It seemed like Wybie crawled through the tunnel forever. Coraline had sped through it so that he couldn’t see her, and it seemed like every time he reached the end, it stretched out and started all over again. After a long time, he started to see a light at the end of it. Wybie crawled through it and came out in Coraline’s sitting room. Or, no, this wasn’t Coraline’s sitting room. It seemed different, but he couldn’t put his finger on why…
“Coraline?” he called, he wondered where she’d gone.
“Wybie?” Wybie heard a voice that sounded like Coraline’s mom, but higher pitched, softer. He saw a woman who looked almost exactly like Coraline’s mom, but with big, black buttons for eyes.
This was her.
The Other Mother.
“What have you done with Coraline?” Wybie said. His voice sounded defiant, but he was terrified.
“Coraline?” the Other Mother raised her eyebrows “well, I’m sure she’s out playing somewhere. But you’d better get home. You’re other mother is worried sick.”
Wybie’s heart stopped.
“I… I have an Other Mother?”
“Everyone has an Other Mother” the Other Mother said calmly. “Even little boys who don’t have mothers. Now go on.”
Normally, Wybie would never have listened to her, but the thought of him having an Other Mother, any kind of mother, had jarred his thinking. He hadn’t seen his mother in 7 years. Maybe he could just go get a glimpse of his Other Mother…
“I hear your Other Father has a surprise for you” the Other Mother smiled as Wybie got up and headed out the door.
A father? Wybie had an Other Father? This was just too much. He walked out of the house and on the way to where his own was in the real world. He walked slowly, as if in a dream, and took in the hills around him. They were much bigger and more interesting. And he thought he saw some wildlife scuttling through the trees that he’d only seen in books. He was itching to explore every corner of this place, but he had other things to do.
He came to the hill where the small house he and gram shared was in his world. Here, he saw a large house covered in murals that seemed to be moving. He went in and opened the door.
“Wybie? Is that you?” a feminine voice called.
Wybie stopped in his tracks. He hadn’t heard that voice in a long time, but he knew it like he knew himself.
“Mommy?” he called, he couldn’t move, he felt his eyes welling up with tears.
Then he saw her.
She was exactly as Wybie remembered-tall, thin, and beautiful, with mahogany skin and long black hair. She wore a black t-shirt, ripped blue jeans, and black combat boots- the exact clothes he’d last seen her in. If it hadn’t been for the buttons in her eyes, Wybie would’ve sworn she was his mother.
“Oh, there you are,” his Other Mother said calmly “are you hungry? Lunch is ready”
Wybie stared at her. He was on the hungry side, and now that he was here, he figured he might as well.
“Sure” Wybie smiled “That sounds great”
She led him into the kitchen, which was like Wybie’s actual kitchen, but with newer appliances and black and white tile on the floor. He sat at the kitchen table as his Other Mother set down a plate of Wybie’s favorite- peanut butter, jelly, and bacon sandwiches.  Wybie was famished, and gobbled down 5 of them in the blink of an eye. They tasted perfect- even better than when Gramma made them for him.  
The whole time he ate, Wybie couldn’t stop looking at her. She wasn’t his real mother, he knew that, but she was so much like he remembered her. It was unnerving. She sat across the table and smiled at him when he was done.
“Did you enjoy your lunch?”
“Yeah” Wybie said “It was great.”
“I’m glad” she smiled even wider. “Now then, your father’s in the garage waiting for you. I think he has a surprise for you”
“Okay” Wybie got up from the table and walked out of the house, looking at his other mother the whole time. He walked to where the garage in his real house was. He was stunned when he saw it. Wybie’s garage at home was a small, one car garage that had just enough space for the Cadillac and Frankenstina. This garage was as big as the house. As he went in, he was amazed even further- the garage was home to at least 10 motorcycles, 5 antique cars, and the most organized workspace he’d ever seen. Wybie saw a figure huddled over in a corner welding something. He turned, noticed Wybie and pulled up his welding mask to reveal black button eyes, pale skin, and a mop of long, brown hair. He looked at Wybie and smiled.
“Wybster!” he smiled “how are ya, son?”
Son
This man had called Wybie son!
“I... I’m good” was all Wybie could muster. Other than the buttons, his other father was just as he’d always imagined him…
“C’mere” his other father said “I’ve got something for ya”
The logical part of Wybie’s brain was screaming at him to run, to figure out a way out of here as soon as possible, but he’d always wanted for someone to call him son- a father to teach him about bikes and tying ties and girls like his uncle herb did with his cousins. He knew this wasn’t his real father, but he couldn’t help it. He walked over to the large, lumpy object his Other Father indicated and pulled off the tarp covering it.
Wybie was stunned into silence.
It was a motorcycle, not a motorbike but a motorcycle! To be specific, it was a 1960 Aermacchi Chimera 250, the motorcycle he’d dreamed of having since he was 6. Wybie stared at it with wonder. He ran his hands over its bright red, retro-futuristic paint job. It revved to life at his touch.
“Her name’s Viktoria” Wybie’s Other Father said “And she won’t run for anyone else but you. Wanna take her out for a spin?”
Wybie stared at the bike. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He knew he had to get out of here, but maybe he could just take it for alittle spin first? He’d probably never see one again, so why not enjoy the moment? He popped the kickstand hopped on the bike and raced out of the garage, his Other Father waving after him.
