Title: Patchwork

Chapter Ten: Something Wrong

Started: Sometime in October...but picked up again sometime late November/early December/ then re-picked up mid-January. (Sorry!)

Story Quote: Shadows bulged and weaved as little rodent bodies emerged. And swarmed.

A/N: Had a really long rant here about why I hate this chapter. Deleted it. Hope you all enjoy, and I'm sorry about the wait. On the upside, I know how I'm going to end this. :D Finally, some general idea of where I'm going. Okay, I did get a little sidetracked with my new story. Sorry. D: (Though you should all read it. It requires no prior knowledge! And review it...it's so lonely.) I'm sorry if parts of this sound sorta...disjointed. I think my writing style's changed a little bit.

(You can hear the noises of my mind snapping from the strain this chapter has put on it)

Note about missing shout-outs: I've decided to stop putting them since I'm getting so close to the end. But I didn't forget any of you! I write all the shout-outs on a bonus Credits page that I will post when the story is done. :) Though the people that would have been mentioned in this one would have been BlueItem, Shahrezad1, Gryphowizardgirl (from dA), and Jadeica (who I'm still hoping decides to do some Fanart! *bows down*)

But I really have to mention sakura911 because she is main reason this chapter is finally finished. *bows down*

Take the poll on my profile, please!

Onto the Story!

This was beyond weird.

Wybie sat up, looking into his duplicate's plastic eyes. There was a silence that had settled around them that made every noise deafeningly loud; the scrape of his fingernail against wood floor, his fast breaths, and the rustle of his jeans when he shifted his legs. He wished someone would say something, anything. Just to break the quiet. But the other just kept staring, and he in return. A small connection flared.

Coraline looked at them, a smile spread wide across her face. "We did it," she said and pumped her fist in the air. "We did it! We got away!" She leapt to her feet and began pacing around the room, the adrenaline still running fast through her system. Both Wybies looked up at her and smiled wide. They had done it. They'd all gotten out, safe and unhurt. Mostly.

The girl's attention shifted back to them. "That was so cool of you, Wybie. How'd you know to be waiting in the tunnel?"

"Oh, I-uh. Um. I...don't know? I think he told me," Wybie stuttered, pointing to his doppelganger, who nodded. Well, that was something he'd have to look into later. Right now he was just glad to be out of the situation.

"He told you?" she asked, skeptical. Then something seemed to flash across her face. "Oh man, I've got to tell mom and dad about this. Hold on." She darted off around the doorway and down the hall. Merry shouts echoing around her. There was cause to be happy, wasn't there? It was over. Things could go back to normal.

"Mom? Dad?" Her tone had changed. "Mom! Dad!" She stopped in the doorway again. Her expression a far cry from the cheer she was displaying not a moment before. Wybie paused, unsure of what to say. He was saved the trouble.

The doorbell rang.

Coraline's face split into a smile and she ran for the door. "I missed you guys so much, you'll never-" The door opened, but it wasn't her parents that were there, but her neighbor: Mr. Bobinsky. Thinking fast, Wybie stepped in front of Other Wybie, blocking him from view of the door. Other Wybie peered over his shoulder and tried to get a look.

A man stared down at her with tired, red eyes. "Zdravstvuj, Caroline."

"Mr. B? What...what are you doing here?" The disappointment was heavily evident in her voice. He didn't seem to notice.

"It had been suggested that you vill be coming with me now," he said, by way of reasoning. Coraline was not amused.

She said, "I'm not going anywhere. Who suggested we come with you?"

Bobinsky laughed. "Very spirited, you are!" The medal on his chest shook with his mirth. "The mice, of course. Come now. They be very busy. Must not waste day with chit-chat." He began to walk away but stopped for a moment to talk over his shoulder. "Mice also say to bring ze button-eyed one. Not to forget." Then he walked away. Coraline whirled around and looked at Wybie.

"How did they know he was here?"

That's what he'd like to know. Wybie shook his head in response, and turned to Other Wybie, who wasn't paying attention to either of them. He was just staring at the space that Bobinsky had just vacated. He looked up to Wybie, furrowed his brows, and then looked back. This time, Wybie didn't have an answer. For either of them.

"So what should we do?" he said instead, trying to figure out what his copy was puzzling over.

