Coraline's Nightmare Before Christmas: Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Doctor's Prescription

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Coraline paced herself as she made her way back to the Acid Works to meet rendezvous with Jack to get to the doctor. As she walked, she thought about what had been happening and noticed that there hadn't been any signs of the Other Mother's handiwork. None of the monsters she and Jack fought had buttons for eyes. The Other Mother's signature.

"So what part does she have in this mess other than reviving Oogie? This doesn't make any sense."

She placed her hands in the pockets of her pinafore, only to be alerted by a small object in one of the pockets. Pulling out, Coraline was surprised to find a small, green triangle stone with the middle cut out. This was the same kind of stone she was given by Miss Spink and Miss Forcible when she freed the three ghost children from last time.

But what was it doing in her pocket? The stone she previously had burned to ashes in the Other Mother's fireplace into a green puff of smoke.

"What in the world? I thought this was in ashes."

"Sometimes, it is wise to have a pair." Spoke a familiar voice.

Coraline turned to find the cat walking on the top of the wall that led down the path.

She looked at the stone before she asked an answer.

"A pair? You mean that this came from Miss Spink and Forcible? But I didn't see them putting it in my pocket."

"I am certain that they must have placed it in case of an emergency. And a good thing too."

Coraline raised her eyebrow in questioning the cat.

"What do you mean?"

The cat gave her a simple answer before taking off to parts unknown.

"The Beldam has been alive longer than you think. Remember how she has stayed that way. It may come in handy in the near future."

Once the cat was gone again to who-knows-where, Coraline looked at the stone in her hand. If she had it, and the Other Mother was here too, then does that mean that there are ghost eyes hidden around? Not wanting to second-guess herself, Coraline decided to do some detective work. Deciding that it was somewhere where she and Jack fought something big, Coraline returned to the mausoleum where she and Jack saved Sally.

Taking out the stone, Coraline placed the rock over her eye and, like in the Other World; the stone enabled her to see things not visible to the naked eye. Keeping her wits about her and the stone over her eye, Coraline walked down the corridor of the crypt, searching for the eye. It wasn't until she was in the main chamber that Coraline found a small, sphere-like object tangled in a mass of web near the stain glass.

Since the creator of the web was dead, Coraline wasted no time in freeing the object with her sickle. The webbing was thick and sticky, but she freed the eye. The eye was in the form of a small, blue marble about the size of a small rubber ball. The design was a Cat's Eye, but Coraline knew that there was more within the small object.

The marble flickered its color, and a spirit of a young boy appeared. From what Coraline could tell, he was about twelve. His clothing suggested that he was from Colonial England. She couldn't tell his coloring from his pasty white form, but she recognized the buttons sewn into his eyes.

And he was frightened of her.

Coraline held up a hand and spoke softly.

"I-it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you."

The boy slowly uncoiled as he looked at her.

"The Beldam… Is she near…?" He asked.

Coraline shook her head.

"Not that I know of. But from what I can tell, you were one of her victims?"

The deceased boy nodded.

"I do not remember my name… But I remember my true mother…"

He then looked at Coraline's gaze.

"You know of her…don't you…?"

Coraline nodded.

"Yes. She tried to take my life when I was about your age. But I had beaten her once and freed three ghost children. This is the world where she was born and she is loose somewhere here. But I can help. Me and a friend of mine are trying to stop her and another. Tell me…are there any more dead children that she has taken here?"

The boy, wanting to be free and to help, nodded.

"Yes, milady. There are five others that need to be free."

It was then that the boy vanished into the marble, waiting for the day he can be freed.

Coraline felt in her messenger bag until she found the empty pouch that Sally had given her to help make the Sleeping Soup. The pouch was empty, having spent the Souls on the Worm's Wart and the Halloween Witch card. Since Sally was letting her keep it, Coraline decided to put the pouch to good use.

