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THE apples adorning the tree in the Garden of Eden were supposed to be the sweetest ever created. Sugary and satisfying, but all the more deadly. When Francesca began her search for God after the death of Jacob, she refused to keep apples in her house, believing that they were the fruit of evil. Despite her lack of religion, Coraline somewhat believed her mother. Apples always left a bad taste in her mouth.
So when she found a case full of the dark red fruit in the fridge with Gallant, she suspected nothing but trouble.
It wasn't hard to guess that something sinister was going on when the two friends noticed Ms. Mead and Venable whispering in the hallway near the kitchen. Gallant suggested they check out the fridge once the Greys left the kitchen, which was completely against Coraline's better judgment. The fridge was still locked behind a door, and it took more than a little jiggling this time to open it. Coraline had to take a pin out of her hair and wiggle the lock loose. Eventually, she swung the door open, and Gallant went for the fridge at the speed of light.
Coraline first noticed the large, leather case once the fridge was open. It sat in the middle of the rows, amongst the trays of cubes. "What do you think it is?" Gallant asked, causing Coraline to shrug. With gentle hands, she pried the case open, just the slightest bit, and her eyes began to bug out of her skull.
The two froze in place upon seeing the case filled to the brink with red delicious apples, all placed neatly in precise spots. Memories of apples dripping with sweet poison and vomit littering the floor echoed across Coraline's vision, dancing and taunting her. She couldn't even hear Gallant speaking to her as she was reminded of his corpse in the vision, clutching a half-eaten apple in his hand. They are the forbidden fruit, Cora, her mother once said. We do not eat apples in this house, just as God did not want Adam and Eve to.
Coraline quickly slammed the case shut, confusion etched across her face. How did these apples even survive the blast? What were they being used for? They had to be connected to her vision, but why?
These questions stayed with her into the next day. Coraline dreamt of apples and imagined if they still tasted as delectable as she remembered. She wondered if the apples were going to be their dinner for that night, but she was sadly mistaken. Both Coraline and Gallant shared a defeated look when Mallory placed a cube in front of them.
"Another day, another cube," Coco frowned, slicing into the gelatin with her silver fork. Coraline did the same, and noticed how her tongue was suddenly numb to the taste of this meal now. She watched Coco gesture to the seat on Coraline's left with her chin. "Least we don't have the old bat anymore, talking about the old days."
"Silence," Venable ordered as she made her way into the room. Her cane clicked and clacked against the floorboards, keeping her steady as she took the seat at the head of the table. The fire crackled to life behind her.
