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Coraline smiled to herself as she looked in the full-length mirror that stood in her room before her. She was checking over herself for the last time before she headed out to Wybie’s where he was waiting for her.
As she looked at herself she reached up and fixed the black and indigo witch’s hat that sat on top of her blue hair then once she felt it was fine she reached down and picked a few pieces of fuzz off of her velvet sleeves.
“Mom, I’m ready!” Coraline called out as she turned away from the mirror to stand tall so her Mom could see what she looked like.
It didn’t take long for her Mom to come into the room with a compact mirror in one hand and dark red lipstick in the other.
She didn’t look at Coraline for a moment since she was busy making sure she didn’t smear the red lipstick anywhere else on her face. Coraline thought that was a little silly since a red smear or two would bring her Mom’s vampire costume together, or at least that’s what she thought. Once she was done she turned to look at Coraline, a small smile spreading to her face.
“So Mom, what do you think?” Coraline asked, waiting to see what her true mother thought of her Halloween costume.
“I think you look very cute,” Mel said with a smile as she walked towards Coraline and moved a strand of blue hair out of her eyes. “And I think Wybie will too,” She teased and watched as a blush of embarrassment spread across Coraline’s face.
“Mom!” Coraline cried out in embarrassment, causing Mel to laugh before she pulled her daughter into a warm hug. Even as she pouted Coraline leaned into her Mom’s warmth as she hugged her back.
“I’m just teasing,” Mel said with a soft laugh as she held Coraline close, as if at any moment the young blue-haired girl would just up and vanish.
Coraline had noticed both her Mom and her Dad doing that more often when Coraline went to go anywhere, even when she just went to visit Ms. Spink and Ms. Forcible or Mr. B.
Coraline didn’t mind though, especially after what had happened only a year. She often wondered if her parents actually remembered everything that had taken place in The Other World, and that didn’t want Coraline to know or to be afraid.
She pushed that thought from her mind, not wanting to think about that horrible place right now and instead just wanted to enjoy her Halloween.
“What time will you and Dad be back?” Coraline asked as she pulled away from her Mom to look up at her, focusing on her eyes for a moment just to make sure she wouldn’t see black buttons.
“I’m not sure,” Mel explained as she released her daughter from her tight hold before she straightened out Coraline’s hat that she had messed up during the hug. “I know it will be some time after midnight, maybe around two,” She said with a shrug, a look of guilt washing over her face. “Are you sure you’ll be okay while we’re gone?” She asked wanting to make sure that Coraline would be okay while they were
“Yes, Mom, I promise I’ll be fine,” Coraline said and raised her hand to make a scout’s honor gesture. “Plus, I’m not really alone I’ve got Ms. Spink and Ms. Forcible as well as Mr. B if I need something,” She said not wanting her Mom to worry the entire night that she and her Dad were out.
“What will you need?” A man’s voice said from the doorway of Coraline’s room, causing Coraline and her Mom to turn to their heads to see who it was and they weren’t really surprised to see Coraline’s dad standing there with a smile. Coraline giggled slightly upon seeing her Dad dressed as the wolfman, covered in fake fur.
“Nothing, Mom was just making sure that I would be okay here alone for a while,” Coraline explained as she moved to hug her Dad, who had stepped into the room and who held his arms open wide for her. Coraline didn’t hesitate but to hug her dad and bury her face in the fake fur of his chest, which once again messed up her hate.
“Well, are you going to be okay?” Charlie asked as he looked down at Coraline with the same worried eyes that Mel had.
Coraline’s parents were going to a Halloween party, which is why her Mom was dressed as a vampire and her Dad was dressed as the wolfman
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Coraline promise with a teasing roll of her eyes, knowing that her parents just wanted her to be safe. “Wybie and I are just going to a few neighborhoods,” She explained, silently reminding herself not to forget the wagon that Ms. Spink and Ms. Forcible had let her borrow for tonight.
“Plus, I’ll have my phone on me,” She said as she pulled back from her Dad’s hug to motion towards the small, black cat circle purse that held her phone, her keys, a mini flashlight, and the pocketknife that Mr. B had given her for her birthday which was unknown to her parents. “I promise everything will be all right,” She said with a stern nod showing her Mom and her Dad just how sure she was that everything would be okay.
She left out the fact that she truly wasn’t scared of anything from this world anymore. Only two things gave her chills, and those two things were spiders and dolls. She was sure that if anyone knew the truth o what happened, of what she had been through, they wouldn’t blame her for that.
“Well, if you’re sure,” Mel said from behind her husband and her daughter. “Let’s take some pictures really quick and then we can all be on our way,” She said with a soft smile and Coraline nodded her head in agreement.
The pictures didn’t take very long, not even with Coraline and her Dad making silly faces every once in a while which caused her Mom to playfully scold them.
Once the pictures had been taken Coraline hugged her Mom and her Dad goodbye before watching them get into her Mom’s car and drive away. Coraline watched them go until they vanished down the road before she headed back inside to grab her boots and the purple pumpkin bag that would be used for candy.
Coraline slipped on her black boots and tied them up before heading outside, grabbing the candy bag that sat next to the door. Once she was outside, she locked up their home.
She tested the doorknob once or twice before placing her keys back in her purse and walking down the steps before heading to the back of the house to grab the wagon that she and Wybie needed.
As Coraline walked down the small cobblestone path she was nearly to the wagon that was just a few steps before her when she heard a rustling behind her which made her smile. She knew who it was so she felt no fear.
“Are you coming along with us tonight?” Coraline called back towards the bushes where the rustling was coming from. “It will be a lot of fun,” She promised even though she got no response, not that she was expecting one. “Who knows, you might even get a treat,” She said as she stopped and turned around to face the black cat she knew would be there.
Coraline knew he was already going to be following her and Wybie around for most of the night, so she thought it would be better for him to just be with them instead of walking around on his own.
She watched him knowing that unlike a year ago he wouldn’t say a word, but that didn’t bother her one bit because it seemed like she could still understand him and still hear his voice in her head.
“You’ll get to ride around in the wagon,” Coraline offered, trying to bribe him into staying close to her at for tonight. “The wagon is for candy,” She explained, watching as he gave her another look.
“Wybie and I are going to be heading to multiple neighborhoods tonight so we thought it would be best to dump all of our candy into the wagon before finding someplace to split it up at the end of the night,” Coraline told him knowing that he would understand every word that she said.
This was proven only a second as she watched the Cat seem to nod his head at her words and take a few steps towards her.
“So are you in?” Coraline asked, cocking her head to the side slightly as to copy the black cat before, but to also make sure that her hat didn’t fall off. “I mean, what’s a witch without her cat,” She offered with a kind smile and watched as the Cat’s eyes seemed to grow wide at her words.
For a moment Coraline thought she had made a mistake that she had offended her friend somehow but that thought was soon pushed aside as she felt the Cat rub against her tight covered leg before he walked passed her and headed towards the wagon that was only a little ways away from them.
Coraline turned to watch him with a small smile, and that smile only seemed to grow as she watched him hop into the wagon and sit on one of the seats.
“Alright, then,” Coraline said with a smile as she walked towards the wagon before heading to the front of it and grabbing the cold metal handle. “Let’s go,” She said with a nod and walked through the Pink Palace’s garden and towards the dirt path that she knew would lead them to Wybie.
As Coraline walked along the path, she began to hum the lullaby her Dad used to sing to her when she was little it was clear the young girl had no fear of the world not even on the night of All Hallows' Eve.