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]

"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?"

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"It means I don't let on how I'm feeling," he said. "Not even to your or Angela. Most of the time."

He rolled his eyes.

"And I can pass properly. I just try not to hurt you because you're a girl."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"Oh, does it help?" Coraline asked wondering if she could not let on how she was feeling. The tired face, grime and blood probably gave it all away though.

Coraline looked at him disbelievingly but she let him have his little lie. He'd saved her, she could at least let him pretend he could pass. "Of course you do Adam."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes," said Adam. "But it makes you hard to know, so I wouldn't recommend it."

He was starting to think that he could see the compound through the trees.

"You carry on just like you are, sweetheart. I'll be stoic for both of us, ok?"

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"I don't think you're hard to know, I like you very much. Not just because you keep saving me," Coraline said, holding tightly to him.

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"That's because I like you, so I make the effort," said Adam. "We're nearly there, sweetheart. I can see the compound."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

They were nearly home. It was weird to think that because this wasn't her home. Not really. Her home was miles away, a big rambling house full of really different people who she loved. But to see the Compound, Coraline felt like she was home. Relieved and happy and very tired.

Coraline ran the back of her hands over her eyes. "It looks bigger," Coraline said quietly looking at it. "I'm glad you like me."

It meant she wasn't forgotten.

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"You're stuck with me, mate," said Adam, as they came to the steps of the compound. "We'll get you cleaned up first. Do you want to sleep here tonight, or do you want to go out to mine straight away?"

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"Yours," Coraline said automatically. She wasn't sure if she could sleep in her bed again, knowing that she might wake up in that room again. "I don't want to-I don't want to sleep in that bed. Just in case."

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"Okay," said Adam, not arguing with her, carrying her down a corridor towards a bedroom. "We'll pick up some extra blankets and things and make you a bed at my place. Your place, now, too. Home."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

"Home," Coraline echoed softly, wiping her eyes as they headed towards her bedroom. Coraline smiled with relief as her eyes sought out something. "Jeremiah!"

The little wooden horse left lying on her bed. It looked exactly as she had left it the night she had gone to sleep and yet she had never felt so nervous about being in her own room. There were no creatures here, no rats, no other mothers but still it made her tense up.

[beentodamascus.livejournal.com]

"Alright, sweetheart," said Adam, setting her down on the bed for the first time in what felt like hours. "You tell me what you want to pack, and I'll find it, okay? And remember, we can always come back for the things that you forget."

[curiously-cora.livejournal.com]

Coraline cradled the horse in her arms, holding it like a smaller girl would hold a bear. She didn't have any bears here but she had her Jeremiah and that was all that mattered.

"Wellies and my catbag," Coraline said, her catbag had everything important in it. That was why she carried it with her everywhere. So she didn't ever forget anything. "And one of my paper girls, so I'm not alone."