Chapter 13: Hide and go Shriek - Part 4

The door slowly creeks open as Wybie gives it a firm push. He observes the area, seeing himself in the basement again. Only this time, it wasn't the basement, not the real one. Just like the upstairs, the place was dim-lilted and only black and green lights surrounded the area. Creped out, Wybie rushes to the upper level of the house, finding himself in the living room.

The furniture was all bug-themed and was moving. Wybie was about to turn back when he sudden hears a muffle. "Help! Somebody help me! Get me out of here!"

Wybie gasps, getting the feeling that Norman was here in the area. Quickly, he follows the sound of the voice, and soon finds it coming near the door in the kitchen, leading outside. Cautious, Wybie makes his way over towards the door, but before he could grab the handle, the door burst open, followed by a strong force of wind. Wybie flies backwards and crashes against the wall.

The wall begins to hold Wybie in place; his arms and legs getting pulled into the wall. As Wybie struggles a figure enters the room. Not bothering who's coming towards him, Wybie continues to struggle free, only to find a hand made up of needles caressing his cheek. Wybie froze, unable to speak. Slowly opening his eyes, he gasps at the sight in front of him. The Beldam.

The Beldam smirked. "Hello Wybie,"

"Y-You!" Wybie exclaims fearfully. "You're the...the..."

"The Beldam?" She finishes, followed by a wicked laugh. "Why, my dear Wybie, so you do remember me. I guess you remember smashing my hand quite well?"

Wybie laughed nervously. "I could I forget?"

"HOW CAN YOU FORGET?!" The Beldam roars with anger in Wybie's face. "For one whole year, I've been stuck here, with NOTHING! But now that I've got you and Norman here, Coraline shall fight even more ferociously in able to save you both."

She grasps Wybie, forcefully ripping him away from the wall. Wybie screams. The Beldam laughs as Wybie attempts to break free from her grasps. Wybie then kicks the Beldam hard in the chest, causing her to let him go; screaming in pain. Wybie looks around the kitchen, seeking an exit. Finally, he spots the back door in the kitchen, and makes a run for it.

Wybie then runs out the door, jumps the fence, and sprints away as fast as he could. The Beldam makes her way over towards the open door, and snarls as she watches him get away. However, she grins, yelling, "YOU'VE GOT NOWHERE TO RUN, WYBIE! YOU'LL DIE OUT THERE, JUST LIKE CORALINE!"

Wybie sounds out her wicked laughter as he continues to run away. "I have to find Coraline!" He says to himself.

Coraline lead Cat, Aggie, Neil, and Courtney to the library, where they were for certain that Salma was there. Walking up to the door, Coraline attempts to open it, but with no progress. She sighs with frustration and turns around.

"Aggie..." She says, motioning to the door.

"On it," The ghost says, phasing through the door.

Once the door was open, the group runs inside. Inside the library, it was dark...very dark.

"Ohhh," Groaned Courtney, scared. "I don't like the dark! I don't like creepy, abandoned places! I don't-"

"Shut it!" Coraline hisses over her shoulder, continuing on. "I'm not a big fan of going through here, either, but if it's the only way to get to Norman, then I'm willing to go through this."

Neil looks around the library as they go further into it, asking, "So where would Salma be?"

"The basement?" Aggie suggested.

Courtney's eyes widen with fear; she yells, "No, no, no, no, NO! Defiantly NOT! What's even worse that creepy, abandoned places with supernatural beings is creepy, abandoned places with supernatural beings with basements! I'm not going down there, you can't make me!"

Coraline rolls her eyes and opens the door leading to the basement. Taking out her flashlight, she begins walking down the stairs. "Okay, fine, then you can just stay up there, on look out."

Courtney groans with fear as she just stands there, looking around the dark library. Suddenly, she hears something, which knocks over a bunch of books out into the distant. She screams and runs down to the basement. "WAIT FOR ME!" She bellows.

