Another Wicked series! I'll try to be more consistent with this one, and update every week. Hope you all enjoy it!
Galinda Upland had been looking for an apartment for months. Upon her graduation from Shiz University, she'd been ready to start job hunting and head out on her own. She knew she didn't want to live in the Vinkus (too hot) or Quadling Country (too far away). Living in the Emerald City was out of the question; it was far too expensive. That left her with only two choices: the Upper Uplands or Munchkinland.
"You simply can't live in Munchkinland!" her friends had insisted when the subject came up during a lunch outing. "Think of living amongst all that dirty farmland!"
Galinda wasn't sure if she entirely agreed, but it would be nice to live closer to home, so she and her three other friends decided to rent an apartment together in Frottica, which made the four feel just fine.
The first month was a blur; unpacking supplies, setting up the rooms just so, deciding who should have what color dishes and so forth. Even with the moving in excitement, Galinda did her best to try and find a job. However, Frottica seemed to have no need for a graduate with a degree in architecture, so the blonde expanded her search. Pertha Hills, Settica, Wittica; each time she was met with the same result.
"Sorry, we're just not hiring anyone without experience right now."
It made the blonde a bit frustrated; how was she supposed to get experience if no one would hire her? By the time the second month rolled around, Galinda still had no job, and her savings were beginning to run out.
Her friends, on the other hand, were not as discriminating as their blonde suitemate. They chose to work at coffee shops and retail outlets, and spent any disposable income on the latest styles and luxuries for themselves.
Upon starting the third month of their co-habitation, Galinda's friends decided they needed to have a chat with her.
"You haven't gotten a job yet, and we just feel as thought you haven't been pulling your own weight."
The "chat" took Galinda completely by surprise, and it was in that moment that she realized she wouldn't be able to live here much longer. The blonde was at a loss for what to do, so that night, she decided that she needed to get away. She took the train to Dixxi House and settled in the quaint diner, ordering herself a cup of coffee and a piece of lemon meringue pie.
"Miss Galinda?"
The Frottican looked up at the voice, smiling slightly. "Hello Boq."
The Munchkin, who had always been a bit infatuated with the blonde during their school days, gave her a nod. "How are you?"
"I've been better."
A look of concern crossed the Munchkin's face, and he gestured to the empty seat beside her. "May I?"
Galinda nodded, and Boq slid onto the stool.
"What's wrong?"
"I've been having trouble finding a job," Galinda admitted, running her thumb across the rim of her cup. "Seems no one needs any architecture work done."
"I'm sorry you've been having trouble."
Galinda shrugged. "What about you? What are you doing out here? I thought you went back home."
Boq nodded. "I did- I mean, I am back home. I had to make a delivery to the Emerald City."
"Still farming?"
The Munchkin nodded. "Not exactly what I want to be doing, but it's something I suppose."
The blonde nodded, and a silence passed between them.
"Well, it was a pleasure to see you again, Miss Galinda," the Munchkin said as he stood.
"You too."
Boq nodded before he started to leave, but paused and turned back towards the blonde. "I don't know if this is your area of expertise, but I've heard talk about people wanting to destroy one of our corn granaries… it was one of the first put up in Munchkinland, near the Dragon Cupboard…" He trailed off, hands wringing.
It wasn't entirely what she had expected, but it could be work, and she needed that desperately. "It sounds like something I might be able to have a hand in."
Boq lit up a bit. "Great. Whenever you have the time, you can come visit and I'll show you the property."
Galinda's friends were a bit appalled when she told them the news, and as before, they implored her not to go to Munchkinland. However, the blonde reassured them that it was merely to view the property, and the next day, her bags were packed and her car filled with gasoline.
The drive was a pleasant one, and though Galinda enjoyed living in urban Frottica, as she crossed the border into Munchkinland, she found the simple countryside growing on her. The air was a bit dry, but not nearly as bad as the Vinkus, which meant it would not wreak as much havoc on her delicate skin.
