There's no place like home.
Dorothy Gale had made it back to her little farmhouse in Kansas and her life went back to normal. She went back to working on the farm every day and went to school like any regular teenager. She made friends but wasn't able to keep them long when her obligations were to help her Aunt and Uncle after school.
Dorothy would drift off sometimes and imagine she was back in Oz with her friends until Aunt Em yelled at her to get her head out of the clouds. She new it wasn't a dream. And even though they all told her they believed her, deep down she new that they would never truly believe what had actually happened.
One day after school, Dorothy decided to walk downtown to do some shopping. She bought a small notebook with some of the money she had earned from selling eggs. She skipped home and placed it underneath her bed. In it, she started to write down her vivid memories that she had of Oz. She wrote about Munchkin Land, Glinda, the Wicked Witch, the Emerald City, her dear friends, and everything in between.
Three years passed since her arrival back. Dorothy woke up at 5 AM and changed into a pair of brown pants and a checkered blue and white button up. She took two ribbons and tied her hair back into two braids. She pulled on a pair of brown flats and grabbed a basket from the kitchen. She set out to do her morning routine of collecting eggs and milking the cows. After setting the eggs and milk on the counter, she went back to her room and changed into her school uniform. It was a long gray skirt with a long sleeved white button up. She sat on her bed and slid her white socks onto her bare feet and slipped on a pair of black flats. She grabbed her shoulder bag that hung from the side of her bed and walked outside. Zeke, Hunk, and Hickery arrived just on time for her to wave goodbye as she followed the dirt road to school.
Dorothy's school was a small building in town next to the church. The kids were of all ages and sat on wooden benches around the room. Dorothy was the second oldest and also one of three girls. The boys around her yelled and threw paper, but it didn't bother her.
Ms. Brown quieted them down, "Class, you have an assignment due on Friday and I would like it to be of great quality, do you understand? I only want the best from all of you!" She preached in a tiny voice, "Please write in great detail about something important that has happened to you. It can be about anything. Use your imagination as well!" She smiled and clasped her hands together in front of her, "Does everyone understand the assignment?" The boys mumbled in disappointment but Dorothy grinned in delight.
Dorothy went home after class and immediately pulled out her notebook from under her bed.
"The air smelled like candy and the breeze blew through my hair ever so gently as I skipped down the Yellow Brick Road. Toto was trotting excitedly behind me. He followed in pursuit of the ruby red slippers that wrapped around my feet perfectly. My blue and white-checkered dress hugged the front of my legs as my momentum pushed the fabric back against them. I had never really seen colors until then. This world was so bright and beautiful that I could finally see things I couldn't see before. Even my dress had a different glow to it. But my cheeks were red with determination. I needed to get back.
I came to a fork in the road and stopped. I wasn't sure which way to go. The wrong way could possibly lead me to my death. I turned to my furry friend and asked, 'Well now, which way do we go?'. And from behind me I heard a voice answer my question, 'Well pardon me, but that seems like a very nice way'. I turned quickly to see a scarecrow dangling limply from a pole. My dog was sure that the scarecrow had talked but I didn't want to believe him. So many odd things had already happened to me that day and I didn't know if I could take any more. But I soon realized that this scarecrow was actually talking to me. He was alive and well and completely made out of straw. I boldly asked him, 'Well how can you talk if you haven't got a brain?' and he replied to me, 'Well some people without brains do an awful lot of talkin', don't they?' and I've agreed with him ever since.
My journey was long and sometimes terrifying, but I made many friends that I will always hold dear to my heart. I long for the next time that I'm able to see them. If there is a next time, I may not let go as easily as I did the last time," Dorothy looked up from the paper and said unrehearsed, "I want to go home."
Ms. Brown pulled her aside after class, "Dorothy I think your story was beautiful. It may not have fit the assignment perfectly but I would love to see you write a whole book based on this imaginary world of yours. I want to hear more about it someday. There are not many girls I have taught that write so beautifully. You are very talented."
Dorothy clutched her bag, "Um, I could do that! So many things happened to me so I'm sure I could write a whole novel about it!" She realized what she had said and tried to correct herself, "I have many more ideas for this imaginary world. I hope to make you proud!"
Dorothy skipped home and started writing right away. The first chapter started during the day of the twister and ended by saying, 'Toto, I don't believe we're in Kansas anymore". She closed her book and wrote on the cover "Over the Rainbow".
She sighed and touched the letters with her hands. She started to hum a familiar tune when Aunt Em knocked on her door, "Dorothy! You need to finish your chores, it's nearly 6 O'clock!"
"Coming Auntie Em!" Dorothy called back to her. She slid the book under her bed and ran out to finish the chores that she did every day.