The Art Of War

[curiously_cora]

Since Coraline had found herself locked in that room again, she hadn't been able to sleep properly. She'd sleep but her dreams were filled with red claws and hungry button eyes and something waiting for her at the bottom of a deep well. When faced with that prospect every night you could see why a ten year old explorer would rather sit up than turn

Comments

[__badseed]

"Do you even know what killing someone means?"

Samara hadn't meant to speak, or really even bother her, but then she couldn't keep it in. It just blurted out, and she almost clapped a hand over her mouth. Well, it was too late now.

She was just putting back on the weight she'd lost while trapped, her cheeks losing their gaunt look, and the gash on her forehead no longer needed to be covered by a hat or headband. It was just a scar now, like the little circle from the electrode.

[curiously_cora]

"Yes," Coraline said simply, looking up from her book. Coraline stared up at Samara and smiled a tense and serious little smile. "Well, a little."

Coraline took a breath to explain whether or not Samara believe her, didn't matter. She should probably be warned just in case she was here. "The other mother, from my home, she used to put children in the mirror room to kill them and take their souls. She put me in there too but I got out." Coraline said, touching the key around her neck. "If she comes here, I have to be prepared."

[__badseed]

For a moment, Samara wondered if they'd been taken by the same person. If they'd had the same mother-- if Anne Morgan had tried another child.

But no, it didn't make any sense, and so Samara sat down next to her, suddenly feeling old and tired. "If you've never killed anyone for real, you don't know what it's like. And if you've never died..." She frowned. "Maybe you're not supposed to know."

[curiously_cora]

She'd defeated the other mother but she wasn't really sure if that counted as killing her. The well was very deep but it had only been the other mother's good right hand that she'd trapped in there. Maybe Samara was right, she did know a lot more things that Coraline did as she was older than her. Coraline moved the pile of books for Samara so she could sit down comfortably.

"I don't know, maybe you're right." Coraline said seriously, the key was heavy around her neck. A burden. "They keep saying that everyone gets a second chance here but I don't know if she could stop. That she wouldn't try again if she came here. Do you think the Grown Ups would lock her up?"

[apocralyptic]

Coin had been listening, quite still on his own couch and so probably hard to see; not just to Coraline, but to the music box with its crooning about how this was the end-of-the-world news and the rustling of pages and the footsteps passing in the hallway- little sounds that meant that life was happening. It was a comfort.

Anyway, it was comforting until the girl who insisted on marrying a wizard started making plans to kill someone. Out loud. He wasn't sure if it was a particularly bad thing or not, but the inherent problem was not one that could be allowed to stand.

"No one will be fooled," he said, sitting up straighter, "if you go talking about fooling her."

[curiously_cora]

"I don't want to fool anyone else, just her." Coraline said seriously, bookmarking The Art of War before picking up the book about Cohen the Barbarian. Apparantly he lived on a planet that was balanced on elephants, which were in turn balanced on a turtle. Amazing. Coraline looked up and peeered around the room, seeing Coin. She hadn't noticed him before. "You're very good at sneaking, do you think you could teach me?"

[apocralyptic]

"I am?" This was news to Coin, who'd never really tried to hide before. In this dimension there was no one he felt the need to hide from, and back on the Disc it wouldn't have done any good even if he could have brought himself to try it.

And, with that thought, he shook his head. "No. Not even if I knew how. I really hate killing people."

[curiously_cora]

"Yes, I didn't notice you were there." Coraline said, frowning when he said he wouldn't teach her. "I don't think she counts as people."

Coraline supposed she should tell him. It was only fair. Even if he wouldn't teach her how to sneak. "I think the other mother is going to come here and try to kill me and possibly all the other children. She's not here yet, I don't think anyway but just in case I thought you should know."

[seer_of_god]

Leoben couldn't help but listen in as the girl read a passage out loud. And he decided he definitely needed to find a copy of this book. Not because he planned on going to war with anyone ever again so much as he liked the author's ideas and style.

Then she started talking about killing someone which was honestly pretty frakking cute considering how harmless she looked. Just the same, he thought maybe he better figure out what was up with her first so he headed over to the girl's couch and offered her a small smile. "Well, it's probably none of my business, but is someone giving you a hard time?"

[curiously_cora]

"No, I don't know. Maybe," Coraline said, non commitedly as she looked up from the book. Coraline smiled at the man, turning the page in her lap. Coraline took a long breath. "I woke up in a place from home, the mirror room. It's out in the jungle and it isn't a nice place. It was where the other mother put children to kill them."

Coraline moved the pile of books onto the floor. "So I'm preparing, in case she comes here or if she's already here. I don't know that bit yet, I've not seen her." Coraline said thoughtfully. Coraline brushed her hair behind her ears and touched the key around her neck. "Most of the people here have been very nice to me."

[seer_of_god]

He frowned, concerned for her sake and possibly for other children too if this creepy woman really existed and was on the island. "Most people here are all right," Leoben agreed. "I don't think I've seen anyone who was trying to do harm to kids, but you never know, I guess. What's she look like?"

[curiously_cora]

"Like my mother," Coraline said simply. "Except it's not my mother. She has button eyes and claws for one and my mum doesn't have them."