As the Frottican turned onto a dusty dirt road, she glanced at her GPS, making sure she had entered the correct address. There were a few farmhouses around, but as the blonde reached the end of the road, she found that the granary stood alone. Galinda exited her car, looking down at her phone; Boq had texted her, saying he'd be there soon along with the current owner.
As she waited, the blonde approached the building, noticing the heavy padlock on the door. She glanced up at the broken windows, and her eyes narrowed; for a moment, she could have sworn she's seen the outline of a person.
The sound of a car driving up caught her attention, and she turned to see that it was Boq and another older man.
"Galinda! I'm so glad you could come out here," the Munchkin said as he approached. "This is Roman Skarr, the current owner."
Galinda shook the offered hand. "Galinda Upland."
"Boq has told me that you have a degree in architecture," Master Skarr said.
"That's correct." A pause. "So… I heard you're thinking of tearing this granary down?"
"Yes…" Roman sighed, looking up at it. "It's really an eyesore, and I've been considering building a gated community of sorts out here."
Galinda glanced at Boq; she understood now why he had been concerned. "Well, I'd like to take a look at it, if that's all right."
There was a tense pause before Roman replied, "Of course." He led the way to the door and pulled out a key, unlocking the padlock and leading the two inside. "As you can see, it hasn't been used in quite some time… there's really nothing here."
Galinda didn't reply, instead looking around the lower floor. It was covered in a fine layer of dust, but something about it… it called to her. The blonde heard a sudden creak, and she turned, her gaze falling on a staircase. She started for it, hearing Roman call after her, "I wouldn't use those."
"I'll be fine." Galinda started up the stairs, hearing them creak dangerously underneath her. Still, she continued up, soon emerging on the top floor. Sunlight filtered in through the dirty, broken windows, and Galinda looked around, hoping the floor wouldn't give way.
A sudden scraping noise caught her attention, and she whipped around, her gaze falling on a table and two chairs. They looked innocent enough…
"Hello?" she called. "Is someone there?"
There was no response, and the blonde shrugged it off. She had just turned to start back down the stairs when she heard a rush of movement, and something very solid (yet somehow not) slammed into her, and she could have sworn she heard someone yell, "Get out!" before she went crashing through the window. Galinda barely had time to scream as she grappled for something to hold onto, catching the rotting windowsill.
"Miss Galinda!"
There was the sound of running footsteps, and Boq and Roman were suddenly above her, grasping her arms and pulling her up.
"Are you all right?" the younger Munchkin asked, worry in his features.
"What happened?" Roman added.
"I'm fine… and I don't know… it happened so fast."
The older man looked a bit troubled. "This granary is falling apart; knocking it down will be the best thing for it."
There was a sudden loud pounding, startling both Boq and Galinda, though Roman seemed unaffected.
"Let's go downstairs. It gets drafty up here, which makes it hard to hold a conversation," the older Munchkin said.
The others nodded and followed him downstairs and outside, where he locked the door up again.
"Well, I suppose I should sign the order for destruction," Roman continued.
Galinda shook her head. "No… I want it."
Both men looked at her in surprise.
"Miss Galinda, you almost fell out the window, and I would not be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you," Roman said.
"I want the chance to restore this granary; I think it deserves that at least."
Roman sighed, and Galinda couldn't understand why he was so reluctant. "I just don't know… it seems like a big project for a little girl."
The blonde was certainly offended by that. "I can handle it. If you give me a chance, I know I can surprise you."
Another pause, and Roman sighed again. "All right, Miss Galinda. If you can pay the full amount, I'll give you your chance."
"What's your price?"
"5,000 green pennies."
The blonde felt as though she'd been punched in the stomach. "I… I don't have that kind of money… I barely have half of that."
Roman shrugged. "Then I suppose our business is concluded."
"Wait! Let me pay you half now, and I'll get you the rest later," Galinda pleaded.
The older Munchkin raised an eyebrow. "You really want this place that badly?"
"Yes… I do."
