Chapter 4

Merita was in the real world the next morning, she was trying to catch a tiny bird near the Jones' car, not knowing that Coraline was on the other side, getting her black Japanese schoolboy's cap. When Merita jumped forward into the air to get the bird when it landed on top of the car like a fox , she not only did she miss the bird by a few feet, she accidentally crash landed into Coraline.

Coraline: Ah! Merita?! What are you-

Merita got off of Coraline and went back to trying to get the bird, as she was getting ready to jump at it again.

Coraline: Mery, why are you trying to get the bird?

Merita: ( sighs ) Because I'm bored. ( Sniffs the air )

Merita then looked at Coraline, and noticed the slight smell of beets and cheese on the blue haired girl, Coraline backed away a little from the ginger, who smiled and chuckled.

Merita: I see you've met Mr. Bobinsky. Let me guess, a mix up in the mail?

Coraline: Yeah. How did you-

Merita: You have a slight hint of the smell of beets and cheese on you.

The bird then flew away out of Merita's reach, as it took the chance to escape.

Merita: Aw.. I spent three whole hours chasing him.

Coraline: Well, I'm going to Miss Spink and Miss Forcible's place for a visit... Do you want to come?

Merita: ( excitedly: ) Yes! They're my favorite. They invite me for tea all the time.

Coraline chuckled at Merita's excitement, and the two went to the stairwell to Miss Spink and Miss Forcible's place, they walked down the steps. Coraline knocks on the door and the two wait. Merita saw that Coraline was glancing down at the doormat that reads " No whistling in the house. " Coraline then peers through the door glass. A yapping dog suddenly leaps up inside, startling Coraline and making Merita chuckle with a crazed smile, and a moment after, Miss Spink opens the door and the three scottie dogs Merita knew were named Hamish, Jock, and Angus shoot out and surround the girls, yapping.

Miss Spink: ( to the dogs: ) Oh cease your infernal yapping!

The dogs stop yapping, and they began surrounding Merita, asking for pets, which she happily gave.

Miss Spink: ( to Coraline and Merita, sweetly: ) How nice to see you, Caroline and Mery. Would you like to come in? We're playing cards.

Coraline: Still Coraline, Miss Spink.

Miss Spink: ( over her shoulder: ) Miriam, put the kettle on!

Miss Spink leads Coraline and Merita into the living area, as Miss Forcible prepares tea in the kitchen to the side. The dogs raced ahead and jumped onto the sofa. Coraline looked at the framed posters on the walls. Miss Forcible peers out at them.

Miss Forcible: April, Merita, I think you're being followed.

Merita: ( happily: ) It's the new neighbor, Miriam. Coraline.

Miss Spink: They'll be having the Oolong tea.

Miss Forcible: No, no, no, no. I'm sure they'd prefer Jasmine.

Miss Spink: No, Oolong.

Miss Forcible: Ah, jasmine it is, then.

Coraline: ( whispers to Merita: ) Are they like this all the time?

Merita: ( whispers back, happily: ) Yes. I'm used to it.

Merita chuckled at the two retired entertainers.

Miss Spink: ( to the dogs: ) Come on, boys.

The dogs leap off the sofa, and as Coraline and Merita sat down on the sofa, Merita was sitting with her back straight and her legs closed. Merita then saw that Coraline was looking at the bookshelf with stuffed scottie dogs in knitted sweaters with angel wings.

Coraline: Are those dogs . . . . real?

Miss Spink: ( sighs ) Our sweet, departed angels. Couldn't bear to part with them...so we had them stuffed.

As Miss Spink began telling the girls the names of the stuffed dogs, Miss Forcible arrives with a tea tray with two cups of tea and a bowl of taffy.

Miss Forcible: ( to Coraline and Merita: ) Oh go on, have one it's hand-pulled taffy from Brighton. Best in the world.

Merita grabbed a piece of taffy with ease, and watched as Coraline reached for a piece of taffy, but it was stuck and she struggled with getting it unstuck, which resulted in Coraline accidentally making the bowl fly up and stuck to the ceiling. Merita stiffened her laugh, and handed her piece of taffy to Coraline, who playfully glared at her while wondering how Merita was able to get the piece of taffy from the bowl with ease.

Miss Spink: ( to the girls: ) I'll read them, if you like.

Merita: ( thoughts: ) And she's trying to see my future again. You know the drill, Merita, don't drink the tea.

Coraline: Read what?

Miss Spink: Oh, your tea leaves, dear. They'll tell me your future. Drink up then, go on.

Merita: ( to Coraline, with a smile: ) Pretty blue haired ladies first.

Coraline gulps down the bitter brew, and Merita just picks up her cup, but she wasn't drinking it, just staring at it.

Miss Spink: ( to Coraline: ) No, not all of it, not all of it. That's right, now hand it over.

Coraline passes her cup to Miss Spink, and Merita watched with a slight smile, but with boredom in her eyes.

Miss Spink: Oh... Caroline, Caroline, Caroline; you are in terrible danger.

Coraline's eyes widened in shock and confusion, and Miss Forcible snorts as Merita began slowly taking a sip of her tea without thinking. Miss Forcible takes the cup from Miss Spink.

Miss Forcible: Oh, give me that cup, April, your eyes are going.

Miss Spink: My eyes! You're blind as a bat!

Miss Forcible looks into the cup, adjusting her glasses as Merita continued to slowly drink her tea.

Miss Forcible: Oh, now, umm... ( To Coraline: ) not to worry, child, it's good news: there's a charming vixen in your future.

Merita coughs as she choked on her tea with a blush on her face at what Miss Forcible said and Coraline was confused.

Coraline: A what?

Miss Spink: Miriam, oh really, you're holding it wrong.

Merita sat up straight as she recovered from choking on her tea, Coraline looked at her with a raised brow as she finally noticed that Merita had sharp canines.

Miss Spink: ( to Miss Forcible: ) See? Danger!

Coraline: What do you see?

Miss Spink: I see a very peculiar hand...

Miss Forcible: ( turns the cup ) I see a skinny fox.

Merita just holds her cup with a nervous expression.

Miss Spink: Foxes don't just fall from the sky, Miriam. ( Noticed that Merita had finished with her tea ) Oh, it's Merita's turn. Hand it over, dear.

Merita was hesitant but she hands her cup to Miss Spink. Miss Spink looks at Merita's tea leaves to see a girl freeing a fox from a cage.

Miss Spink: Oh, Merita... It seems that someone will be freeing you from something...

Coraline looked at Merita with a raised brow as Merita had seemed to froze.

Merita: ( nervously: ) I-It's probably nothing-

The stuck candy dish suddenly crashes to the floor, startling everyone except Merita, as the ginger have been scared by worse.

Coraline: ( to Miss Spink and Miss Forcible: ) Well, what should I do?

Miss Spink: Never wear green in your dressing room.

Miss Forcible: Acquire a small step ladder.

Miss Spink: And be very, very careful. Now, was there something you girls came to tell us?

Coraline: No, I guess not.

Merita: Thanks for the tea, though.

The two girls then got up and left, no one noticed that Merita's shadow had fox ears and a fox tail. Merita opened the door for Coraline and let her go out the door first, before she closed the door behind them.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

That's it for this chapter, I hope you like it

Till next time my agents of mischief 😜