Coraline struggled to wake herself up.

[curiously_cora]

Her room was empty. The bed unmade, a wooden horse resting next to her pillows and a film reel left beside it for another little girl. It looked like she had disappeared. However there were still things of Coraline's left; her wellington boots from home, her catbag filled with her school supplies, her clothes. It looked like she had disappeared at first glance but if you knew her, if you knew the little girl well enough then you would realise that she hadn't disappeared. She had been taken.

Alone in the dark, somewhere on the Island Coraline struggled to wake herself up. Curled up in the corner of the dark room, she wiped her eyes and tried to think of something happy.
She had counted the bricks on the left wall (82).
Things that were black or dark (Lots).
Dead children (None yet).

She had been right to be worried. The Other Mother had gotten her whilst she slept and now she was alone, alone in the dark with no way out. Imprisoned in walls of brick and glass.

Somewhere outside the door, lost amongst the dense grass- a key glistened.

Comments

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

Coraline opened her eyes a little, wincing at the light. Coraline looked at their faces, at their eyes, worriedly. No buttons. She was still on the Island though or maybe she was on a Other Island and the other mother was waiting for her.

Coraline shakily stood on her two feet, taking a step out of the dark room. Her bare feet touched the ground hesitantly, before she wrapped her arms around Adam tiredly. "Is she here? Is the other mother here?" Coraline whispered.

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

Adam didn't need any hints, and he didn't wait to be asked. He stood up smoothly, bringing her with him, lifting her, his arms wrapped around her, no danger of dropping her. He stepped smoothly away from the room, from the dark, open door and turned towards Cain.

"Nobody's here, but me and Cain," he said, the words pressed against her hair. "Just us. We've got you. Right, Cain?"

[heartliketin.livejournal.com]

Cain was holding onto his bad arm by the bicep. He could feel some of the stitches being strained from all the work, but he just managed a nod, giving a tense smile. "Right," he agreed, no emotion on his face whatsoever.

He wanted to make sure he was safe, but at the same time, he wanted to get back to making sure his household was safe, too.

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

Coraline kept tight hold of Adam's shirt, her tiny bloody hands holidng it tightly. If she let go she might wake up again, in the dark.

"Thank you, for getting me." Coraline said quietly, to both men.

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

The blood on her hands. Adam winced and pressed another kiss to her forehead.

"I promised you I would, didn't I?" His nose brushed her cheek and then he turned back towards the compound. "Come on, sweetheart. We'll take you home and get you cleaned up."

[heartliketin.livejournal.com]

"That's my cue to go," Cain said with a dutiful nod, locking his gaze with Coraline to match sure that she knew she was okay. "You stay safe, okay? Listen to Adam."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

Grown Ups didn't often do what they promised but Adam had- Adam had got Cain and gotten her out of the dark.

"yEs, caiN." Coraline replied automatically, forcing a smile on her face like a dutiful daughter should. 'Be a good girl Coraline, be a good daughter and listen to your mother.'. Coraline watched Cain leave and buried her head against Adam's chest. She could hear his heartbeat. "Can I have the key Adam? You don't want it, she'll come for you too so I'll keep it. I'll keep it safe."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

Adam's hand smoothed over the back of Coraline's head as he started walking. Started bringing her home.

"You can have the key," said Adam. "We'll put it on a necklace for you, if you like. And, if you want, when the sun's way up high, we'll come back here and we'll smash every mirror in that place."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"It wouldn't help but I'd like to do it anyway." Coraline said, keeping her eyes open now that she could see. The world was bright but soon it would get dark and she would be alone again. "I was dreaming of her. And when I woke up I was in that room again."

Coraline had thought it was over but she had been wrong twice now. "I'll be ready next time she comes for me."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"We'll do it," Adam promised, his hand still against her hair. "It won't happen again, Cora. If she comes here again, I'm going to kill her."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

Coraline wanted to believe him but she'd thought she'd defeated the other mother twice and each time she always managed to creep back. Her cold button eyes glinting at Coraline hungrily. She didn't want Adam to get hurt too.

"She always wins, she never plays fair." Coraline said quietly. "I don't want you to get hurt."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"But I'm MI-5, Cora," said Adam, teasing her, and, suddenly, he was so tired. "I'm not like normal people. We'll get you cleaned up. Do you want to come and stay with me for a bit, again? Or I can just start sleeping on the floor outside your bedroom, huh?"

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"You're James Bond but better," Coraline said, having met the man herself she'd not really been that impressed. He didn't have gadgets or anything, he was pretty normal where as Adam was anything but normal. He was Adam. Maybe they could take her on together, maybe this time she might win. "Can I stay with you for a bit? I need Jeremiah though, I had him when I went to sleep. Cain made me him, he's a wooden horse and there's no greeks in him. I checked."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"Exactly." Adam shifted her weight in his arms, but there wasn't anything in the world that would have persuaded to put her down just then.

"You can stay with me for as long as you like. We can work on building you your own bedroom, if you like. So we've both got some space. We'll get your hands cleaned up, maybe get you a shower and we'll get all the things you want to take with you before we go back, okay?"

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

The idea of her own bedroom made Coraline smile a little even if it did mean leaving Jo. "Would there be enough room for Mogwai?" Coraline asked, thinking of the city she kept beneath her bed. "I think I'd like that."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"We'll make sure it's big enough for Mogwai. And it'll take us a little while to build, but we can set you up a bed in my room until then, right?"

Her smile was infectious, and he smiled too.

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

Coraline nodded happily. It was hard to forget the room when she was caked in grime and her own blood but this made her forget for a little bit. "It'll be like a sleepover," Coraline said, relaxing just a little bit. "Except I won't paint your toenails."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"If you find some nail varnish, I'll let you paint my fingernails, if you want."

Somewhere, Fi was laughing at him. She'd always been trying to get him to sit still for long enough.

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"Not red, any colour but red." Coraline said, automatically thinking of the other mother's long red claws. Adam would protect her, he'd find her if she tried to take her again- he'd promised. "You know I'm going to ask everyone now, don't you? And I know lots of girls now."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"You just have to promise not to tell Angie, okay?" said Adam, shifting her weight again. He could see the stage through the trees now. "I don't think my masculinity could take it."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

Coraline laughed, just a little and it was slightly hysterical but it was laughter. "I promise, I promise I won't tell Angie." Coraline swore, crossing her fingers hoping he wouldn't see it.

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"You little liar," said Adam, with no feeling behind it. "You're going to ruin my reputation. I can tell."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't." Coraline said lightly. Coraline looked at Adam curiously. "What type of reputation do you have?"

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"I'm a spy," said Adam, humouring her. "I'm stoic and I'm manly, and I take no prisoners."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"You're not manly, I'm more manly- you can't even pass properly." Coraline argued. She felt a little bit better in the light and in his arms. "What does stowick mean?"