She placed the marble into the pouch and tied it up, so that the eye and those she would find wouldn't fall out. Even as a teenager, Coraline found the Other Mother's use of her 'children' sickening. It made her wonder why the Other Mother brought them to Halloween Town in the first place.

Whatever the reason, Coraline knew that she had to find them. She also hoped that Jack and the residents of Halloween Town would help.

Without another word, Coraline left the tomb and headed to the rendezvous point at the Acid Works. As she passed the town square, she reminded herself to check the Town Hall later for an eye.

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When Coraline returned to the Acid Works, her attention turned to a sudden crash coming from the section across the place where she found the Frog's Breath. As she quickly approached the intersection, Jack came out from the direction where the crash was heard.

"Jack! What happened?"

Jack answered her, not noticing Coraline's new attire.

"I've disabled the generator to the doctor's manor. But knowing the good doctor, the generator might repair itself in a matter of minutes. I, for one, would like to get into the manor before that happens."

After hearing that statement, Coraline wasted no time in standing around. She ran with Jack, passing the monsters and still-active traps without caring if they should take them out or not. Not with only a minute before the manor's defenses were back online. They made it by the skin of their teeth as an electric bolt shot at them as they reached the door.

Now that they were out of the range of the electric weapon and in front of the doctor's manor, Jack spoke.

"As long as I have known the good doctor, I still can't see that he would do all of this."

Coraline, remembering the Other Father's sacrifice four years ago, came up with a theory. Looking at Jack, she told him.

"What if this doctor is doing this against his will? Maybe Oogie and the Other Mother did something to him to make him do this."

Jack pondered at Coraline's theory for a moment, realizing that she had a point.

"You're right, Coraline! If the doctor is an unwilling pawn in this, then that might explain most of this perplexing puzzle."

Remembering the marble in her messenger bag, Coraline brought it out and showed it to Jack.

"This may look like an ordinary marble, but it contains a dead child's eye. It is what the Other Mother did to the children she caught and eaten."

Jack examined the eye for a moment to the point where he saw the boy inside. Remembering Coraline's tale and what the Beldam did with the eyes of three of these children, finding one in Halloween Town proved to be disturbing.

Returning the eye to Coraline, Jack spoke.

"I take it that there is more than one child here."

Coraline nodded.

"Five more. Hidden in different places in and around Halloween Town, no doubt."

Jack placed a finger on his chin as he pondered. This was completely different from anything he had heard about the Beldam and Oogie's plans from the past. Why did they need the eyes of dead children? And for what purpose? All Jack could figure out was that he and Coraline needed to find the eyes. Not only for Halloween Town, but for the children's sake as well.

Hearing the thundering noise from up above, Jack managed to shake out of his thoughts and speak to Coraline.

"It seems that we need to do more than find Oogie and the Beldam if we are to beat them."

Coraline nodded and thanked Jack for helping her to find the remaining eyes.

But such an endeavor would have to wait. Right now, the entered Doctor Finklestein's manorto confront the doctor and diagnosed his 'ailment.'

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Once they were inside, Coraline and Jack stopped at the center of the ground floor as they heard Shock speak from above.

"I was wondering when you'd get here! Think you can reach me? Try it. It's fun. I know I'm having a ball!"

Shock then pulled a lever that caused a contraption near her to release metal boulders down the spiraling ramp.

"I don't want to crush your spirits. Just your bodies!"

Coraline looked to find an alternate route, but it was clear that the ramp was the only way up. She ran alongside Jack as they headed up the ramp. Once the boulder got close enough, Coraline managed to slip inside a series of spaces along the wall of the manor as Jack used his Soul Robber to hoist himself onto a ledge as the boulder passed them. They've repeated the process until they managed to reach Shock, who was waving a white flag as they approached.

"I'm sorry Jack. I was only playing a trick."

Jack pointed his finger at Shock as he scolded the witch-dressed girl.

"Stop helping Oogie and the Beldam. I mean it."

