A/N: Wow, that last chapter really gave me ideas for this one(: R&R please
Oh, by the way the dream sequence is in Austin's point of view.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Coraline.

Almost forgot again...

Chapter 10

Austin dreamed of a day he hadn't thought of in a while.

It was August 9, a day before I'd turned seven. It was just like any afternoon my mother-no, she wasn't my mother, that woman had just come home, a strange scent lingered on her breath. I'd later understood it was alcohol. There was a wild look in her eyes, she was in a bad mood. I'd learned that when she was this way, I should stay out of her way and be quiet. As soon as she slammed the door to her room I closed the door behind me, to that house, that woman, and that life.

Later that day I was walking, sipping absently on a soda a kind woman had offered me, I had refused at first, but her smile had gotten the best of me. I didn't like it very much, but I was beyond thirsty. I wasn't looking where I was going, but everyone was intentionally avoiding me anyway.

I gingerly touched the sore spot on my left cheek, it was now a big purple blotch. It was a reminder of the night before, when I'd gotten in that woman's way and I paid for it. I had the metallic taste of blood in my mouth all night.

I felt someone stare and turned around, I saw a flash of golden hair disappear behind a street vendor's cart. I kept walking, after a few steps I stopped and something ran into me. I turned and saw a girl with long straight honey hair and clear blue eyes standing up.

"Why are you following me?" I demanded, "Just leave me alone."

"Why are you alone?" she asked as I started to leave.

"None of your business," I said not facing her. I'd turned into a regular sourpuss over the years.

"What happened to your face? Where's your mom?" she asked following me, a certain innocent sweetness in her voice that made me sick.

"My mom gave me it as an early birthday present," I said darkly.

You seemed to understand. "When's your birthday?" you continued.

"August ten," I answered, when I suddenly realized I'd answered you without a scowl or rude remark.

"What' your name?" you asked, "My name's Daylie."

That's when I realized, I couldn't remember. That woman never called me by my name anymore, and the concussions she'd given me over the years had only added to that. I was home-schooled by an elderly woman who lived a few blocks down from me, but she always called me every other name but my own. Only confusing me more.

So I answered the only name I would like to go by, my dad's. "Austin Bay Trent, that's my name."

. . .

Austin woke up the next morning feeling sick to his stomach, he looked at the clock; it was a little after lunch. He dragged himself out of bed and got dressed and headed down stairs. He found a note on the fridge that said:

Twerp,

Out with Wybie and Mrs. Lovat, be back later.

Coraline, NOT Caroline.

What is with this family and notes? Austin thought, Why not just tell me?

He wandered around the house, he needed to clear his head. He'd just convinced himself that last night was just a dream, that there was no Other Daylie, and there was no-

We are small but we are many,
We are many but we are small-

Austin stopped in surprise, it was her voice, Daylie's voice.

A/N: Bad ending, I know. But I needed to sneak in something from Austin's past, then get him to go back to the Other World in the Other World in the next chapter; and I didn't want him to wake up at the beginning of th next chapter. So you'll just have to deal with it. Haha, R&R please.