"I guess we follow," was Coraline's simple answer. Not having any better plans himself, he just nodded and headed towards the door. A twinge in his shoulder made him hesitate for just a second and turn around. Other Wybie looked at him beseechingly, his hand holding his opposite injured shoulder. Uncomprehending, Wybie just shook his head. What was he supposed to getting here? In frustration, the other dug his thumb into the wound, sending a riot of pain coursing through his counterpart's arm.

Animosity grew alongside the waning ebbs of pain, but Wybie tried to push it down. There was a point to that, he just had to understand it. He glared at Other Wybie who winced but otherwise stood firm. What the heck was he supposed to be getting from this? Pain? He was getting a lot of pain. Frick, this link or whatever was such a pain in the—oh. That was it. The link. Bobinsky.

What about Bobinsky?

From the blinking images that was currently flashing before him, he knew one thing well enough. Even if his voice remained, the Other Bobinsky was dead in all sense of the word. His physical form was gone, eaten away by the rats that now embodied him. So how could the real Bobinsky still be here, haggard, but otherwise fine? Somehow, he'd freed himself. Somehow, he'd gotten away.

He looked back to the doorway where Coraline was waiting impatiently. "Come on, let's just see what he wants so we can go," she said, stalking off. Other Wybie gave him one last worried look before trailing after her. Wybie hesitated, holding his arm anxiously. He was worried, and he could tell it wasn't just residual worry bleeding into his subconscious, but his own. He never really did trust that man, and he in no way felt comfortable just traipsing into his apartment. But he really didn't have a whole lot of say in the matter, so he too followed after.

Besides, he was curious. If Bobinsky could survive the link, then couldn't he, too?

Mr. Bobinsky was muttering something as he moved various objects out of the center of his room. "Good practice time lost, now," he grumbled, hefting a fallen lamp to the side. "Many days lost already. Too much. You," he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Other Wybie, who began to tremble noticeably, "come here now." He pointed to the now empty center of the room. Against everything in his mind telling him not to, he inched forward to stand in the circle of light coming in through the window.

They all just stared at him.

"Now what?" Coraline huffed. "You had us come here so that we could see him stand still?"

"Was not my idea! Oi, mice! What do you want? He be here, now!" The silence answered him. Other Wybie rubbed at his shoulder awkwardly. Then several tiny, scampering footsteps began. First few, then many. Shadows bulged and weaved as little rodent bodies emerged.

And swarmed.

Other Wybie back stepped until a rough plank of wood from the windowsill jabbed him in between the shoulder blades. He had nowhere to go. Bobinsky seemed completely unfazed as the mice bounded over his feet and through his legs. They were much too close to Other Wybie. He balanced on one foot, anything to put more distance between himself and them.

As a group, the mice all turned to stare directly at Coraline. The girl in question froze in her place beside the real Wybie at the door. The room was silent.

"The mice wish you to leave, Coraline," Bobinsky said simply.

Immediate indignation. "I'm not going anywhere without him," she deadpanned.

Bobinsky sighed and threw his hands up. "Why you being so unreasonable, little girl! I ask you leave because mice not going to go on with you here. Don't you understand? Now go, I wish to be done with this as much as you do. Very behind schedule."

"I told you-"

"It's okay, Jonesy," Wybie butted in, "he'll be with me. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to him okay? I promise. We'll both be okay." In all honesty, he wasn't sure why he spoke up. Probably because he could see that between her and the mice this wasn't an issue that was going to be resolved on its own. And he really just wanted to get out of there.

Coraline gave him a hard look. "I don't want either of you to get hurt. You don't know what the mice will do-"

"Jonesy, I can handle it. Really. Why don't you go down to Spink and Forcible and ask them about your parents. We'll meet up with you in just a minute."

She frowned, but conceded. "Fine." To Bobinksy: "If they're not back by the time I'm done, or if they're hurt, you'll be answering to me, got that?"

The ring master just waved her off dismissively and muttered something under his breath. Other Wybie was still semi-crawling up the side of the wall he was cornered against. With a huff Coraline turned and parted.

The mice focused back upon the puppet.

The swarm began to inch closer to the boy, and Wybie felt his body go tense. Whether it was his own fear or the other's he wasn't sure, but it shook him all the same. Beady black eyes dissected the boy, picked him apart. There was a moment when it appeared they had come to a conclusion. They stopped.

