Chapter 12

Merita and the fox plush watched as Coraline pulled the real Wybie in the living room and pointed at the little door. Merita knew by how Wybie looked around, that he was anxious, fearful and curious about being in the house. Merita was sitting on the couch with the fox plush, while holding the button eye on her hand.

Coraline: ( to Wybie: ) She's in there.

Merita mentally groaned as she knew that Coraline was trying to tell Wybie the truth about the little door. Reluctantly, Wybie bends down and reaches for the key in the lock.

Wybie: C-can you- can you unlock it?

Coraline grabs his hand and stops him.

Coraline: Not in a million years. 

Merita then spoke with a frown, startling Coraline and Wybie, and Wybie looked at what Merita was wearing in shock as he never in his life thought he would see Merita not wearing an overall dress, let alone a skirt.

Merita: But it wouldn't matter, the ghosts and everyone in that world can't escape, not without the ghosts' eyes.

Wybie: Huh-

Merita: I know I look ridiculous.

Wybie stares at the two, nods his head as if he understands what the two girls were telling him, but Merita knew that he thought the two girls were crazy, well, Merita already knew that she was crazy, so, what Wybie was thinking is half true.

Wybie: So, uh, I really need to get that doll?

Coraline: Great! I'd love to get rid of it! Mery, you watch the door.

Merita: ( with a smile: ) Yes, ma'am. Try not to make her mad Wybie.

Coraline then grabs Wybie's sleeve, and leads him out of the living room. Merita then looked at the audience with a smile.

Merita: 3...

Merita began to hear muffled yelling from upstairs.

Merita: 2...

The fox plush looked at her with its head tilted to the side in confusion.

Merita: 1. ( Snaps her fingers )

They then heard the sound of something being thrown, and they began to hear yelling.

Coraline: ( Yelling: ) You're not LISTENING TO ME!

Wybie: That's...cause... you're crazy!

Merita then walked out of the living room and watched as Wybie fled as a boot flew past him. She then watched Coraline pick up her boots from the floor, and chased Wybie down the stairs in her socks.

Wybie: Mery! Help!

Merita: Wybie, you may be like a brother to me, but... You dug this grave, you can get yourself out of it with you just listen!

Merita then watched as Wybie ran out of the front door, down the steps and to his bike. Merita then stands next to the steps as Coraline races down after him.

Coraline: You creep!

Wybie: Crazy!!

Merita: ( shouts to Wybie: ) She's not crazy, I am! ( Coraline gives her a side glare ) ( to Coraline: ) What? It's true.

Wybie runs his bike towards the fallen tree, hops on and pedals away as Coraline hurls a boot at him, he escapes down a side path past the driveway.

Coraline: ( yells, at Wybie: ) Crazy? You're the jerk-wad that gave me the doll!

Merita then watched as Coraline noticed her parents' car parked to the side.

Coraline: Mom! Dad!

Excited, Coraline hops over the fallen tree and runs to the car. Merita watched with a frown as it began to rain as Coraline looked through the car window, then tried to call her dad on her mom's phone, and she knew by the dejected look on Coraline's face that he didn't pick up, Coraline then snaps the phone shut and said something under her breath. Merita then walked to Coraline, sat down in the car next to Coraline, and placed her hand on Coraline's shoulder to comfort her.

Merita: ( to Coraline, calmly: ) Hey... Everything is going to be okay, alright, firecracker?

Coraline: ( sighs ) ( looks at Merita ) Tell me the truth, was what you told me about why you were there true or not?

Merita: ( sighs ) Sorta... I actually did lose my parents...but, the Beldam didn't take me in, I am cursed to do whatever she says with a ring of an enchanted handbell, until the ghost children's souls are free and I don't really remember much of anything before the Beldam... I... I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth sooner... I was just afraid to say anything and I knew that you would've thought I was crazy, which I am, but still.

Coraline: Hey, it's okay... I know this may sound crazy-

Merita: Firecracker, do I need to remind you who you are talking about?

Coraline: ( chuckled slightly ) Yeah... But, are you... Are you...you know...

Merita: Not human? Yeah, I don't know what I am exactly, but to put it simply, I'm some kind of fox shape-shifter, and I also can....

The fox plush jumped in the car and sat in between Merita and Coraline, and Coraline then noticed the fox plush's fur and realized that Merita's hair was cut short shortly after the ginger gave her the plush.

Coraline: Merita.

Merita: Yeah?

Coraline: How exactly did you make the plush? ( Points to the fox plush )

Merita: Oh, I, uh... May have, cut my fur short and used it to make it, and because of that, I was able to make it come to life with my magic, and because I cut my fur short I'd also cut my hair short... I just realized how weird that sounds now.

Coraline: ( a bit sarcastically: ) Oh, really? And the fact that you can turn into a fox wasn't weird.

Merita: I actually have three other fox forms I can turn into, a normal fox, a bipedal fox, and the scary one.

Coraline: Scary one?

Merita: It's best that you don't see it. It's not my prettiest forms. ( Gets an idea ) You know what, I have an idea on who might help.

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

Till next time my agents of mischief 😜