"Okay~" Shock nodded.

Coraline caught a glimpse of Shock, like Lock before her, crossing her fingers behind her back. But before she could say anything, Shock ran off, leaving Coraline and Jack to the dangers on the floor above them. Looking at the elevator, Jack spoke.

"Are you ready?"

Coraline nodded as she and Jack stood on the elevating platform which took them to the laboratory.

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Once they've reached the floor they needed to be on, Coraline and Jack found the doctor sitting in the center of the room, looking out at the setting sun. Coraline stood still as Jack approached the doctor.

"Doctor Finkelstein! Why are you doing this?"

The hairs on the back of Coraline's neck stood as the doctor spoke without moving.

"Ah, Jack. I see you managed to make it here. And with the girl that the Beldam wants, too."

He then turned around.

"You've been busy, Jack. I think it's time for you to rest."

To Coraline's surprise and disgust, the doctor flipped up his cranium cap and rubbed the brain inside. But it wasn't like any brain Coraline had seen.

The same with Jack.

Instead of a normal brain, a green blob-with eyes-for-a-brain rested in the exposed skull. It was Jack that exclaimed it.

"Oogie switched your brain!"

'How is such a thing even possible?' thought Coraline.

Closing his cap, the doctor spoke again.

"Shall we begin? I think you'll like this device. I made it especially for YOU!"

The maddened scientist brought the pair's attention to the ring over his head. The device had whirling, rotating blades, guns, and the same kind of electrical device that was seen outside the manor.

Coraline looked until she spotted a tray with the doctor's real brain sitting on it.

"Jack! To you right!" She whispered.

Jack glanced and saw what Coraline was seeing.

"I see it, Coraline. All we need to do is to switch the brain to save the doctor."

It was then that Coraline remember the soup.

"I have just the thing!"

Jack, following Coraline's lead, distracted the doctor by dodging the machines as Coraline snuck her way to the back of the doctor's chair. It took a series of dodging and ducking from the doctor's gaze that Coraline managed to sneak the Sleeping Soup onto a steady table next to him. To Coraline and Jack's relief, the doctor took notice of the soup and drank it.

Within a matter of seconds, he was asleep. Nodding to Jack, Coraline snuck behind the doctor's chair again and lifted the lid. Jack took the chance to use his Soul Robber to pull out one half of the rotten brain and replace it with the real one. But just as Jack was about to repeat the process, the doctor woke up.

Coraline jumped back as the doctor went into an outrage, firing things at Jack. As she was about to come up with another plan to help Jack, Coraline noticed that the top of the machine was shimmering.

Like an eye.

Using the distraction to her advantage, Coraline took out the stone again and peered at a small, golf ball-sized sphere above. Instead of a dull brown, it was shining teal.

"It is an eye!"

She watched as electricity came out of the eye and powered the devices that were after Jack. Coraline made the connection and scanned the room until she found a ladder.

Coraline climbed up the ladder as she motioned to Jack that she was going to disable the machine and get the eye while he took care of the doctor's remaining brain. Jack understood and used the radius of the room to his advantage while Coraline crawled her way to the eye.

But as she got close enough to reach for it, she had to withdraw her hand as the electricity continued to form around the eye.

"I have to get that electricity away from the eye. It's no doubt the power source, but how can I get to it when it is in motion?"

Just then, Coraline dodged some lightning as it got near her sickle. It was then that Coraline remembered something she learned from Wybie and science classes. Metal conducts electricity! Meaning that her sickle was a small lightning rod to her.

After noticing the gaps between electrical charges, Coraline came up with a plan. After an electrical discharge had passed, she used most of her strength to insert the sickle into the machine, taking on the charges, and pulled the eye off the device.

