The wind howled louder. Outside, Dorothy could hear the trees groaning in protest. Toto leapt out of her arms and ran back up the stairs that led to the house above.
"Toto," she screamed above the shrieking wind, but he wouldn't come back to her. She raced up the stairs after him, ignoring her aunt's pleas for her to stay. Toto was all she had left of her old life before she'd come to Kansas to live with her aunt and uncle and she wasn't willing to lose him too.
Some of the windows had shattered from the force of the swirling winds outside. She heard it crunch under her feet but she was more worried about finding her little dog and getting to safety again. Her braids whipped her face as the winds forced their way inside the small room. She brushed them aside and called for her dog again. She heard a whimper coming from under the bed.
"Toto?" she called softly as she slid onto her knees and looked under the bed. "There you are. You shouldn't have run away from me. Its not safe up here." She grabbed the small dog and pulled him out from under the bed and held him tight in her arms. "We'd better get back to Aunt Em."
Still holding onto her dog, Dorothy turned and struggled back towards the room where the access to the storm cellar was. But before she could, the house shook and she fell, knocking her head against the door frame. Toto ran back under the bed and lay there whimpering louder. But Dorothy couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything at all. She didn't even notice the house lifting off the ground, as if a giant hand had grabbed it and was pushing it through the air. She was blissfully unconscious and unaware of everything.
It was the lights flashing through the broken windows that woke her. Dorothy slowly sat up, rubbing the bump on her head.
"Toto?" she called, and was answered by the little dog running out from under the bed and licking her hand. She picked him up and hugged him. "I should be very angry with you, but I can never stay mad at you."
She struggled to her feet, keeping a good grip on Toto again and wandered over to the window. It was dark outside and the only light was from a sign that flashed on and off, advertising something called The Bronze. Everything looked so different and loud. She covered her ears to block out the unfamiliar music that was pouring out of that place. Looking around the room again, she realised she couldn't stay here. It was a mess and would take a miracle to clean it all up before Aunty Em saw it.
Aunty Em.
She ran to the room with the access to the storm cellar. She threw open the door to it, but there was nothing there. No storm cellar and no Aunty Em. Puzzled, she sat back down. Where was Aunty Em? Where was the storm cellar? But more importantly...where was she?
She had no idea how longer she sat on the floor. It was the sound of the voices outside that broke her out of her thoughts and brought her back to the reality of her situation. Gathering Toto up in her arms, she stood and walked slowly out of the room and to whatever awaited her outside the door.
Outside it was even louder and darker than she thought. People surrounded her, or at least, she thought they were people. There seemed to be something wrong with their faces.
"Toto," she whispered. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
"Kansas?" the tall one with the blinding blond hair said in an accent she'd never heard before. "Of course this ain't bloody Kansas. Welcome to SunnyHell luv. You're just in time for dinner."
"Toto," she screamed above the shrieking wind, but he wouldn't come back to her. She raced up the stairs after him, ignoring her aunt's pleas for her to stay. Toto was all she had left of her old life before she'd come to Kansas to live with her aunt and uncle and she wasn't willing to lose him too.
Some of the windows had shattered from the force of the swirling winds outside. She heard it crunch under her feet but she was more worried about finding her little dog and getting to safety again. Her braids whipped her face as the winds forced their way inside the small room. She brushed them aside and called for her dog again. She heard a whimper coming from under the bed.
"Toto?" she called softly as she slid onto her knees and looked under the bed. "There you are. You shouldn't have run away from me. Its not safe up here." She grabbed the small dog and pulled him out from under the bed and held him tight in her arms. "We'd better get back to Aunt Em."
Still holding onto her dog, Dorothy turned and struggled back towards the room where the access to the storm cellar was. But before she could, the house shook and she fell, knocking her head against the door frame. Toto ran back under the bed and lay there whimpering louder. But Dorothy couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything at all. She didn't even notice the house lifting off the ground, as if a giant hand had grabbed it and was pushing it through the air. She was blissfully unconscious and unaware of everything.
It was the lights flashing through the broken windows that woke her. Dorothy slowly sat up, rubbing the bump on her head.
"Toto?" she called, and was answered by the little dog running out from under the bed and licking her hand. She picked him up and hugged him. "I should be very angry with you, but I can never stay mad at you."
She struggled to her feet, keeping a good grip on Toto again and wandered over to the window. It was dark outside and the only light was from a sign that flashed on and off, advertising something called The Bronze. Everything looked so different and loud. She covered her ears to block out the unfamiliar music that was pouring out of that place. Looking around the room again, she realised she couldn't stay here. It was a mess and would take a miracle to clean it all up before Aunty Em saw it.
Aunty Em.
She ran to the room with the access to the storm cellar. She threw open the door to it, but there was nothing there. No storm cellar and no Aunty Em. Puzzled, she sat back down. Where was Aunty Em? Where was the storm cellar? But more importantly...where was she?
She had no idea how longer she sat on the floor. It was the sound of the voices outside that broke her out of her thoughts and brought her back to the reality of her situation. Gathering Toto up in her arms, she stood and walked slowly out of the room and to whatever awaited her outside the door.
Outside it was even louder and darker than she thought. People surrounded her, or at least, she thought they were people. There seemed to be something wrong with their faces.
"Toto," she whispered. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
"Kansas?" the tall one with the blinding blond hair said in an accent she'd never heard before. "Of course this ain't bloody Kansas. Welcome to SunnyHell luv. You're just in time for dinner."