Then they lunged.

Other Wybie screamed in silence as a thousand piercing claws dug into him. Their shrieks of rage coupled only by the snapping of pointed teeth. He fell to the floor and tried to cover his face. He could feel the sand slowly seeping out of him. How was this any better? he thought. And Wybie was already crashing his way through the scurrying bodies to him. A hand reached out and was grasped, and then both were fleeing towards the door.

"Back! Back, you violent t'ings!" Bobinsky, armed with a heavy wooden broom, swept away at his advancing pets. At the sight of him they retreated back into the darkness that lined the walls. Wybie and Other Wybie stopped for one moment. Terrified, but curious as the man turned back to face them. "So sorry," was immediately said, "zey do not usually get so fired up." His eyes darkened and he pointed an accusing finger at the victim. Other Wybie cowered back. "There is something wrong with your friend. They see this. Mice do not attack for no reason. And always a good reason."

Other Wybie shook his head and tugged at Wybie's sleeve, pulling him towards the door. Wybie followed after him with little hesitation. But it was still there.

Bobinsky's words kept repeating. There's something wrong with him. There's something wrong.

They raced down the metal steps and to the front porch of the house. Coraline was waiting for them, eyes brimming with angry tears. A double-sided doll was in her hands. Mel and Charlie. They knew what this meant, but she said it anyways, in a broken voice so hoarse it pulled at their hearts.

"The Other Mother's got them. She's got my parents."

At that moment, nothing else mattered.

And Coraline broke down and cried.

They could hear her quite sobs emanating from her parents' bedroom from the hallway. Wybie looked up to his Other and shook his head.

"What are we supposed to do now? We can't just leave her parents with the Beldam. Something has to be done..." He pulled at his curly locks of hair in frustration. "We've got to go back, don't we?"

Other Wybie looked at him sadly. That really was their only choice, wasn't it? They had to go back and rescue them, even if that meant putting themselves in danger. For Coraline. The Beldam only took her parents because there was nothing to keep her coming back any more. So, in a way, this was all Other Wybie's fault. Maybe if he'd stayed on the other side he could have stopped the Beldam.

No, he really shouldn't think like that.

"This is all so messed up," Wybie groused, pacing back and forth along the narrow hallway. "I don't know about you, but I really don't have a death wish. I don't want to go back there."

Other Wybie shook his head and kneaded his hands. It was weird, seeing all those nervous ticks that were his own portrayed on another. The boy mumbled under his breath before coming to a stop. They really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Whether they wanted to or not, there was only once way to fix this. "We're going back."

For Coraline.

The girl's muffled sobs filled the space the silence left. They couldn't let this go on. No matter what the cost was they had to fight back. And there was only so long before the Beldam's impatience would spell trouble for her parents. Other Wybie shivered as that train of thought appeared. Both could only imagine the tortures she would use on them until Coraline cracked. The only question now was, when?

"Tonight?"

"Tonight." The boys tuned to the doorway where Coraline's slender figure stood. Her eyes were red and her cheeks stained with tears. They hadn't heard her get up. "We'll save them. I-I know crying won't solve anything." Her voice hiccuped but she continued on. "So everyone get ready."

A beat.

Guess that was that, then.

They were going on a rescue mission.

A/N: Only a few more chapters left. It's exciting! After all the chapters are completed, me and BlueItem are gonna go through a re-edit it all, and take out all the author's notes. If you actually enjoy any of my little rambles at the beginning and ends of chapters, read now before I go and delete them.

Check out BlueItem's review for this this and upcoming chapters. He will be giving away little notes on the story and how it's progressing.

:D On Halloween my hits reached 4,666, and stayed there till midnight. It was amazing. And on Christmas day it reached a perfect 5000. Thanks so much, you guys!

This chapter was really rough for everyone. If you guys see any typos or any flow errors, heck any errors at all, please let me know, okay? I don't want anything sub-par for my awesome readers.

Please don't kill me.

Ending Song Time!

"Blanket of silence,

Makes me want to sink my teeth in deep.

Burn all the evidence,

A fabricated disbelief.

Pull back the curtains,

Took a look into your eyes.

My tongue has now become,

A platform for your lies."

Song: Back Against the Wall Artist: Cage the Elephant