Coraline Page #14

She grabs his hand, stops him.

CORALINE:

Not in a million years. But it wouldn’t

matter; she can’t escape without her

eyes. None of the ghosts can.

Wybie stares at her, nodding his head as if he

understands her crazy story. He changes the subject, gets

back to his mission.

WYBIE:

Huhhhhhh... So, uh, I really need to get

that doll?

Coraline snaps at him.

CORALINE:

Great! I’d love to get rid of it!

She exhales in a huff. Grabs his sleeve, leads him from

room.

INT. CORALINE’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

The doll’s not on the bed, not on the chairs or moving

boxes.

CORALINE:

Where are you hiding, you little

monster?!

Wybie nervously watches Coraline pull out her dresser

drawers, yank cushions off the window seat.

WYBIE:

You and Gramma been talking?

CORALINE:

The doll’s her spy! It’s how she watches

you, finds out what’s wrong with your

life!

Wybie, trapped like a deer-in-the-headlights, tries to

make sense of her remarks.

WYBIE:

The doll...is my Gramma’s...spy.

CORALINE:

NO! - the Other Mother! She’s got this

whole world where everything’s better -

the food, the garden, the-

(leans in on him)

--neighbors.

Holds her hands up.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

But it’s all a trap!

Wybie, eager to escape, cups hand to ear by the window.

WYBIE:

Yeah... Uh, I think I heard someone

calling me, Jonesy.

Coraline sees right through him.

CORALINE:

Don’t believe me?... You can ask the cat!

He moves around her towards the door, turns to leave.

WYBIE:

The cat... I-I’ll just tell Gramma that

you couldn’t find the doll-- OW!

A blue boot - thrown by Coraline - HITS his arm. He turns

back as she takes off the second one.

CORALINE:

You’re not LISTENING TO ME!

WYBIE:

That’s ... cause ... you’re CRAZY!

He FLEES as the second boot flies past. Coraline GROWLS,

and gives chase.

INT UPPER STAIRWAY - CONTINUOUS

She grabs her boots from the floor, and CHASES him down

the stairs in her socks.

EXT. FRONT DOOR/DRIVEWAY - CONTINUOUS, RAINING

Door flies open and Wybie RUNS down the front steps to

his electric bike. Coraline RACES down after him.

CORALINE:

You creep!

WYBIE:

(calling over his shoulder)

Crazy!!

He RUNS his bike towards the FALLEN TREE, HOPS ON and

PEDALS LIKE MAD. As Coraline hurls a boot at him, he GUNS

the motor and escapes down a side path past the driveway.

CORALINE:

Crazy?... You’re the jerk-wad that gave

me the doll!

Out of breath, she turns away and notices her PARENTS’

CAR parked to the side.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

Mom! Dad!

Excited, she hops over the fallen tree and runs to the

car.

INT. JONES’ CAR - SAME

Coraline, standing in the rain, excitedly looks through

the car's window. But the car is EMPTY. She spots her

mom’s PHONE, then opens the door to grabs it and speed

dial a number.

CORALINE:

Pick it up, Dad, pick it up.

CHARLIE (V.O.)

Hi!

CORALINE:

Dad! Whe-

CHARLIE (V.O.)

I’m digging in my garden right now, but

leave a message and I’ll get right back

to you.

She dejectedly looks at the phone, then snaps it shut.

CORALINE:

Where have you gone?

INT. SPINK AND FORCIBLE’S LIVING ROOM - EVENING

Miss Spink is knitting a SWEATER WITH WINGS for a worried-

looking ANGUS, one of the Scotties, who sits on her lap.

Coraline sips tea, anxious, the other two DOGS beside

her.

CORALINE:

Uh... don’t you only make wings for the

... dead ones?

MISS SPINK:

Just looking ahead dear... Angus hasn’t

been feeling very well of late.

MISS FORCIBLE (O.S.)

April? Aren’t you getting ready?

MISS SPINK:

(looks off camera)

We’ve lost our ride, Miriam. Caroline

says her parents have vanished, quite

completely.

ANGLE ON Miss Forcible, tightening her elaborate corset

behind a screen, using pulleys and hooks.

MISS FORCIBLE:

What?! We’ve waited months for those

tickets.

One of the corset hooks FLIES UP and pulls off her wig.

She ignores it and comes over to address Spink.

MISS SPINK:

I suppose we could walk!

MISS FORCIBLE:

With your gamy legs? It’s nearly two

miles to the theater!

Coraline CLEARS HER THROAT, frustrated.

MISS SPINK:

Oh, oh yes ... your missing parents. We

know just what you need. Miriam,

get...that’s right.

Miss Forcible grabs another dish of old stuck-together

candy and puts it in front of Coraline.

CORALINE:

How is hundred-year-old candy going to

help-

Miss Spink suddenly RAISES her KNITTING NEEDLES as if to

STAB CORALINE. Coraline yelps, hands up in defense. But

it’s CANDIES she attacks, sending sticky chips flying,

making loud grunts as she stabs.

She pulls a LARGE, THREE-SIDED CANDY WITH A HOLE IT from

the rubble and passes it to Coraline.

MISS SPINK:

There you go, sweety.

Coraline studies the odd candy.

CORALINE:

What's it for?

She holds it up, looks through its hole at the ladies.

MISS SPINK:

Well,it might help. They’re good for bad

things, sometimes.

MISS FORCIBLE:

No, they’re good for lost things.

They don't look any different.

MISS SPINK:

It’s bad things, Miriam.

MISS FORCIBLE:

Lost things, April.

MISS SPINK:

Bad.

MISS FORCIBLE:

Lost.

MISS SPINK:

Bad things!

MISS FORCIBLE:

Lost.

MISS SPINK:

Bad.

MISS FORCIBLE:

Lost.

Coraline can’t take anymore. She gets up, takes the odd

piece of candy and leaves.

INT. PARENT’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Coraline, dressed for bed with her blanket over her

shoulder, walks into her parent’s room, the PHOTO of her

and her parents at the Bear Fountain in the foreground.

She pulls down the bed covers and builds COPIES of her

parents out of pillows. She fits an extra neck brace on

one pillow head and some reading glasses on the other.

Then Coraline lies down and pulls up the covers, very

sad.

CORALINE:

Good-night, Mom. Good-night, Dad.

She kisses them both and BEGINS TO CRY. CAM PUSHES IN.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PARENT’S BEDROOM - NIGHT, LATER

Coraline, asleep. SOMETHING blurs past camera. One paw

and then two paws bat her nose. She opens her eyes to

find OPAL BLUE EYES staring at her. It’s the BLACK CAT,

purring loudly.

CORALINE:

Hello. How did you get in?

The cat yawns, his eyes flash.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Do you know where Mom and Dad are?

The cat blinks. Then he heads out the door.

INT. LOWER HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

She follows him, wrapped in her blanket, to the MIRROR at

the end of the hallway. The mirror starts to GLOW and

then an IMAGE FORMS within the glass. It's HER PARENTS!

They cling together, blue with cold, as snow falls.

CORALINE:

MOM! DAD!!

They look up and, with a desperate look, Mel BREATHES on

the inside mirror-glass to fog it. She writes H E L P U

S. – her fingertip squeaking on the glass like a SMALL,

SAD BIRD. Frost RISES UP, hiding the letters and then her

parents. The image fades.

Coraline STRIKES AT THE MIRROR as hard as she can. GLASS

SHATTERS and she drops to the ground, shaking. The cat

nuzzles her..

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