As they walk further and further down into the basement, it got stranger. The lights began to flicker, the walls and floors became more damper, and the sound of hollow was in the air, which spooked the group. Coraline made a left turn, everyone behind her. She then made a right turn, with everyone behind her. Finally, they find a door at the end of a long hallway. Gulping, Coraline takes a few steps forward, squinting her eyes, which were fixed on the door only.

"What's in there?" Neil whispers.

"I don't know..." Coraline whispers back.

Cat sprints over towards the door, and places his ears against it. He then meows, which receives a gasps coming from the inside of the door. "Who's there?!" A voice asked demandingly.

"It's Salma!" Neil exclaimed, recognizing the voice.

Coraline looks through the bared opening of the door, and shines her flashlight inside. Neil was right; Salma was sitting on a prison-like bed, back against the wall, and crossing her arms. The brained girl squints her eyes and fixes her glasses, asking, "C-Coraline? Is that you?"

"Yes, it is." Coraline says. "Don't worry, the others are with me. We're here to bust you out; the Beldam has given me a limited time to find you all, so we can't delay."

"But what about the key?" Courtney asks. "We still need a key, right?"

"Damn-it!" Coraline cursed. "I forgot about that!"

"A key?" Salma wonders. "What key?"

Coraline sighs and looks back into the cell. "There's a key that we need to fine, which will open Norman's bedroom. I suspect that's where he is now- trapped in one of the Beldam's nasty containments."

Salma nods. "Well, get me out of here! But be quiet!"

Courtney furrows her brow with concern. "Why?"

Somewhere in the basement, there was a rumble- a growl of some sorts. Everyone gasps quietly, their hearts beating quickly. Coraline looks up at Courtney, and asks, "Please tell me you have something to help pick this lock?"

Courtney shakes her head. "No, I don't, sorry."

"The creature has the key..." Salma whispers. "It's wrapped around it's neck."

Courtney gulps, "Is it going to, like, kill us or something?!"

"It's blind," Salma explains. "But it goes by sound- be quiet, sneak up on it, kill it, and you've got the key."

Coraline furrows her brow, asking, "How do you know this?"

"I woke up in here, with that monster standing in front of me, with the Beldam by it's side. Apparently, that monster has a skeleton key, which can open any door."

Coraline gasps silently. "That's it!" She whispers. "That key will get us into Norman's bedroom!"

"But be quiet!" Salma instructs.

"I will," Coraline says, turning to look back at everyone. "Cat and Aggie, you guy come with me. Courtney and Neil, just stay here and keep an eye out for Salma and this area."

Courtney and Neil nods nervously, watching as Coraline walks away silently, searching for the beast.

Coraline walks around the corner at the end of the hallway, and nearly screams, which she covered her mouth, and had her back against the stoned walls. The beast was right down that hallway, walking down the hallway on the other side. The creature looked like some sort of deformed giant lizard, only without a tail. It was tall, stood like a man, but walked on all fours. It's claws were long and sharp. It's head was bald, it's ears were pointed, it's nose made him look like Voldemort, it's teeth was sharp as needles, and it had some loos strings hanging where it's eyes would be, obviously meaning it's buttoned eyes were taken away. Around it's neck, a silver key with a skull handle was wrapped around a rope, which was dangling from it' skinny, pale as a ghost neck.

"That thing is so hideously ugly!" Aggie faintly gasps.

Coraline nods, looking around the corner, seeing the creature's back on them, walking on all fours down the hall. She takes a silent, deep breath, and walks around the corner, following it steadily. Aggie floats over next to Coraline's ear, whispering, "How are we going to kill it?"

"Obviously, it's a doll, because it use to have button eyes," Coraline whispers back to her. "So, we'll just stab the beast, grab the key, save Salma, and get out."

"What will you use to stab it?" Aggie asks.

