curiously_cora: (Coraline-traumatic)
Coraline Jones ([personal profile] curiously_cora) wrote2008-04-23 11:33 am
Entry tags:

Coraline struggled to wake herself up.

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.

[identity profile] heartliketin.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Cain didn't much know the man beside him and wasn't sure yet if he trusted him. It had been months since he'd turned up, but old habits died hard and he still wasn't sure of the soldiers and they had lived with him for some time now.

So he just kept his eyes open and didn't say anything that wasn't necessary.

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
A Spook noticed things. That was what they did. They observed. They spied. It wasn't as easy as knowing the jungle like the back of his hand, nothing like that, but Adam knew what he expected to see, what didn't fit, and he couldn't imagine what was catching the light.

He stopped and tilted his head. He didn't entirely trust his own brain.

"Do you see that?"

[identity profile] heartliketin.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Cain just stopped in his tracks, looking where Adam was looking. "See what?" he asked carefully, trying to scan the area. The first two times, nothing really clicked, and then, just out of the corner of his eye, there might have been something. "A flash of light?" he asked, giving a confused look.

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
It was there, and Adam started moving towards it. There was something there that hadn't been there before, that shouldn't be there at all, and Coraline was missing. Occum's razor. Sometimes the most simple explanation was the right one.

Adam broke into a run.

"Coraline? Cora? Sweetheart, are you here?"

[identity profile] curiously-cora.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Coraline wiped her eyes, as she faintly heard the voice outside. The other mother, coming to see if she had learned her lesson.

"I'll be good, I've learned my lesson. Please, please let me out." Coraline whispered, touching the mirrored door with her fingertips. "I'll be a good daughter."

Coraline burst into tears. No one was coming for her. The other mother had her and she wouldn't let go.

[identity profile] heartliketin.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Cain could barely hear a hush of something, but he couldn't make out any words and had started to run his fingers over the door, fingers running over a groove that was meant for a key he didn't have.

He could definitely use DG right about now. He turned to Adam and shook his head, moving his palm to reveal the lock. "You got a way in? I can shoot it loose if we have no other option."

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Adam pressed his ear to the door, both palms and listened, tried to make out whole words.

"Coraline, sweetheart, it's Adam. Just be calm, okay? Just be calm for me, sweetheart."

He turned and looked at Cain, one palm still pressed against the glass, heart pounding.

"We're through the looking glass here, mate. There's a lock. Look for a key."

[identity profile] curiously-cora.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"Please let me out, please." Coraline sobbed, wrapping her arms around her knees and pulling them tightly to her chest. She thought she could hear Adam outside- he'd promised not to leave her in the dark and she had to hope, hope it was him and not a trick. "There's two hundred and sixty eight bricks. One Coraline, one daughter. One good daughter."

[identity profile] heartliketin.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Cain just sighed, jaw tensing at the notion of searching for a key when he could hear something like suffering, pressed up against the barrier and his gaze turned dark.

Jeb had fought back, had been hurt for it. By Zero's hand, even. Cain made a mental note to at least kidnap Zero for a little while if he could while shoving the gun back in its holster and he began to look for a key under rocks and leaves and anywhere he could.

He shot Adam a look that said he was clearly not pleased with the delay.

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Adam caught the look and raised an eyebrow.

"She's already scared," he said, voice not pitched to carry on his knees in the grass. "Listen to her. And you want to start firing a gun?"

He glanced back at the mirrored door, saw a sickly reflection of his own face.

"Can you hear me, Cora?" He was almost yelling, looking for the key in the long grass. "We're here, sweetheart. We're right here."

[identity profile] curiously-cora.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 08:58 pm (UTC)(link)
There was someone outside the room. Moving around, it almost sounded like scuttling and Coraline pressed herself tightly into the corner. She didn't want to be brave anymore, she just wanted to go home. Coraline wiped her eyes. No one called her Cora, always Caroline- never Coraline, never Cora. Not unless it was them.

"Adam?" Coraline said weakly, leaning forwards until she was touching the door and pounding her fists on it.

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
He heard the banging, and he hit the door with his curled fist, shock jarring through his bones.

"Baby, I'm here. We're going to get you out. Me and Cain, okay? I just need you to be brave and hold on."

[identity profile] heartliketin.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Cain just took deep breaths to keep himself calm and kept searching on hands and knees. Needle in a haystack of haystacks, it felt like, but he wasn't about to just give up. He'd stay there as long as it took.

[identity profile] curiously-cora.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Coraline sat pressed against the door. Adam and Cain where there, outside but where was she? Where was the other mother? Coraline sat shivering in the dark.

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 09:34 pm (UTC)(link)
It was a trade-off; he could stay close to her, or he could move away and help Cain look for the key. He gave the mirrored door a rap with his knuckles and then crawled forward across the grass, glancing up at Cain.

Jesus, come on.

[identity profile] heartliketin.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
At least there was just the slightest chance that the key would be close by. At least it wasn't like the fields by the Realm of the Unwanted, which were nigh-on-endless and that was the thought that kept him company when his palm passed over something that wasn't grass and he nearly thrust it over to Adam. "Here. The key," he said sharply, nodding with his chin to get the door unlocked as his good hand went to his bad shoulder, all the movement definitely straining a couple stitches.

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
With a terse nod of thanks, trusting the other man to understand, Adam took the key and pressed it into the lock, turning it and pulling the door open, almost falling over himself in his haste.

"Coraline? Baby?"

[identity profile] curiously-cora.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Coraline closed her eyes, making a face, at the sudden onslought of bright light. The room was dark and stank but the air outside was good and sweet. Coraline put her hands over her eyes and shut them tightly. Her hands were bloody from where she had tried to claw her way out in the night, where she had hit the door.

"I was alone," Coraline said, rubbing grime from her cheeks. "They weren't here... the children, the other children- the dead children. I was alone."

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-23 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Half in the room, half out of it, Adam reached out to her, pulling her towards him with a hand on her shoulders.

"Come here to me, sweetheart," he said. "You're not on your own anymore. We came to get you. And nobody's dead. A promise is a promise."

[identity profile] curiously-cora.livejournal.com 2008-04-24 09:50 am (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-24 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
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?"

[identity profile] heartliketin.livejournal.com 2008-04-24 02:36 pm (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] curiously-cora.livejournal.com 2008-04-24 03:13 pm (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] beentodamascus.livejournal.com 2008-04-24 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
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."

[identity profile] heartliketin.livejournal.com 2008-04-24 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"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."