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Coraline felt anger burn through her skin as she carefully lifted the mangey black cat up and wrapped him around her neck and shoulders. She calmed down slightly at the sound of him purring but that didn’t last long as she slipped the mouse circus ball into her bag as the world turn gray and began to fall away.
As the ground vanished with every step Coraline made no move to hurry anger and hatred burning bright in her eyes as she took each step slowly. One hand gripped tightly to the strap of her bag while the other hand gripped tightly to the iron fire poker she had been using as a weapon.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” The Cat whispered to her as they stood in front of the door as the steps disappeared behind them.
“We’re going home,” Coraline whispered a growl in her voice as she let her hand fall from her bag strap and fall to the bag itself where she could feel all three of the lost children’s souls and the Snowglobe that held her parents captive. “All of us,” She said in a voice that held a promise as she reached forward to open the door.
The Beldam sat silently as she listened to the fire crackle and pop, her many legs crossed as she sipped a cup of boiled bugs. She was waiting for Coraline, knowing that even if the girl had won, she would not let her leave. She needed a daughter; she needed another soul to keep her world alive, not to mention keep herself alive.
Suddenly a loud bang could be heard making the Beldam jump in surprise and drop the teacup she held, causing it to shatter into pieces as she stood up. Before she could even think of going to check what it was, the cause of the noise appeared before her.
The Beldam stared with wide eyes as she saw Coraline standing before her, dirty with a few bruises forming across her skin as well as cuts that leaked blood.
She was gripping tightly to an iron fire poker that she had come into this world with strapped to her back. On her shoulders, claws sinking into the orange pajamas keeping close to her neck was the Cat that caused The Beldam so many problems.
Before The Beldam could speak Coraline cut her off with a sharp, hatred-filled voice that sounded much too old to belong to a twelve-year-old girl.
“ALL RIGHT!” Coraline shouted as she took a step towards The Beldam fire in her eyes as the Cat let out a low hiss. “NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME!” She demanded glaring daggers at the creature that had put her through hell.
The Beldam tried to answer, but once again Coraline didn’t allow her to speak before she started talking.
“I have been through hell,” Coraline growled as she walked farther into the room that now looked like something from a nightmare. “I have fought through dog bats and candy monsters,” She growled gripping tighter to the handle of the fire poker.
“I fought against flesh-eating rats,” Coraline said as she continued to list off the horror she had gone through. “I found one of the few friends I had in this hell turned into a flag,” She said as she thought back to the other Wybie’s clothes hanging from the flagpole.
“I've spent two hours in a garden maze made of my own face trying to find one of the souls you stole.” Coraline kept going again, not giving The Beldam a chance to speak. “Which might I mention your “husband” gave to me,” She said a bit of self-pride in her voice as she thought about how she was able to turn two of The Beldam’s puppets against her.
“WHAT!?” The Beldam shrieked, eyes wide at hearing Coraline say this, anger filled her as she thought about one of her toys becoming self-aware enough to help the little brat in front of her.
Coraline ignored The Beldam’s shrill scream, instead choosing to raise her hand that wasn’t holding her fire poker and resting it on the Cat that wrapped tighter around her as he growled trying to soothe him.
“I did all of this because I want to go home,” Coraline said, her eyes staying on the button-eyes of her kidnapper, and for a moment she wondered how buttons could look so angry. She pushed those thoughts away as she took a step closer to The Beldam. She let her hand fall back to her side as she felt the hair from her friend stand on end.
“And if I want to go home, you have to go away,” Coraline said, the glare still across her face as she made sure to keep her eyes on The Beldam, which means she didn’t miss the way the evil witch smiled cruelly at something behind her.
“And why, would I do that?” The Beldam asked the smile still on her face though it grew wider causing her face to crack even more causing pieces of porcelain-made skin to fall to the floor.
Coraline stayed silent and stayed completely still as the wooden floor behind her creaked under something’s weight.
Without another thought, Coraline gripped her fire poker tightly in both hands before turning around and swinging it like a bat causing a large bug-like wardrobe creature to drop to the ground before Coraline brought the fire poker down on it’s body and head over and over again.
The wood crunched and broke under the strength that came from anger and the determination to get herself as well as the others home and away from the monster behind her.
As The Beldam watched this happened for the first time in her life she felt fear, fear caused by this scared little girl who no longer looked so little or scared. She noticed the Cat looking at her, his bright blue eyes keeping her frozen for the first time as he bared his teeth in what seemed to be a smile.
She could tell what he was saying even without the words he was able to speak.
“Look at my Kitten so brave and smart, look at MY Kitten who will be the end of you.”
Once the wooden creature stopped moving Coraline quickly turned her gaze back to The Beldam.
“Because now I'm not asking,” Coraline said, her eyes narrowing as she looked at The Beldam who quickly covered the look of fear that had crossed her face.
Coraline no longer felt fear, but The Beldam did.