Chapter 7

The kids come out the front door. No one seemed to notice that Merita's shadow had fox ears and a tail on it.

Coraline: ( to the Other Wybie: ) You're awful cheerful, considering you can't say anything.

Other Wybie nods his head in agreement, then Merita came out of nowhere, and play tackled him to the ground with a crazed smile.

Merita: But, like the actual Wybie, he's terrible at dodging my play tackles. ( Laughs before getting off of Other Wybie, who playfully shoves her ) Hey! Haha

Coraline: I've been meaning to ask you, Mery. How come you are here and not with your parents? Both real or other.

Other Wybie scratched the back of his head, as he knew about Merita's cover story, and that Merita has a hard time talking about anything of her past because of her having very little memory of it.

Merita: Well, uh. That's a touchy subject, but... ( Lies smoothly: ) My real parents are dead, and sense their dead, my other parents are also...

Coraline: Oh. I am so sorry, Mery. I didn't mean-

Merita: It's alright, Coraline. ( Continues the lie: ) Anyway, after my parents passed away, your Other parents took me in and I've been living here and going in and out of this world and the real world. I prefer to be here though, I can be my crazy self without judgement here.

Coraline: Crazy? I thought you were just extremely weird, in a good way.

Merita: Nope. ( Knocks on her head ) I'm not fully there in the head. But, everyone here doesn't seem to mind, and it seems like you don't mind my craziness either. Speaking of good craziness, to the jumping mice!

The trio then started going up the stairs to Bobinsky's, Merita was doing cartwheels while going up the stairs.

Coraline: ( to the other Wybie: ) Uh. . . It didn't hurt, did it, when she-

Merita: Up above!

The Other Wybie then points past Coraline, a small blimp is flying towards Bobinsky's door. The trio ran up the stairs and watched the blimp slip through an opening above his door. Coraline knocks and the door suddenly spins, throwing them inside. Merita was the first to be thrown inside, and Coraline and Other Wybie landed on her.

Merita: Off the ginger, she's in pain! And not mentally.

Coraline: Sorry, Mery.

Coraline and Other Wybie quickly got off of Merita, and helped her up. They then saw that down two rows of small cannons that face each other, an amazing miniature cirus has been set up, with a ferris wheel popcorn machine beside it.

Coraline: Whoa...cool!

As Coraline went to the popcorn machine, Other Wybie stepped on a firing button for one of the small cannons, he caught a cotton candy cone, Merita then had a mischievous idea, and Other Wybie saw this and shook his head " no " to her as he knew what she was thinking, she just nods her head " yes " in response.

A few seconds later, Coraline turned around when she heard the sound of multiple cannons going off, to find that Other Wybie and Merita were now covered in cotton candy.

Coraline: ( Laughs ) Look at you!

Merita: Yeah, we look..." Sweet as candy ".... Come on, that was funny.

Spotlights then come on in the circus tent, and the entrance opens, and a big voice is heard over loudspeakers.

Other Mr. Bobinsky: ( off-screen: ) Ladies and gentleman! For to tickle your eyes and ears and making hearts to thump, I Sergei Alexander Bobinsky am introducing...

The trio raced to the entrance, and crawled inside.

Other Mr. Bobinsky: ( off-screen: ) . . . my as-tound-ishing, stu-pen-dulous and AH-MAZING Jumping Mouse Cirus!

The trio sits in between the miniature grandstands. Merita was sitting in between Other Wybie and Coraline. They watched as the little blimp, bathed in spotlights, enters through a flap. It circles around, rising to the top of the tent, then nose-dives towards the ground. It crashes in the center of the circus ring, and opens like a flower from which 50 Jumping Mice, wearing uniforms, spring up like acrobats to spell out " CORALINE ".

Coraline: ( to Merita and Other Wybie, delighted: ) My name!

The jumping mice leap to the ground in formation, playing tiny instruments, and drummers start pounding their drums. The drum major mouse parachutes down and whips out a baton. On his signal, the group launch into a wild russian circus march. Merita glanced at Coraline, and saw that she was enjoying the show. Coraline then turns to Merita and Other Wybie.

Coraline: It's wonderful, guys!

Merita and the Other Wybie both smiled, and Other Wybie nodded to the beat of the bass drums as the hopping band marched in and out of ever changing formations, pinwheels, X's, and circles within circles. Then hoppers begin to spiral to the center of the circus ring when the floor rises up from its center to form a six-foot tower of babel, the mice hopping to the top. The drum major balances on the tippy-top on a colorful circus ball.

Coraline: Wow!

Merita: ( whispers, half jokingly: ) Is it bad if I'm kinda hoping the mouse falls?

Coraline playfully punched Merita's arm in response with a smile.

Merita: Joking.

