The Wonderful Land of Oooooze
“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” Dorothy whispered in a terrified voice. Toto just whimpered and huddled down further in the basket that Dorothy was carrying. The tornado had landed them in a dark and scary place. There was no colour – everything seemed painted in chronometric tones. Dorothy looked down and noted that the blue in her gingham dress had turned grey - along with her skin and hair and blouse. Toto was still a black dog, but now he was cringing in a grey basket. Everything was made up of shades of black and white and grey…. everything except for the strange new shoes Dorothy now had on. During the tornado, Toto and Dorothy had been thrown around the house so much that her old black shoes had flown right off her feet and out the open window into the storm. When everything had stopped and the house had… landed… Dorothy had opened her front door and entered this weird land of oooze in her stocking feet. And it truly was a land of ooze. It was a dark and dank mire of a place. Strange sounds emanated from the surrounding black and grey landscape. Was that laughter she kept hearing from time to time? It was almost child-like in timbre, yet menacing and foreboding the way a nursery rhyme is used to make a Horror movie scene feel even more terrifying. Dorothy clutched her basket closer and continued forward through the mist and muck - almost reverently thankful for the bright red shoes she now wore and which she and Toto had found upon exiting the house.
Without warning a voice screamed out “Please, pleeeeeeaaase don’t hurt me”. Dorothy gasped and fell back a step. She had been so concentrated on trying to decipher where the creepy laughter was coming from that she failed to notice a dark, pathetic shape lying in a heap on the path and had almost trod on the unfortunate creature before its startling plea stopped her. “I won’t hurt you” Dorothy soothed. But the, the - Dorothy had to concede at this point that the creature was a woman, or at least looked woman-shaped – the “woman” continued to moan in a piteous wail that began rising in tone. Toto stuck his head out of the basket and began to howl in empathy. “Oh come on!” Dorothy stamped her foot. “Now stop being so silly. I said I won’t hurt you!”
Toto paused in mid howl and the pathetic woman stopped and stared. She was dressed in a long black dress that looked like it might once have been fine silk but was now little more than filthy tatters. An old dented, but probably once pointy, hat sat haphazardly on her head. Her skin was a dark grey and her features were quite regular looking except for the long hooked nose in the middle of her face. She looked up at Dorothy through a veil of tears “You – you’re not going to hurt me?” she sniffed.Toto cocked his head on the side, gave the hag a penetrating look then hopped out of the basket, trotted over and gave her hand a lick. Then he barked a friendly “yap” and ran back to his basket - tail wagging. “No of course not” replied Dorothy. “And Toto seems to like you! Any friend of his is a friend of mine”. With that she reached out a hand and helped the bedraggled hag up. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Dorothy Gale from Kanas.” She bobbed a little curtsy.
The hag inclined her head “I am Elphaba, from the Western lands”. “How do you do.” Dorothy smiled then looked around “So, what is this place?”
“Don’t you know??” asked Elphaba. “Why, you’re in Munchkin land – one of the foulest areas in the land of Ooooze. My sister and I were flying over it as quickly as we could in hopes of avoiding ‘Her-who-should-not-be-named’ when that terrible storm dumped me here. I have no idea what happened to my sister…”
“Her-who-should-not…” began Dorothy but she was interrupted by a “Heeheehee” laugh coming from the surrounding darkness again in young high-pitched voices. “Arrggggghhhh” screamed the hag. “They’re coming, that means SHE’S COMING… nooooooooooooooooooo! I’m too weak to face her again so soon. Please NOOOOOOO!”
Startled, Dorothy grabbed at Elphaba’s hands. “What is it? Who is coming? What are you screaming about now” screamed Dorothy back. Toto leaped from his precariously swaying basket and ran around their feet yapping wilding and adding his voice to the rising panic in general.The eerie laughter grew louder and louder and then just as suddenly – stopped. Elphaba and Dorothy froze in fear and Toto huddled by Dorothy’s red shoes. “Munchkins” Elphaba whispered.
And then there they were. Where there had been dark mist and black mire only moments before, now stood a crowd of short but terrifying creatures. They had misshapen heads and horribly deformed bodies. Their pointy teeth gleamed in the shards of moonlight that pierced the lifting fog. Toto gave a little whimper and Dorothy realized that they were completely surrounded by the wretched things. The Munchkins, armed with black candy spears that were sweet but deadly, closed in on the terrified trio. “Oooh” piped up one in a high voice “what delicacies do we have here?” “I’m sure herself won’t mind if we just have a little nibble” squeaked another.
“That one looks especially tasty” agreed a third “and her little dog too”. The three munchkins laughed as Dorothy moved to protect Toto but then she was forced back in surprise when a glowing bubble of light appeared between her and the giggling creatures.Glinda, Witch of the North, waved her wand and the giant bubble disappeared as quickly as it came. She wore an icy white gown. She was chillingly beautiful but her voice left one cold to the core when she spoke. “So” she said freezingly to the closest munchkins “you mean to take a nibble of MY prize do you?” The Munchkins stopped grinning and faded back into the mist – all except for the three who had spoken. They stood frozen looking fearfully up at the white witch. “Flotsom” her voiced changed and now seemed warmly inviting “you wouldn’t let these two imbeciles nibble my prize now would you?”
