Coraline Page #17

The PEARL in Coraline's hand PULSES BLUE.

TALL GIRL GHOST (V.O.)

Hurry on, girl - her web is unwinding!

Coraline nods, sticks the pearl in her bag, and looks up

towards the ceiling and beyond.

EXT. OTHER HOUSE/OTHER BOBINSKY'S BALCONY - SAME

CORALINE'S MOVING POV, on lower ext stairs to UP ANGLE ON

BALCONY. We hear haunting circus music in the air.

Other Mr. B's Russian flag, TORN in places, waves in the

air. The pale green moon is nearly HALF-ECLIPSED now with

what is clearly the SHADOW OF A HUGE, DARK, BUTTON.

ANGLE ON CORALINE as she climbs the last flight of stairs

to Bobinsky’s. She stops with a SHUDDER at the top. The

flag has been replaced with the EMPTY COAT OF OTHER WYBIE-

gloves, pants and sneakers pinned on - hanging like old

laundry.

CORALINE:

Oh, Wybie...

She takes a breath, leans out over the railing and

shouts.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

EVIL WITCH ... I’M NOT SCARED!

The door behind her CREAKS open. Coraline shivers - she

is definitely scared.

INT. OTHER MR. B’S ATTIC FLAT - CONTINUOUS

Coraline steps into the apartment and carefully shuts the

door. The cannons and Ferris wheel are dark and quiet;

the circus tent glows dimly. Pale green moonlight shines

in patches through holes in the roof. The corners and

edges of the room are very dark.

OTHER BOBINSKY suddenly CRAWLS by the door behind her.

Coraline whips around, on guard. He LOOMS UP past the

cannons on her right, leaning towards her.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY

Hello, ga-LOO-boo-shka.

There are too many joints in his arms and legs.

CORALINE:

I’m Coraline.

His tall, crooked hat is pulled so low, and his collar so

high, that his face is completely hidden.

He throws out his arm towards her and the CIRCUS BALL

from the mouse circus rolls from his sleeve to his hand.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY

Is dis vhat you’re looking for?

She looks through the hole of the triangle candy and sees

an AMBER GLOW – the THIRD GHOST'S EYE!

CORALINE:

Uh-huh.

She grabs for it, but he's too quick. He back-bends to

all fours and SCUTTLES around her towards the back

shadows.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY

You tink vinning game is goot ting?

Coraline holds up the triangle candy, scans the room for

him. His voice sounds distorted now.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY (O.S.)

(CONT'D)

You'll just go home and be bored and

neglected...

WE SEE him twine up a post behind Coraline, crawl out on

a beam...

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY

(CONT'D)

...same as alvays.

He SWINGS UPSIDE-DOWN from his ankles, his head stopping

right by Coraline's. She whips around, alarmed.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY

(CONT'D)

Stay here vis us; vee vill listen to you

and laugh vis you.

He DROPS to the floor on his head, then SLITHERS into the

circus tent. Coraline does not want to follow him. But

she does.

INT. CIRCUS TENT - CONTINUOUS

The Other Mr. B is perched on a pile of MOLDY CHEESES in

the center of the ring. He moves like all his bones are

broken.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY

If you stay here, you can have vhatever

you vant, vsig-DA - alvays.

Coraline raises the triangle candy to her eye, sees the

AMBER GLOW coming from inside his hat.

CORALINE:

You don’t get it, do you?

She moves closer.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY

I don’t understand.

Small forms MOVE under the back of his coat.

CORALINE:

Of course you don't understand. You're

just a copy she made of the real Mr. B.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY

(last breath)

Not even that anymore.

Coraline pulls off his hat. Instead of his head, a HUGE

PALE RAT SITS THERE -holding the circus ball. It barks

at her then DIVES DOWN the coat collar.

RATS leap from COAT SLEEVES and PANT LEGS, Coraline pulls

back, HORRIFIED, as the clothes collapse, scanning around

for the circus ball.

There's a rat bark behind her and she turns. The HUGE RAT

-balanced on a wheel of cheese, circus ball in paws -

TAUNTS HER, then RUNS THE CHEESE OUT THE DOOR! She GIVES

CHASE.

INT. OTHER MR. B'S FLAT - CONTINUOUS

The OTHER RATS RACE behind the twin rows of cannons - the

cheese wheel rat rolls through them, heading towards the

door!

Coraline CHARGES. The cannons, manned by rats, FIRE

COTTON CANDY at her. She's HIT in the side, her leg, her

ribs; she weaves and STUMBLES, the shots landing like

punches.

CORALINE:

Ahhh! No!!

A PET DOOR - perfectly shaped for the rat on the wheel -

appears in the front door as the rat approaches.

Coraline looks up to see the PET DOOR OPEN and the CHEESEWHEEL

RAT HEADING THROUGH IT TO THE OUTSIDE.

Coraline takes her triangle candy stone and THROWS IT as

hard as she can AT THE RAT.

The whistling candy FLIES through the pet door towards

the RAT, just outside.

EXT. OTHER MR. B'S FLAT - CONTINUOUS

The RAT DUCKS, the CANDY MISSES, and the cheese-wheel rat

ESCAPES down the stairs with the ball.

INT. OTHER MR. B'S FLAT - CONTINUOUS

Coraline, lurching forward, HOLLERS.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

NOOOO!

Two waiting rats - tail tips tied - pull tails tight, and

TRIP her. She CRASHES THROUGH THE DOOR AND--.

EXT. OTHER HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

--OUT onto the balcony which TEARS AWAY FROM THE HOUSE

with ATTACHED STAIRWAY.

CORALINE:

Noooo!

The whole rig, with Coraline on top, ROTATES as it

collapses, THROWING CORALINE toward the front of the

house when it HITS THE GROUND. She BLACKS OUT a moment.

WHEEZING for breath, Coraline pushes up on hands and

knees and SCANS past the topiaries and poplars and white

gravel driveway, looking for the cheese-wheel rat and

circus ball. No cheese-wheel rat, no circus ball ghost

eye.

Coraline, lit by a NARROWING BAND of pale green light,

turns to look at the moon. It's nearly covered now by the

DARK BUTTON SHADOW.

Her HAND stings from a scrape. BLOOD trickles from her

knee. She feels nothing but COLD LOSS.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

(devastated)

Oh God, I’ve lost the game; I’ve lost

everything.

She sobs, hugs knees and face to chest. The band of light

that illuminates her is narrowing to near-gone.

In the foreground, the HEAD of the cheese-wheel rat -

CIRCUS BALL IN ITS TEETH - DROPS ON THE GROUND. Sawdust

leaks from its neck. Band of light STOPS NARROWING, the

eclipse paused.

There’s a familiar MEROWWW and Coraline looks up.

Across from her on the front yard, sits the BLACK CAT,

licking his paws, rat's head and circus ball at his feet.

CAT:

I think I mentioned that I don't like

rats at the best of times.

Coraline smiles, walks towards him.

CORALINE:

I think you might have said something

like that.

CAT:

It looked like you needed this one,

however.

He bats the circus ball and it rolls to Coraline.

She picks it up , sticks it in her bag. Around her, the

YARD, HOUSE, TREES, SHRUBS AND DRIVEWAY TURN ASHEN GRAY.

CORALINE:

Thank you.

Looks towards house.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

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