Roman smiled slightly before he nodded. "All right, it's a deal." He took the key out of his pocket and handed it to the blonde. "Congratulations, Miss Upland, and best of luck to you."
The blonde nodded. "Thank you; you won't be disappointed."
When Galinda relayed the news to her friends, they were absolutely distraught.
"You can't move to Munchkinland! We were just kidding about the rent, please stay!"
"Sorry girls, but my mind is made up."
And so it was. Galinda had packed up her possessions and enlisted the help of Boq in moving her things to Munchkinland. However, it soon became apparent that spending all her savings on partial ownership of the granary might not have been the best idea, for now she had absolutely no money for a place to stay. That meant the granary was her new home.
"Are you sure you'll be all right here?" Boq asked as he helped carry her things inside.
"I'll be fine," Galinda replied with a nod. She paused, looking around at her possessions. "Perhaps these should stay down here until I can fix the upper floor…"
"That's probably best." The Munchkin helped the blonde carry her mattress upstairs, setting it on the floor.
"Call me if you need anything," Boq said before he left, and Galinda was left alone in the granary.
She spent most of the afternoon rearranging her possessions downstairs and wondering what she could take upstairs without making the floor collapse. She decided on a few pieces of clothing and some pillows, and she made her way upstairs, sitting down on her mattress. She picked up the notebook she'd brought as well, beginning to make a list and draw some quick diagrams of what she had planned; it would be easier to do so once she'd gotten her drafting table set up.
There was the sudden sound of shifting objects and Galinda looked up, pausing in her writing. She remembered her last encounter (the broken window a testament that it had indeed happened), and she stood cautiously.
"Hello?" The Frottican went back downstairs, seeing that suitcase had been unlatched. Her brow furrowed; she could have sworn she closed it after pulling her clothes out. The blonde went over to the suitcase and put the latches back on before straightening up. Something suddenly hit her in the back of the head and she turned, seeing a balled up piece of paper on the floor. She stooped to pick it up, finding that it was the diagram she had made earlier, except that it was now covered in violent scribbling.
The blonde swallowed hard, feeling a chill go down her spine. She quickly ascended the stairs, though once again, the granary was empty.
That night, as Galinda lay down to sleep, the darkness of the granary pressed in on her in an almost suffocating way. She chose to pull out her phone and set it beside her, the glowing light providing some semblence of comfort as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Galinda woke with a start, the room frighteningly cold. Her chest almost hurt from the chill as she tried to breathe, and as she turned over, her gaze fell on the sight of a tall woman standing over her, glaring down at her with the most hateful look Galinda had ever seen. The Frottican's voice caught in her throat, and before she could fully process what she was seeing, the woman lunged for her, hands briefly wrapping around her neck before she disappeared.
The blonde looked around frantically, but the room was empty. Galinda put a hand to her chest, trying to keep from hyperventilating as her thoughts raced.
Fuck, was that a person? I thought I locked the door… I have the only key, how could someone get in? What the hell is going on here? Am I going to make it through the night?
Slowly Galinda lay back down, glancing over at her phone. She pressed a button, but there was no response. Her brow furrowed; it had been fully charged earlier. That was strange...
Galinda didn't fall back asleep for a long time.
As the morning sunlight filtered through the still dirty window, Galinda's eyes opened wearily, and she let out a groan as she sat up. The events of last night suddenly came back to her, and she looked around quickly, seeing no one. Galinda closed her eyes as she put a hand to her head, trying to remember what the woman had looked like. She had been tall and lean… and green… her skin had been green… and her eyes had been so full of hate… Galinda was sure she would never forget those eyes.
The blonde shook the image from her mind as she stood and stretched, looking around the barren room. Showering was obviously out of the question… in fact, she hadn't even given any thought to any of her basic necessities. She had no running water here, no electricity… Galinda sighed at the thought of all the work that lay ahead of her.