The drum major mouse then runs the ball down and around the spiral as the mice hop off, and when he hits the ground, the tower drops away to reveal the Other Mister Bobinsky, he was wearing a ringmaster outfit. Coraline, Merita, and Other Wybie stand and clapped in applause. Other Bobinsky bows graciously, doffing his tall black hat.

Coraline: Yah! Whooo-oooh! That was great!

Other Mr. Bobinsky: Very very thank you, Ladies and gentleman.

On cue, the entire jumping mice band disappears into Other Mr. B's sleeves while the drum major mouse swings up from the man's moustache and onto his head, where he's quickly hidden by the tall black hat.

Coraline: We loved it, Mr. B. It was....

Other Mr. Bobinsky: Ahhhhhh....

Coraline: A-mazing!

Other Mr. Bobinsky: You are very welcome anytime you like, you and also your good friends there.

Coraline turned to Other Wybie and Merita, beaming in joy, Merita kept the smile on her face, even though she didn't like that Coraline was falling for the Beldam's traps.

Other Mr. Bobinsky: Dosvedanya, Coraline.

Other Mr. Bobinsky takes Coraline's hand to kiss it, but Merita quickly pulls Coraline away from him and protectively holds Coraline's hand, smiling while giving the Other Bobinsky a warning glare.

Merita: We should really be getting home now. Come on, Coraline.

Merita then began dragging Coraline out of the circus and Bobinsky's place with Other Wybie following, once they got out of the door, Coraline pulls her hand away from Merita and looked at the ginger with a raised brow and a confused expression.

Coraline: What was that back there?

Merita: What was what? I was just telling him that we needed to get home.

Coraline: ( looks at Merita with a teasing smile: ) Oh, really?

Merita: ( Blushes slightly ) Yes!-

Merita glares at Other Wybie, as he made a heart with his hands while looking at the two girls.

Merita: ( blushes heavily ) Put those hands away, mister.

Coraline crossed her arms with a smile, as she already knows about why Merita was blushing. Merita just shook the cotton candy off her, and began walking away from Coraline and Other Wybie with her hands in the pockets of her shorts.

Merita: Let Mother know that I'm going on a walk. I'll see you guys later.

Merita then walked away from the two before they could say anything in protest. Coraline then looked at Other Wybie with her arms crossed and a knowing smile.

Coraline: She has a crush on me, doesn't she?

Other Wybie nods his head, before looking at Coraline as he gestures to the walking away ginger.

Coraline: ( blushes slightly ) You'll have to wait and see for that answer.

( Slight Time Skip, with Merita )

Merita walked back to the house, and went inside to be greeted by the Beldam.

Merita: She asleep?

Beldam: Yes. Now, Fox, I want to use your magic on her at her next visit, put on a show for her.

Merita: What?! No! I'm not going to do that to her-

The Beldam then pulls out the enchanted handbell and rang it, making Merita stop talking and freeze at the sound.

Beldam: You will do as I say. Am I clear, Fox? Or do I need to quicken the process?

Merita: No, Mother. I... I will do as you command...

Beldam: Good. Now, go to your room, Fox.

Merita then walked away from the Beldam and went to her room, closing the door behind her. Then Merita transformed into her bipedal fox form and began growling and she punched a wall, making a small crack in it.

Merita: ( growls, before breaking down into tears and fell to her knees on the ground ) Why? Why does she want to torture me so much? I... I didn't do anything to her... I... I am just a weak, pathetic freak of nature! Who can't even remember who she is! I... I just don't want Coraline to be another one of her victims...but I can't do anything to stop it, I can't protect her...

Merita then saw her silver scissors that was laying on the ground, before she looked at her fur and the small amounts of sewing supplies in the corner of the room.

Merita: ( has an idea ) Or maybe, I can create something that can...

Merita then grabbed the scissors and held it in her paws.

Merita: Time for a small fur cut... It's not like it's that useful for me anyway...

( Slight Time Skip, the next morning )

Coraline wakes up in the real world, and saw that Merita wasn't at the window, but instead, a small fluffy fox plushie with very realistic fur and a note laying beside it on the window seating.

( A/n: The fox plushie that Merita made Coraline, what do you think? )

Coraline looked at the small plush fox with a smile, and looked at the note and read it out loud.

Coraline: ( reads the note out loud: ) " Dear Coraline, sorry for not being there with you when you wake up, but I'm preparing a surprise for you for your next visit to the Other world. For now, I hope you like this gift I made you, I advise you to bring it with you to the other world, there's a little surprise waiting for you within the plush when it's in the other world. Love, Merita. "

Coraline smiled and picked up the fox plush, and looked at it curiously.

Coraline: Huh, I wonder what's Merita is planning. ( To the plush: ) Do you know, little guy? No? We'll find out later. Huh, she does know how to make stuff that is as cute as her.

Coraline didn't notice that the fox plush's tail wagged slightly.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

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

As you might already know, next chapter is going to be an original scene/wonder. What do you think Merita is going to do?

Till next time my agents of mischief 😜