It was amazing. The bike had more power than it would in reality, and he zoomed along, trees and rocks flying past him. The longer he rode, the harder it was for him to remember why he needed to leave. He rode aimlessly, for what seemed like forever, until he heard a scream. It sounded like…
He stopped.
He heard it again.
Coraline!
Wybie turned the bike on a dime and raced towards the cry. He didn’t have to go far before he saw a familiar pair of yellow boots sticking out of a tree. He couldn’t see much else, but Coraline seemed to be really stuck.
“Coraline?” he yelled “how’d you get up there?”
“Wybie?” she called. Her voice sounded frightened and high pitched. “I’m stuck! Can you help me down?”
Wybie looked harder and saw that the only thing holding her up washer own arms clinging to the tree. He thought for a minute, and then moved so that he was standing under her.
“Listen,” Wybie yelled “let go of the branches and I’ll catch you.”
“Are you sure?” she called. That was strange. Usually, she would’ve said “NO WAY” or “ARE YOU CRAZY?!”
“Just trust me!” Wybie yelled.
“Okay!” Coraline shouted. That was odd. Usually, Wybie would have had to spend a good 20 minutes convincing her to let go, but she just said ‘okay’. Wybie wasn’t about to bring this up to her, though, so he held out his arms.
“Ready?” he called
“I guess so” Coraline called
“Let go!” Wybie yelled.
She let go, falling from the tree and landing softly in Wybie’s arms. It was only as he set her down that he noticed that she didn’t quite look like Coraline. Her hair was a lighter blue, and curved up at the ends. Her face was rounded, softer. She wore the same clothes as Coraline, but she had a butterfly hairclip instead of a dragonfly.
And she had shiny, black buttons for eyes.
“Oh, Wybie!” the Other Coraline threw her arms around his neck “You saved me! Thank you so much!”
“Y… you’re not Coraline…” Wybie managed to choke out. Then why was he blushing? He wondered to himself….
“Hmm?” the other Coraline released Wybie and looked at him quizzically “Oh, no silly. I’m the Other Coraline. It’s nice to finally meet you, Wybie!” she smiled warmly at him “I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time.”
“Waiting? For me?” Wybie asked. She nodded vigorously. Something about her made him feel flustered. He scratched his head and decided to change the subject.
“What were you doing up there?” he asked
“Hmm? Oh, I was trying to catch a spider I saw up there, but when it saw me, it went higher up than I could go,” the Other Coraline dusted herself off and fixed her hair “and then you saved me like that! That was so brave! That’s why I love you, Wybie.”
Wybie’s heart stopped
“What’d you say?”
“Hmm?”
“What did you just say?” Wybie held her arms and looked into her button eyes.
“Oh, that I love you” the Other Coraline said “I always have”
She took his hand, and Wybie’s heart started pounding again. She led him off, and showed him everything. This was the most incredible place he’d ever seen in his life. There were 12 foot tall insects, flowers that had little chocolate cakes for centers, trees that gave off rainbow colored light, and animals he’d never seen in any book. It seemed like they never ran out of things to see, and the Other Coraline was there through it all with him. She smiled, she giggled, she got frightened and held onto Wybie’s arm, she wrapped her arms around his waist as they zoomed up a hill on Viktoria. She did all the things Wybie imagined Coraline doing, but knew she’d never do. If he looked long enough, he forgot the buttons and started to believe she actually was Coraline. It was the happiest Wybie had been in a long time.
They were running, holding hands, running so fast the entire world seemed a blur. They stopped at a clearing by a pond. She was looking out at the water. Wybie stared at the back of her head and smiled.
“I love you, Coraline.” He said. There. He’d said it. He braced himself for her laughter, or disgust.
“And you know I love you” she turned to face him. Wybie was momentarily stunned by the sight of her button eyes.
This wasn’t his Coraline.
She was some made up thing that was all part of the trap, and it was working. How long had he been there? He picked up a stone and skipped it-it skipped much farther than it would’ve at home. An hour? A few hours? All day? He’d lost complete track of time, even forgotten where he was once or twice.
He had to get out of here.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go to school.” The Other Coraline said “You’ll like it there; first period is recess, then science, then lunch, then…”
“Listen, Coraline,” Wybie looked out at the water as interesting, angler-fish type things snapped at the surface of the water “I don’t think I’ll be here tomorrow.”
“What?” the Other Coraline seemed startled.
“I have to get home.”
“Well, I can walk with you to your house…”
“No, not home here, my real home- with my Gramma and my real house and Frankenstina and…” he almost said, the real Coraline, but he decided against it.
“You mean you want to leave?” she seemed hurt.
“Yeah”
“You can’t do that!” the Other Coraline began to sob, but no tears came from her eyes. “You can’t just leave me like that again! I love you! I want you to stay here with me!”
Wybie felt terrible.  He wondered if there was a way he could take her back with him. She didn’t seem evil. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.  The Other Coraline sniffed a little and smiled.
“There’s a cave on the next hill up” she said uncertainly “Do you want to see?”
“Sure” Wybie said. He was pretty sure he still had some time, he’d think up a way to get out later…
The Other Coraline took his hand in hers, and they walked up the hill to a new adventure.