With another sigh, the blonde stood and changed for the day, trying to ignore the feeling that someone was watching her. She pulled a hand mirror out of her bag and began to brush her hair, fighting with a knot in her curls. The mirror suddenly shattered, and Galinda jumped back with a small shriek. After a few moments, she composed herself and headed downstairs, gathering up her purse and making her way outside. She turned and locked the door before heading out to her car and plugging in her phone charger before connecting it to her phone.
First order or business: finding a way to survive out here.
"I'm sorry to keep calling on you like this, Boq."
The Munchkin waved a hand at her. "It's no problem, really. Truth be told, I've missed you since our school days, so I enjoy seeing you."
Galinda nodded. "Boq, I hate to be so forward, but since paying Master Roman… I have no money, and the granary is not equipped with any sort of utilities…"
"Of course." Boq shook his head. "Listen, I'll talk to a friend of mine and he'll help you out."
"Thank you—"
"And you need food too, don't you?"
"Boq, you don't have to—"
"Galinda, I farm for a living, and we always have surplus crops. It's no trouble, really… just until you can get back on your feet."
The blonde was a bit embarrassed, but nodded. "Thank you… I'll pay you back..."
"Don't worry about it; I'm happy to help you out."
Seeing as taking care of her business had been easier than expected, Galinda found herself returning to the granary relatively soon after she'd left. Of course, she still had no tools or supplies, but that would be a problem for another time. The blonde pulled the burlap sack of food Boq had gifted her from the backseat, along with the five gallon water jug. She found herself dragging that one across the dirt as she made her way to the front door, fumbling through her purse for the key. Upon locating it, she stuck it in the lock and gave the door a tug.
It remained closed.
Brow furrowed, Galinda tugged again, and was met with the same result. With a frustrated sigh, she set down the sack and grasped the handle with both hands, tugging harder.
"Come now, you fool thing!" she grunted as she tugged on it, leaning back with her full body weight of 100 pounds.
The door suddenly swung open, sending the blonde tumbling back onto the ground with a squeak and small cloud of dust. She sat up with a huff, dusting herself off before she stood. She gathered up her items and hauled them inside, the door slamming shut behind her.
"This place is trying to kill me…" Galinda muttered as she set the items down. She had enough food for the week, which was good, but it occurred to the blonde that she had no way to heat it. Hopefully she still remembered how to start a fire…
The blonde a good portion of her afternoon setting up the lower floor of the granary; if she had to live here, she might as well be comfortable. She also resigned herself to the fact that her drafting table would not be able to go upstairs for a while, so she might as well set it up downstairs so she could at least use it. Having her table out was exceedingly helpful, for now she could draw full models of the granary and could plan what needed to be done. The blonde paused in her work only once for lunch before continuing.
As night settled over Munchkinland, Galinda was forced to stop working, seeing as she had no light source. The blonde sat back with a sigh, rubbing her tired eyes. Boq's friend wasn't coming for a few days, which meant that tomorrow, she needed to go out and find some way to make money; at this point, she couldn't let her pride get in the way.
The sound of someone descended the stairs heavily caught Galinda's attention, and she grabbed the item nearest to her (a t-square), brandishing it towards the staircase. She waited, her heart pounding as the footsteps drew closer.
And then it was quiet.
Galinda held her breath, waiting for someone to jump out at her, but after a few moments of silence, she let out a sigh, lowering her hand. She was beginning to understand why Roman had been so eager to knock this place down; something was seriously wrong with the granary. The Frottican was beginning to wonder if staying here was really worth risking her life… she had just started to head upstairs when that familiar solid-yet-not object slammed into her, forcing her back against the wall with what sounded like a yell. Galinda felt her voice leave her, and after a few moments of silence, she slowly sank to the floor, trying to control her breathing.
The Frottican became aware of a stinging in her face, and she stood shakily, going over to her purse and pulling out her compact mirror. Her gaze fell on her cheek, which sported three new scratches that definitely hadn't been there before. Hands trembling, Galinda put her compact away, wondering what in Oz's name was going on in this place.