A story of a small girl who always dreamt big. Coraline. She had captivating glassy grey eyes and wavy red hair. In the mid ages, red-haired children were often hated in the society because they were said to be ill omens and that is why most of the red-hairwed children were killed after birth or in case they survived, they were shunned by society.
Coraline was one of them but in one way or the other her mother, Linda saved her because she was a believer. Linda believed every human has same rights be it young or old so she said these children also deserve a chance to live. Luckily, they let her child live but unfortunately for Coraline the other mothers wouldn't let her play with the their children.
Years later as she grew older, her mother put restricting orders on her. Coraline wasn't allowed to go out anymore. Each morning she woke up, she would sit by the window and daydream. Reveries of being a great person one day. She would rush to her mother and tell her everything but her mother didn't give her the time she needed.
Soon, they both grew apart and the only person who cared about her since she was young no longer cared. On one bright afternoon, Coraline sat by her window with the rays of sunlight hitting her face. Out of the blue, an idea struck her mind. She climbed out of the window and headed to the town. She carried her scarf with her to cover her hair and secured it with a pin so it wouldn't fall off. Coraline walked to town and no one could feel she was the red-haired girl because it had been years since she was looked in the house never to come out again. They were very welcoming. That somewhat made her sad that people were only kind to non red-haired people. Soon, it became a habit, she always left the house and the town's people were accustomed to her.
On one such afternoon, she went to the river and sat on a log under a tree shade. Coraline took a deep breath. She wanted to try this place because one of the town's people told her a breath of sea air is good for the health. As she sat there, a boy in his late teens came walking by and noticed her sitting by the river bank. He introduced himself as Vianney. They became great friends. One day as they walked in the the market, a few thieves were being chased and they pushed her as they ran in the other direction.
Coraline hit the ground roughly. Some acquaintances of hers rushed out of their stalls to help her up but the scarf she used to cover her hair came off. They all backed off. Some gasping in surprise while others started insulting her. Her ears picked on one man's words who said, "You dream too big for a red head yet you're a bad omen yourself." Coraline stood up and ran away from the people's ferocious gazes.
Vianney followed shortly after she disappeared. He found her at the river side where they usually met after their first encounter. He sat near her letting her cry out her frustration. When she finally calmed down, she asked, " What are you doing here? You will soil your reputation if they find out you're still with me after what happened." "That's what you don't understand. I'm not like them. Besides friends will always be friends."
They both fell quiet before Vianney spoke, "Your hair is beautiful. Nothing to be shamed of." "Thank you," she replied before hugging him.
What she experienced that day was so hurtful. She didn't move out for the next few months but Vianney always came by keeping her company but he couldn't stay long because he had work to do.
One day as he came to Coraline's that was far from the town a few men followed him. We climbed inside through the window. The men broke down the front door and walked in on the two as they talked in the kitchen.
Vianney was hit on his head causing him to lose consciousness. Coraline was knocked out too and tied to a chair. They carried Vianneyaway and lit the house on fire. The paint caused the fire to spread faster since it was petroleum-based. Coraline's eyes opened to reveal the house burning. She was filled with rage that the town's people dared to do so. They shattered her dreams like they didn't matter.
Before she was burned too, she spoke a few words before shutting her eyes again. The house was burned down with Coraline inside. That was how she died. Her mother came back two weeks after the incident to find the house burned. Linda saw Coraline's body and fell. Her heart stopped beating. She too died.
Vianney escaped from home one evening and buried Coraline and her mother in the deep forest. He gave them a decent burial. He cried over Coraline's grave blaming himself for what had happened to her. When his father found out about this, he was taken to another town that he didn't know and wouldn't be able to return.
The town's people lived happily for the next five years. Surprisingly, there was no other red head born the last being Coraline who was murdered. What wasn't known to them was she had recited a few lines about the cruelty of people to the red heads and proclaimed no birth of any generation of red heads to come.
And one after another, she started appearing as an image in the mirror to all the people who were involved in her death. First, she appeared in the mirror to the man who came up with the idea of ending her life. The man looked in the mirror and saw the girl staring back at him. At first he thought he was just hallucinating but the figure was constant for a week. It was driving him crazy. Her eyes looked at him like a hawk watching it's prey.
Soon, more than half of the town's population had Coraline's image in their mirrors. Every reflective surface had her image. Even when drinking water they could see her image. Whenever they looked at any water, even in the river. On the shiny ceramics, her image was there. They all turned crazy from terror. A plague later struck the town after two years of torture and took the lives of the town's people only the toddlers survived.



© GtACE