Coraline's Twin

Chapter 8: The Cat

I crawl out of the passage and head straight to the kitchen. I found the other mother making breakfast, my stomach rumbled. Realising how hungry I was I sat down at the small circle table.

"I'm glad you both came here." The other mother said.
"Really?" I ask. "Where's Coraline?"

'I can't let her know that I know there's something weird about this world.' I though to myself.
"She went out to the garden to get your father."
"You mean our other father." I say.

"Better father dear. Now eat up, they'll be here soon." The other mother said, placing food down onto the table as Coraline and the other father walked into the kitchen, holding some yellow snapdragons.
"For you." The other father said giving them to the other mother.

She smiled and put the flowers in a vase before sitting down.
Coraline started eating some sausages, eggs and waffles while the other father stacked waffles on top of each other. The other mother was feeding bits of sausage to the snapdragons. I put some waffles onto my plate along with some whipped cream and maple syrup.

"Mmm...so good!" I heard Coraline say.
"I love dinner-breakfast food." The other father said before shoving some waffle in his mouth.
I took a bite and glanced to the other mother's plate, sure enough it was empty and spotless just like last night.
"Hmmm..." I say out loud.

"What was that dear?" The other mother asked.
I looked up, trying to think of a lie. "I said mmmm, because these waffles are delicious." I say beaming at her.
She smiled. "Glad you liked them."

"Coraline, Mr. Bobinsky has invited you to come see the Jumping Mice perform after dinner." The other mother said.
"Really. That know-it-all Wybie said it was all in Mr. B's head, I knew he was wrong." Coraline replied.
"Well, everything's right in this world, Kiddo." The other father said.
"Carol, would you like to go?" The other mother asked.

"Um, I want to see more of this place, is it ok if I go for a walk instead?" I ask.
"Sure thing sweetheart." The other mother said.

I finished my breakfast-dinner and headed out of the door in the kitchen.
"Don't walk too far!" The other mother called.
I nodded before heading out the door.

I walked for a bit around the house to a fallen tree and sat down on it.
"Something's wrong, why is everything so perfect here?" I say to myself.

"Because that's what she thinks will make you stay here forever." A deep voice said to me.
I jumped and turned to where the voice came from, the cat was sitting down next to me.
"Did you say that?" I ask, noticing he didn't have button eyes like the rest of the people here.

"Yes I did." He said. "And I know you know that something is wrong here."
"I do know that, but I don't know what is going on here." I say getting up to walk.
"She's not what she seems to be." The cat said.

"I know that, she doesn't eat anything that she cooks, why is that?" I ask.
"She just wants something to eat." The cat replied. "I suggest not coming back here."
"I'm trying, but Coraline loves it here." I say.

"Yes, it's because she spies on you through the doll's eyes and then makes everything that seems horrible there seem amazing here." The cat explained.
"I want to tell Coraline not to come here, but I know she won't listen to me." I say, downcast.
"I could talk to her." He replied.
"You can?" I ask.

"I will, but you better be going back to the house." He replied before running off.
"Thanks." I call, before walking back to the house.

I walked through the garden, just in case if the other mother asked questions, and then walked back to the house. I walked to the door just as Coraline and, Wybie? Wybie had some cotton candy sticking to his head.
"How was it?" I ask.

"It was amazing, his mice were jumping around making cool shapes. It was just, magical." Coraline said to me. "How was your walk?"
"It was good, I saw the garden. It was amazing." I reply, not telling her I talked to the cat.

We chatted and walked up into our bedroom. I got into bed, where the other mother kissed Coraline and my foreheads. I smile to her and she smiled back before falling asleep.