Without a conduit to circulate the energy, the machine was beginning to short circuit. As Coraline made her way down the ladder, Jack, seeing the doctor distracted with Coraline's vandalism, took this chance to pull open the doctor's head once more and pulled out the bad brain while Coraline grabbed the normal one and tossed it to Jack as she ran, who quickly placed it into the doctor's head as the machine exploded, leaving no trace of the sickle.

Thankfully, none of the parts landed on Jack, Coraline, or the doctor.

With the machine destroyed and the ghost eye in Coraline's possession, a familiar shimmering light revealed a door in the shape of a shamrock. Jack explained to the now-sane doctor about what has been going on in the town as well as introducing Coraline to him. With the emergence of the door, more questions stormed into the two adventurers' minds.

Doctor Finklestein spoke.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I never imagined my brain would be replaced and the town deceived…"

Jack gestured to the door.

"Doctor! The Saint Patrick's Day Door…"

The doctor looked at the door and spoke.

"Indeed. That is a Holiday Door. Hmm?"

It was then that the doctor had a frightening thought.

"Jack! Coraline! What's today's date?"

"Today?" Coraline asked as she thought.

Jack spoke as well. "Why, today is…"

It was then that both of them realized the same thing as they said the date at the same time.

"December 24th!"

"Oh no! It's almost Christmas!"

Coraline's eyes widened at Jack's statement. Remembering the tale she heard from Jack about the year before, the teen feared for the leader of Christmas.

"I wonder what's happening with the Christmas Door. Let's hope we can find it soon."

It was then that Jack spoke.

"We need to go to the Pumpkin Patch. But it won't be easy."

"Why not?" Coraline asked, figuring out the answer already.

"Because Oogie's monsters have possessed the pumpkins at the entrance. Blocking anyone from entering."

That was a problem. Thankfully, the doctor came up with an idea.

"I know! We'll scare those monsters out of the pumpkins! Give me a moment."

The doctor then looked at Coraline.

"And I have just the replacement weapon for you, young lady. Just give me a moment."

Coraline thanked the doctor as he left to get the things needed for her and Jack to continue.

Shortly after, Sally came into the laboratory, carrying a large, green present with a red ribbon tied on it.

"Is the doctor himself again?"

Jack and Coraline turned their attention to Sally.

"Yes! He's making a device to help us defeat Oogie's army as well as finding up a new weapon for Coraline. Her sickle was destroyed in the explosion."

Sally then handed Jack the gift.

"Jack, do you think this might be helpful, too?"

Jack took the present, curious as to what was inside.

"What's this?"

It was then that, upon his touch, that the present disappeared into a flurry of snow and shrouded Jack. When the snow cleared, Coraline saw her friend in a Santa-like attire, complete with a beard and hat.

"It's Sandy's costume!"

As Jack examined his attire, Sally turned to Coraline and handed her another card.

"I've just got this from the Witch Sisters. It should help."

Coraline took the card in confusion and, like Jack before her, was covered in a flurry of snowflakes.

When the snowflakes cleared, she found herself in a Christmas theme version of Halloween Witch but with differences.

The dress was blood red and the pinafore was white and had hollies on the pockets. The black boots remained the same and she had pure black stockings on. Her hair was adorned with hollies and the knot of the pinafore was in the form of a gold ornament.

The pair heard the doctor laugh as he came from his search.

"Those outfits really suit you both! I completed the scare device. If I told you what's in it, though, that would ruin the surprise! Hide this in your Sandy bag, and use it to stun Oogie's Monsters!"

As Jack was placing the device in his bag, the doctor then brought out a glass jar. Inside was a light blue version of the Soul Robber. And it was fidgeting inside.

"I've made this shortly after I gave Jack his. It should work just as well as his."

Coraline opened the jar and was startled as the glob came to life and wrapped itself around her right wrist.

"I am certain that your Soul Robber will come in handy. In the meantime, while you and Jack continue searching Halloween Town, I will take part and aid in finding those eyes."

Coraline thanked the doctor as she looked as her Soul Robber.

This was turning into a very interesting Christmas.