Pain spread across her face as she fell to the floor. Touching her cheek she could feel the red bruise began to form on her green skin. Her father was drunk. Nessa was nowhere to be seen and none of the servants would protect her. "Filthy createn!" shouted the Governor of Munchkinland and kicked Elphaba in the abdomen. "Green scum!" With each word came another blow as the green child desperately tried to curl up to protect herself.
Pain erupted where each blow was laid, but that was nothing compared to the pain of his words. Each name stabbed Elphaba like a knife to the heart. Her father her own father, was calling her scum, monster, mutant, worthless, and other more terrible names. This was the man who was supposed to protect her. This was the man who was supposed to guide her through life and show her the right path. He was supposed to tell her the difference between good and evil, and he was beating her senseless.
"Nessa," the young girl thought as another blow was laid. "Where are you?"
Another burst of pain, as something warm and sticky that tasted like iron spewed from her mouth. "He would never do this if you were here."
Another blow and more pain. Her vision began to get blurry, as her thoughts began to become more unfocused.
"Someone," she thought panicking unable to open her mouth, "Any one save me!"
Elphaba felt a bone snap, as another blow fell. "Why won't any one help me?"
Elphaba couldn't hear anything. Her vision was so blurry she could barely make out her father's form. The only senses that were working perfectly was her sense of taste and feeling. She could taste the blood forcing it's way up her mouth, with some of the small contents of he stomach. She could feeling each blow and the new bruise that formed with it. She could feel the blows landing on old wounds, and on the new ones as well. None of here senses worked but these. "Any one," she silently cried, "He's going to kill me!"
Someone began to yank her up by her messy black hair. In that moment she as terrified, and fear was the only thing she knew. Then an image flashed before her mind. A distant memory that forced it's way through. Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was intentional. But somewhere in the distance she heard her father bellow in her ear, as a tightness ceased around her neck, "WICKED WITCH!"
In that moment the fear turned to anger, and the anger turned into determination. Later on she would only remember one thought, one certain thing that would become the key to her survival. "I will not die here!" she thought "Not like this!"
Suddenly a surge of power seemed to surge through the young girl's body. Elphaba didn't know what happened. But for a few seconds her vision cleared and she saw her father passed out on the other side of the room. Then everything was black.
Nessa told Elphaba she had been unconscious for three days. Their father said a burglar had come and abused Elphaba. In the weeks and months it took for her to recover the handicapped sister rarely left the green one's side. One night her Elphaba was laying awake because of the pain, when someone came into her dingy little room. Twisting her head a little she saw her father come in.
Elphaba was ceased with fear, though she didn't dare cry out. Her father knelt down next to her bed so they were at eye level. His face was stern and full of anger, but Elphaba saw something in his eyes. Something that made her swell with a sick pleasure. Fear shone bright in his eyes. "I don't know what you are," he said his voice betraying his hatred and fear of his own daughter. "I don't know what you did, but if you ever use that thing in front of Nessa, I will kill you."
The sick pleasure was gone and fear controlled her again as the angry man left the bare attic room of his eldest daughter.
Three weeks after Elphaba could walk around again, Elphaba told her private tutor all that had happened. Her tutor was a brilliant woman, or cat in that case. But she was still brilliant, and the smartest person in the district. She was also the only person Elphaba trusted fully. Through tears and sorrow Elphaba told her tutor, Miss. Amanda, the entire truth.
"I am I a witch, Miss. Amanda?" sobbed the little green girl, "Am I wicked?"
"No child," purred the cat stroking the young girl's hand, "Just because you are different, doesn't mean you're wicked. Just look at me, am I wicked?"
Elphaba blew her nose in a tissue and gave a weak smile, "No."
"Well then," said Miss. Amanda smiling gently at her pupil, "you have nothing to worry about. Besides, the Wizard has magic and he's not wicked."
"You really think I have magic!" said Elphaba. Her green face stained with tears and her brown eyes red and puffy, but for one brief moment the little green girl had hope.
"My dear I know you do!" exclaimed the large cat, "Just remember to be smart, stand up for yourself, respect your superiors and subordinates, be kind and..."
"And be myself," finished the two in unison.
Miss. Amanda placed a paw on the young girl's cheek and gazed at her with total love and affection. It was the same look the Elphaba remembered on her mother's face. "That's right," said the tutor.
Elphaba was brimming with hope when an idea popped in her head. Maybe she was hopeful, or naïve enough to think it might work. But once the idea was their Elphaba had to present it. "Miss. Amanda," said Elphaba hesitantly, "can I live with you?"
The tutor beamed and exclaimed, "But of course you can! Next I will take you away from here!"
Not once in her life had Elphaba felt such joy.
Two weeks later, a black coffin lay on ornate oak table. Green wild flowers lay in a circle on the closed lid. Animals in black clothes bowed their heads as tears streamed down their faces. A few humans and munchkins were there as well all morning the death.
At home, Elphaba wept, but silently in her room as instructed by her father. After all Nessa could not know that Elphaba was in pain. Nessa was not allowed to see any tears. Nessa could cry, but no one could cry around Nessa. Elphaba looked at a small picture of her beloved tutor. She wasn't allowed to go to the funeral of the only person who had ever cared about lonely girl. Her only hope of escaping the prison of her home was dashed against the rocks. And for one moment Elphaba thought she would be trapped there forever, under the mercy a man who wanted her dead.
No, Elphaba knew she couldn't stay. At that moment she knew that in order to escape, in order to control her power, she would have to fight. I wanted anything out of the world she would have to fight for it. Not openly, or loudly, but quietly and privately. And the first chance she would get, she would leave that wretched prison.
"Don't worry Miss. Amanda," Elphaba said. "One day I will meat the Wizard and I will never be wicked. I will just be me."
It wasn't hope that filled Elphaba then, and gave her strength. It was simply determination. Her anger for her father, the memory of her tutor, and a strange power lurking inside of her was what fuelled Elphaba to continue on. It was what gave the small, young, terrified, green girl the courage to excel at everything. But it was definatly not hope. In fact hope did not come back to the green girl, until the headmistress at Shiz Academy handed her a starters wand and said she could one day meat the Wizard.