Coraline looked around in her bag, and pulled out a long, sharp kitchen knife. Aggie awed at her, and continued to follow the beast. The beast made a right turn, and Coraline had a back against the wall, with her knife at hand. She counted to three in her head before leaping around the corner, with her knife high in the air, ready to kill it. However, the beast wasn't there. The blue haired girl looks at Aggie and Cat, shrugging.

Suddenly, a growl is heard. The trio looks up, seeing the beast hanging from the ceiling. Coraline yelps in surprise, but quickly covered her mouth. However, it was too late. The beast quickly shot it's head over towards Coraline, snarling as it slowly climbs back onto the ground. It leads to attack, but Coraline quickly dodges, screaming as she runs away.

Aggie and Cat stands there and watches as the beast chases after their friend. Eventually, they chase after the two.

Coraline felt like she was going through a maze- she didn't know where to go, because no matter where she went, the beast was hot on her trail. She stopped at a corner, catching her breath, covering her mouth. The beast walked, scanning the area. It held it's face up into the air, sniffing, wondering where Coraline is. Eventually, Coraline scooted closer towards the edge of the corner, and takes a peek. The monster wasn't there.

Sighing with relief, Coraline turns around, then screams as the beast was right there, looking straight at her. The beast beard it's sharp teeth, growling at her as it slowly approaches her, clawed hands high in the air. Coraline screams as she fall through a hole in the wall, heading straight towards a circular concrete surface, which was surrounded by water down below. Coraline screamed, awaiting for her to meet her doo, but Aggie flew in, and grabbed her, setting her down on the surface gently.

Coraline catches her breath and says, "Thanks," to Aggie, who simply nods with a smile.

The beast crashes through the wall and lands on the surface, growling at Coraline. Aggie and Coraline screams; Aggie says to her, "Use your knife!"

"I don't have it!" She exclaims, looking around. "I must've dropped it up there!"

The beast was about to kill Coraline, until it screamed; a knife went through it's head. Coraline and Aggie gasps, watching as the beast then collapses down. Looking up, they see a figure up there. The figure then leaps, landing on the beast's large, soft body. Coraline gasps in shock...she knew who this figure was.

"WYBIE?!"

Wybie grins up at Coraline, getting off the monster. The two then hug each other, relieved.

"It's great to see you again!" Coraline exclaimed.

"Yeah," Wybie says. He then walks over towards the beast, took the knife out of it's head, then chopped off the head, so that it could stay dead. Looking down at the corpse, he sees the key. Picking it up, he hands it to Coraline. "I think this belongs to you, I guess?"

"It does; thanks." Coraline says with a grin, taking the key and placing it in her bag. "Wybie, we need to save Norman."

"I know," He says. "That's why I'm here. Your families are worried sick about all of you. So, I told them that I would find you and Norman, and bring you guys home."

Coraline nods, smiling at him. However, her smile turns into a frown, and says, "We need to get out of here, first. There's a friend of mine up there who needs help."

Wybie nods.

XXXXXXXXXX

Everyone, including Salma, now stood outside, in front of the library, which was now set on fire, thanks to Coraline. Looking back into her bag, she sees the key- the one which was said to bring them to Norman. She grinned; Coraline had done it. She had completed the Beldam's challenge.

"Now we go Norman's house," Coraline says, turning towards the group.

After receiving nods of approval, they begin to walk away from the square, heading back towards the Other Babcock household. Suddenly, there was a small booming sound, and everyone stops. Coraline then looks up into the sky, gasping as she sees the world beginning to break- the color was going away, and parts of the Other World were beginning to disappear.

"What's happening?!" Courtney exclaims.

"RUN!" Coraline shouts, sprinting down the road.

Everyone obliges, and sprints with her, heading towards the Other Babcock house. Coraline had seen this before- the world was disappearing. They had to reach the Other Babcock house, or else they'll disappear with the world!

SO SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY! I had writer's block, and it was my fault for not telling you... :(

But alas, only two more chapters to go!

Stay tuned for the final battle between Coraline and the Beldam in the next chapter!

See ya soon,

~Nixter97~