Dorothy drew a deep sigh as she woke up inside her hut in Munchkinland.
Toto laid at her feet, his tail wagging when she reached out to him.
"Good morning Toto." She said in a happy chirp.
The dog then preceded to lick her face and run happily at the bottom of her bed.
Dorothy stretched before placing her feet onto the dirt floor.
"I wonder what we will do today." She said to the empty space around her.
After she got dressed she walked out into the gardens, admiring the beauty surrounding her.
The way the trees smelled, the life that grew deep from within the earth.
It wasn't like back at home in Kansas.
She missed it sometimes, her family, but she wanted more out of life. She wanted to be free.
"Good morning Dorothy."
She turned, her brown eyes softened and glazed with delight when she looked up into the blue eyes of Jack; The one who had formally been known as the scarecrow. Though, with his thin frame and long limbs he still of resembled one.
"Hi Jack." She said beaming in his direction.
Since becoming the keeper of the ruby slippers so much had changed in OZ. All the ones who were cursed by the wicked witch of the west were freed, brought into a new human state. Also, the gardens that had once put her and her friends to sleep was now just an innocent patch of tranquil earth.
"Happy birthday." He said, holding a bouquet of small white flowers.
"Oh Jack. Thank you. They are lovely." She sank her head into them and inhaled the rich earthy scent.
It wasn't really her birthday, not the one like she had back home, but it was rather an anniversary. It had been five years since she had come here. Five years since she met the wicked witch of the west.
It still bothered her to think about. The fact that she had been responsible for taking her sisters life, but it was an accident. She had told herself over and over, but still it didn't calm the nightmares.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked as Dorothy sank down with her back on the ground.
"Watching the clouds." She said. "Do you want to join me?"
"Well sure." He said excitedly.
For a few minutes, they both watched as the white puffs cascaded above them, but then a bubble appeared, getting closer.
Dorothy sat up when that cloud landed in between them.
"Oh my." She said pressing her hand to her cheeks.
The bubble then popped, revealing the good witch of the north.
"Dorothy, oh Dorothy. There you are." There was an urgency in her voice that called to Dorothy.
"Glinda, are you all right?"
"Yes dear, I'm fine, but not everything is fine."
She looked at Jack and then back to Dorothy.
"Jack, could you please give us a moment?" Dorothy politely said to Jack.
He nodded and strolled off, disappearing into the heavy bush of flowers.
"Dorothy, we need you in Emerald city. Something awful has happened."
"Glinda, what is it?"
Her eyes sank down for a moment, but then rose meeting Dorothy's anxious expression.
"It's the wizard of OZ. He's dead."