This was inspired by the story Witchy Woman, written by 's own Scandalous Intentions (the story can be found here: .net/s/5094987/1/).
Disclaimer: The only thing I own is a kitten I sometimes call my Cowardly Lion.
---
It was a week since we said goodbye at the train station, talking in riddles around Galinda—Glinda—while she sought our attention.
It was four days since Glinda came home alone and spent an evening sobbing on my bed, telling her story.
It was four days since I realized my window faced west, and I'd been looking west almost incessantly since then.
It was a full day since I'd been out of my University dorm. I couldn't miss Elphie if she came for me—and she would come for me; she'd offered Glinda the chance to go with her, I couldn't believe she'd deny me that chance. I could still hear Glinda's rendition of her final chat with Elphie:
"And then she said 'so if you care to find me, look to the western sky!' and she—Fiyero, she flew!"
So I stared at the western sky. I cared to find her. She just wasn't there. I glanced at the clock. Dinner time. I rummaged through my basket of pilfered food and found a handful of foil wrappers and two apple cores. It seemed cruel to make me leave my dorm, but I didn't see how starving up here was going to help Elphie.
"Please don't let me miss her," I prayed to whatever god might be listening. Surely, if she didn't intend to return, she would've thought of me and at least asked Glinda to say something. I kept expecting her to appear on my windowsill with a kiss and a tear or two before she flew off on an Animal rescue mission. I'd emptied my mostly-untouched schoolbooks from my book bag and shoved some clothes inside, with a muttered promise that I'd not let Elphie run off without me. Again.
I had an image to keep up, so I sauntered down to the dining hall as if I hadn't a care in the world. What had I told them, when I first came here? That nothing mattered except knowing nothing mattered. I didn't know if I ever really believed that, but it took a green girl's frank analysis to make me realize there was more to life than just popularity. And then that green girl had flown off and left me behind, frustrated and unable to follow.
If I hadn't been trying to pretend nothing was wrong, I never would have seen it. It was tacked to a bulletin board—just like any other notice about a campus event or a trip to the Emerald City. But, despite its relatively simple design, it was different.
It was her.
The poster, in a plain script read:
Wicked Witch at Large
(Anyone Found Aiding or Abetting this Enemy of Oz Shall be Held Responsible)
And underneath those horrible words was a candid shot of Elphie. I remembered that picture, and I gritted my teeth. That picture was taken on one of the rare sunny days we'd enjoyed recently; Glinda, Nessa, Boq, Elphie and I'd had a picnic on the front lawn of Shiz. When we were finished eating, Glinda started taking pictures. She'd gotten a rare one of Elphie laughing, and I secretly thought it was the nicest picture imaginable. Actually, I couldn't imagine anything nicer than Elphie laughing—unless it was Elphie kissing. I wanted to hurt Glinda for supplying a photo for a poster like this. I wanted to hurt her for going along with the public story of Elphie's disappearance, too.
On a whim, I tore the poster down and shoved it into my jacket, careful not to crunch it more than necessary.
I rushed through dinner and ran back up to my room. Among all my textbooks, I found one large enough to hide the poster and tucked my newfound treasure at page fifty-one—farther than I'd ever read. I shoved the book under my bed and reclaimed my seat by the window.
Maybe she'd come tonight and take me away with her. Maybe I'd never again have to look at that horrible poster just to glimpse her laughing.