The App
Canon: When Coraline Jones moved into the big old house with
her parents, she found a door that led into a different house - a copy
of her own. It was a much more interesting house; it had better toys
and better food. There were even copies of Coraline's neighbours. And
she had another father. And she had an Other Mother. An Other Mother
who wanted to keep her forever, and change her. An Other Mother who
would go to any lengths to do just that. (By which I mean
specifically: replace her eyes with black buttons and eventually take
her soul, leaving her as a ghost or perhaps a memory, hidden in the
dark. Also steal her parents and put them in a snow-globe on the
mantle.) Coraline escaped, barely. She hasn't got any special powers,
but she's clever, brave, and resourceful, with both a wonderful
imagination and a healthy grasp of reality. According to the adults
around her, she's just a quiet little girl, but Coraline knows she's
really an explorer. And she has become an expert at controlling her
fear.
Hello. My name is Coraline. Not Caroline. Coraline. I'm an explorer. I
thought I was exploring the back garden, but the back garden doesn't
have a swamp in it, I don't think. And it's much warmer here than it
is at home. So I think I must be somewhere else. Can somebody tell me
how to get back? Only I found a computer here with my name on it, and
I've learned to be suspicious of things that say they're mine when
they're not. Usually they want something from me. And I don't think
I'm interested, thank you.
I've already tried asking the grown-ups for directions, but they just
keep saying "Brains," at me, like zombies in a horror film. I think
there's something wrong with them. I think somebody should probably
call an ambulance for them right away, because they have bits falling
off. It's actually quite disgusting. And I'm not giving anyone
my brain. I like it just where it is.
I think these must be real zombies, which is sort of a problem,
because they aren't supposed to exist. If there were actually zombies
just running around in the woods, you would think that the grown-ups
would say so, because who knows when you'd have to be prepared for a
zombie showing up and trying to eat your brain? They'd have classes on
it in school, like when you have to take Self Defense in PE. I think a
class in Zombie Avoiding Skills would be a lot more useful than Maths
and Grammar and things.
I don't think I want to explore here anymore. The zombies are very
interesting, but they're starting to make me uncomfortable. And I
really don't think the sky should be that orangey-gray. It looks
rather toxic. So please somebody tell me where I am, and how to get
back where I was. Because I'm sure I can find my way back home, if I
have to. But I'd rather be there before my mum starts saying things
like "Where on earth were you when I called you in for supper,
Coraline Jones?" because then I'd have to explain and I'm sure she
wouldn't believe me. So thank you and goodbye.
her parents, she found a door that led into a different house - a copy
of her own. It was a much more interesting house; it had better toys
and better food. There were even copies of Coraline's neighbours. And
she had another father. And she had an Other Mother. An Other Mother
who wanted to keep her forever, and change her. An Other Mother who
would go to any lengths to do just that. (By which I mean
specifically: replace her eyes with black buttons and eventually take
her soul, leaving her as a ghost or perhaps a memory, hidden in the
dark. Also steal her parents and put them in a snow-globe on the
mantle.) Coraline escaped, barely. She hasn't got any special powers,
but she's clever, brave, and resourceful, with both a wonderful
imagination and a healthy grasp of reality. According to the adults
around her, she's just a quiet little girl, but Coraline knows she's
really an explorer. And she has become an expert at controlling her
fear.
Hello. My name is Coraline. Not Caroline. Coraline. I'm an explorer. I
thought I was exploring the back garden, but the back garden doesn't
have a swamp in it, I don't think. And it's much warmer here than it
is at home. So I think I must be somewhere else. Can somebody tell me
how to get back? Only I found a computer here with my name on it, and
I've learned to be suspicious of things that say they're mine when
they're not. Usually they want something from me. And I don't think
I'm interested, thank you.
I've already tried asking the grown-ups for directions, but they just
keep saying "Brains," at me, like zombies in a horror film. I think
there's something wrong with them. I think somebody should probably
call an ambulance for them right away, because they have bits falling
off. It's actually quite disgusting. And I'm not giving anyone
my brain. I like it just where it is.
I think these must be real zombies, which is sort of a problem,
because they aren't supposed to exist. If there were actually zombies
just running around in the woods, you would think that the grown-ups
would say so, because who knows when you'd have to be prepared for a
zombie showing up and trying to eat your brain? They'd have classes on
it in school, like when you have to take Self Defense in PE. I think a
class in Zombie Avoiding Skills would be a lot more useful than Maths
and Grammar and things.
I don't think I want to explore here anymore. The zombies are very
interesting, but they're starting to make me uncomfortable. And I
really don't think the sky should be that orangey-gray. It looks
rather toxic. So please somebody tell me where I am, and how to get
back where I was. Because I'm sure I can find my way back home, if I
have to. But I'd rather be there before my mum starts saying things
like "Where on earth were you when I called you in for supper,
Coraline Jones?" because then I'd have to explain and I'm sure she
wouldn't believe me. So thank you and goodbye.