized they'd skipped out on dinner, Mrs. Jones was pretty busy in Mr. Jones' study the whole day, and Coraline had avoided him. He nodded.
The Other Mother looked pleased with this, she led him into the dining room, she told him to take a seat anywhere. He chose a seat at the bottom of the table, the Other Mother sat at the head.
The spread in front of him was extravagant, there was a baked chicken, mashed potatoes, everything that Austin had missed out on Thanksgiving.
"Go, eat, enjoy," Other Mother mused.
Austin didn't need to be told twice, he took a leg of chicken, four big scoops of mashed potatoes, and a baked roll.
"Would you like any gravy?" Other Mother asked motioning to the small locomotive circling the table.
"No thank you," Austin politely declined. He didn't know what had gotten into him, he was behaving perfectly; just for the Other Mother.
He continued to eat until his plate was empty, but he didn't feel like eating anymore. All he wanted to do was go to sleep.
"I'm kinda tired, I guess I'll be-"
The Other Mother rose form her seat and walked over to him, "Yes, I suppose you do need your sleep. I'll lead you to your room and you can get some rest. come along now."
She led Austin up the staircase and into what used to be the guest room, now it looked like the room he'd always wanted. The walls were painted azure blue, with a white bookcase filled with his comic book collection, his coin collection, and his books of world records. His bed was an army green rope hammock suspending from one wall to the other, a giant origami dragon hung across the room by the ceiling, it's wings extended, covering the entire ceiling with it's wingspan. You could se it's scales and everything. Finally a desk was next to his hammock, with a picture of his best friend and him in front of the orphanage back in Boston.
That was why Gunner was so lucky to be in New York, not because it was the 'greatest city in the world', but because it was closer to home.
Austin lied down on the bed, now he was sad, he didn't even protest when the Other Mother kissed him good night.
He closed his eyes, and had one thought before he drifted off, I just want to go home.
A/N: Longest chapter so far! 959 words! But it's still pretty short compared to my original story chapters...*sigh* R&R please!
Dasvidanya!