Coraline's Audition

If Coraline had to choose the moment when she first discovered her powers, it will be during fifth grade, right after moving to San Francisco.

Sure, the kids from the neighborhood back home sometimes commented on how she got kinda scary when she was angry, but that was it. But now in this new city, with another school where she was a completely stranger, and parents who didn't truly pay attention to her, Coraline felt intimidated. She was a total coward, always speaking softly and stuttering, staying in the back of the classroom, carrying a doll that looked like her everywhere she went, regardless of how childish it looked. It didn’t take long before her classmates started to pick up on her, and although she tried to talk about it with her parents, they brushed it off as innocent jokes, and said that soon they would befriend her. With no idea what to do, she endured her classmates cruel jokes and verbal abuse during weeks, too scared to say something back or call a teacher.

But everyone had a breaking point, and eventually, Coraline snapped.
“It seems like is only you and me again, mini me.” She whispered softly to her doll, sitting on her desk while the rest of the class was out for lunch time. “Guess what? Mom even made me a sandwich today. You know how she doesn’t have time for doing things like this, but today she surprised me. Perhaps today will be a good day.” She continued to talk as a smile played on her lips. She enjoyed the company of her doll, since it would never hurt her, or judge her or leave her, and she didn’t need to speak loud or explain herself. Indeed the perfect company. But that moment of peace was soon broken.

“Are you talking with a thing?!” Said her classmate with a scoff. Coraline looked up terrified, recognizing the girl as one of the persons that insulted her frequently and hold her doll tighter. “I knew you were a freak but now I know that you’re crazy.” The girl said mockingly before looking to the other side of the door. “Hey guys! Look here! Caroline is talking with a doll!” She yelled attracting the attention of their classmates.

“I-it’s Co-Cora…” Coraline tried to say loudly, but sadly it only came off as a whisper, and quickly got interrupted by her classmate. “Shut up! Nobody asked you freak.” She yelled at the same time she walked over to her desk, with a group of boys and girls behind her, the same that always bothered Coraline, “S-sorry!” She said lamely, afraid of being surrounded, and held her doll closer to herself. “Please, l-leave…” She managed to squeak, but the girl smacked the desk in response. “Are you trying to order us around freak?!” She demanded, and Coraline shut her eyes out of fear. What could she do? Even if she called a teacher, they would get angry at her and come back, they would always come back. She started to shake frightened, when another of the girls grabbed her doll and pulled it away. “W-wait! Give it-!” She tried to fight back and refused to let go, but the girl was stronger and eventually pushed Coraline away sending her to the floor, without the doll. “She is trying to order us around! Guess we’ll have to show you who’s on charge here.” The girl threw the doll on the floor and stepped on it, much to Coraline’s horror. “Stop it!!” She yelled with tears in her eyes and stood up, but two boys grabbed her. “Geez, such a big deal for just a doll. You’re such a crybaby.” One of the boys commented before the group started laughing. “I wonder if she has some money hidden here.” The first girl commented while trying to tear the doll apart. Coraline tried to get rid of the boy’s hold desperately, but they just laughed about how idiot she got like that for a doll.

That moment in particular was when Coraline used her powers for the first time. She stopped struggling and everything (the fear, the doubts.) went away while the girl tore off the doll, replaced by anger and hatred. She wanted them to feel the same way she did, she wanted then to know how it felt to be scared, unable to do anything to help yourself or the ones you cared about, just as she felt about her doll and their bullying. Somehow, all those negative feelings mixed up together, and went right back at those who hurt her. Coraline has a blurred memory of the moment, but she remembers it felt as if a huge wave came right from her and smashed everyone around. The next she knew all the kids were running away in scared, some of them even peed on their pants. Little she cared about why they did it on the moment, and instead picked up her doll and took it home with her to fix it, skipping the rest of the class for the day. The next day Coralline’s classmates seemed confused about what happened the day before, but stayed away and didn’t bother. Coraline thought it was all thanks to the new found ability she felt in that moment, and suffered a major change in her personality; now she was going to turn the tables and become the one who scared everyone. She just needed a look, and they would step back afraid and do as she said, even some teachers. Using it in them left her more tired the first time she tried, as grown up were harder to fool, but by the end of the year she more likely become one of the most feared students, a problem child that not even most of the teachers dared to deal with. Still, she carried the doll with her everywhere she went, and crushed anyone who dared to make fun of her. By the time she reached fourteen, Coraline discovered on internet an independent organization called Elite, for people with unnatural abilities, just like her. Apparently, they were a training center, were she would use her powers as an agent for them. Using powers to kick the bad guys’ ass? That sounded really good to her. So without a doubt she enrolled to Elite, a place away from all the people she hated including her parents, where she could use her powers on bad people, just as she liked.