Elphaba nudged Dorothy “that is her power… she uses the magic of her voice to turn people against each other. We must get away quickly before she can turn her voice on us!” By this time Glinda had convinced the three unfortunate munchkins that they were dire enemies. They began attacking each other. Dorothy shuddered and gagged as body parts drenched in black blood began to fly.
“Hurry, we must find a way to…” Elphaba was cut off by a voice now silky with cold honey“You wouldn’t want to deprive me of your lovely company Elphaba my dear, now would you?” Glinda’s laugh tinkled like the sound of falling ice daggers.
“Stop!” shouted Elphaba, “I won’t let you bewitch me with your foul voice”Glinda’s smile widened. She moved closer to Elphaba. She opened her mouth to speak but was stopped by an unexpected source. Toto had moved into her path. “Toto no! Come back!!” cried Dorothy
Glinda bent down to the little dog and Toto started growling. The witch of the North chuckled and directed her spell-laden words towards him instead. “Oh look at you!” she cooed and began stroking his fur “What a darling creature. Aren’t you just the cutest thing. There now you adorable little being, you’ll be my friend won’t you?”Toto tilted his head confused then started wagging his tale
“Toto no!” cried Dorothy again“You’ll protect me now, won’t you my wonderful little furry darling…” Glinda smiled down into his eyes then looked up sharply at the approaching farm girl. “SIC HER” she commanded the little dog.
Toto immediately turned his body and growled menacingly at Dorothy…“No, Toto, no”…. he ignored this and moved threateningly towards the girl, fangs bared. Dorothy backed up but a tree stopped her progress. She lifted her basket trying to shield herself behind it.
“He’s a little flea-ridden monster” Glinda’s sharp words pierced through Dorothy’s fear. “Use the basket, defend yourself from this furry little fiend”. Instant rage took over the girl in gingham. Elphaba tried saying something to her but Dorothy ignored her. She faced the little dog. He growled and leaped for her throat but she grasped her basket with all her strength and slashed it at toto’s head. Toto was flung across the dark clearing and slammed against another tree. There was a sudden painful little yip then Toto fell in a little pile of puppy at the base of the trunk.
Glinda laughed evilly and Dorothy was immediately released by the spell. “Nooooooo!” she screamed and ran to the little dog’s side. “Toto, dear toto, be ok, please be ok, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t MEAN it!!” She began sobbing over the broken little figure and Glinda turned her attention to Elphaba. “That was evil, even for you Glinda” Elphaba spit out. “But I’m not such an easy target; you know we are able to resist your wicked voice”
Glinda contemplated the crying girl, noting the ruby shoes, then turned to grin at Elphaba. “Yes but you’re not a ‘we’ anymore are you? What happened to your sister Elphaba”“There was a storm, we got separated”
Glinda replied quietly but clearly “or someone killed her”“She is beloved in this land, why would anyone try to kill my sister?” Elphaba looked at Glinda in consternation “What would make you even think such a thing?”
“Ah, but you are with someone who is not of this land aren’t you?”“Don’t even try it Glinda” but Elphaba glanced at Dorothy uncertainly and then back at the white witch. “You’re trying to trick me”
“Ah but this time I think I actually have the truth of the matter in hand….” She frowned abruptly and pointed at Dorothy “This girl is responsible for the death of your sister.”Elphaba backed further. “No… stop trying to twist my thoughts… your spell can’t work on me”
“Oh but this time I don’t need the spell do I? This time I have the truth to do my work for me”Elphaba twirled round to face the sobbing girl “Dorothy, speak up for yourself… did you….”
The flow of Dorothy’s tears began to abate and the conversation around her was finally penetrating her sadly clouded thoughts. She looked up at Elphaba. Her eyes took in the woman’s dress then moved down to look at the black and white striped socks that she wore. Dorothy HAD seen socks like that earlier in the evening hadn’t she? Another sob escaped her as she thought of Toto still alive and happy – trotting cheerfully out of the old house that had been flown to this awful place. She could see Toto wagging his tale as he sniffed around the base of the house and at the black and white clad legs that he found protruding there…. Black and white striped socks ending in the bright ruby coloured shoes…. Dorothy gasped at the memory and suddenly Elphaba knew the truth. “No” pleaded Dorothy “It was the tornado”. Elphaba picked up one of the blood-soaked spears left by the decimated Munchkins. “It wasn’t my fault” Dorothy sobbed “and my shoes were gone”. Elphaba moved grimly towards the farm girl with murder in her heart. “Stop!” cried Dorothy “I….they…. they weren’t being used any more… I needed…. It’s not my fault…. no.... NO!!!"
Glinda, Witch of the North cackled delightedly as Dorothy began to scream.
The End.
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