Moonlightaholics

A little response to Champagne Challenge #178. Star Light, Star Bright.

When I started thinking about wishes and dreams as a theme, a Disney song popped into my head! Followed by someone's response to said Disney song... what followed is a little scene played out in my mind. I hope you enjoy it friends!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


She was humming that song again. Fucking Disney. The indignity of a woman her age warbling that saccharine sweetness made her grimace a little... before a wry smile passed her lips. Like she could even dream anyway. The sleep of the undead had put a stop to that centuries ago... now all there was was darkness. But at least now there would be a little light while she was awake.

She pushed open the door to the third floor hotel room, and stepped into the dim light, before flicking on the lamp. At least it was still on the sideboard today. Not thrown across the room in a rage while she was out.

She could hear him there... and see his silver eyes gazing at her from the corner of the room. Crouched like some dog that had been beaten. Waiting for the tiniest scrap.

'Hello lover...'

She tugged at each gloved finger, laying the garments next to the lamp, and crossed the room with more confidence than she was feeling. Dropping to her knees beside him, she reached her fingers out gently, tucking up a stray, damp curl at his temple. He flinched, and then nuzzled her wrist in an act of pure reflex.... she smiled, and her voice was soft as she rested her palm against his cool cheek...

'I know that it might feel like a nightmare right now, Mick... but you were my dream, don't you see?? That's why I have to keep you with me... I always knew you'd come.'

Tentatively, Mick's fingers covered hers. Leaning into Cora's cupped hand, he exhaled a breath and closed his eyes. She really wasn't the monster of the other night. She loved him. And whatever happened now, this could be his happily ever after.

Oh, Terri, that first line just slayed me! Leave it to Coraline to obliterate 1950's morality by using that oh-so-masculine cuss word... at the same time she's humming those oh-so-sweet Disney lyrics.

But this isn't really a funny, or happy story. This is the perfect illustration of the basically messed-up nature of Mick and Coraline's relationship. It was based on miscommunication (to put it mildly). And deception. And lies. And a relationship based on that can't succeed.

Honestly, I feel terribly sorry for both of them. Because I truly believe that Coraline thought she was doing Mick a tremendous favor. But she never gave him the opportunity to accept the gift she was offering, and he came to view it as a betrayal of trust. And as we all know, once you lose trust, you lose everything.

It amazes me how much meaning can be packed into a very small package. This particular package is jammed full of meaning, and I really love it. Thank you for this beautiful response to the Challenge!

This is indeed powerful. But it put my tummy all in knots.

Mick is so desperate here, I think. He wants to undo what has been done to him, and at the same time he wants to believe that he and Coraline could really be happy together, like he thought would happen when they married. The poor guy is being torn apart inside.

And Coraline thinks progress is being made because Mick didn't throw the lamp across the room for once!

Thanks for sharing!

Wow, this was a really powerful little bite of moonlight history. You present us with some stark contrasts here: Coraline's Disney fantasy of 'everything is wonderful' with the stark and unhappy reality of newly turned Mick in all his confused desperation. Oh Coraline might dismiss the saccharine nature of Disney's worldview, but she herself has tried to create a little slice of that for herself. A happily ever after. And you present us with another contrast: the story begins with Coraline's thoughts but she isn't thoughtful. Her thought-lessness has created the pitiful creature we see and plunged the man she claims to love into an eternal nightmare. It isn't his happily ever after that she was thinking about, it was her own. She's deluding herself. That isn't love.

Oh ladies, thank you so much for your thoughtful, and great comments!

I love the way that this has made us all think about their relationship. Of course we know what we know. But sometimes I think that the spoiled little girl in Coraline would stop at nothing to have things the way she wanted them. And she had to include Mick in that once she had 'made' him. Look at the lengths she went to make them the perfect family by taking young Beth. The last straw for Mick. Whether it was through selfishness or naivete, the lady was used to getting what she wanted, and would do whatever she needed to to get it. Even when it meant doing diabolical things.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my little tale! I appreciate it so much!

Applause..............