Norah
Plot: Norah is a misbehaved fourteen year old trying to fit in, but her tough personality somehow winds her up in the land of OZ and its wonders. Will Norah ever get back home?
Setting: Norah is the great-great-great granddaughter of Dorothy Gale. The year takes place in 2009.
Rating: Teen for language and some violence
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
"Be a little more patient. She's going to arrive any moment now"Chaptire One:
The Beginning of Norah
"Norah! Stop passing notes in the middle of class!" My old, ugly history teacher yelled her croaking hollers towards me. She was nothing more than a psycho. I sighed, crumpling up the paper I was going to pass over to Katy. High school sucked. They gave you no freedom whatsoever and only put pressure upon your shoulders. And it was twice as difficult for me because I was attempting all to fit in. And I must admit, it pleased others to see my teachers scold me over the things I did.
The name's Norah. Norah Raye Houlihan.
I'm that fourteen-year old freshman in Blueberry Spring High School with long, straightened brunette hair, bangs, bright green eyes, and medium-toned skin. I'm the girl who wore hoodies from Hot Topic and Wet Seal practically every day, the one who wore those beaten up black Converse shoes everyday, and the one who wore dark, tight jeans. I was the one who passed notes in class, talked loudly during pop quizzes, and disobeyed the rules of the classroom. And for some odd reason, others enjoyed my rudeness. It was high school; I just had to fit in somewhere.
Today I was wearing a black zip-up hoodie with dark pink stars all over it. I wore a light pink tank top underneath; some of the hoodie zipped down to reveal the top half of it. I wore my favorite pair of jeans, nice and dark and tight. And, of course, my Converse shoes to add the nice touch to it, my style.
Mrs. Simmons never taught well in history class, which is why over half of the students in her room were asleep or texting. I was one of the texters, because misbehaving was my new drug.
"Is there something you would like to add to the information, Miss Houlihan?" Mrs. Simmons screeched in my direction. Somehow, she caught me with my orange flip phone.
"No, I understand perfectly well." I replied, somewhat sarcastically, as well.
"Perfectly, eh? Then maybe you can answer this. What year did the Civil War end?" Mrs. Simmons smirked. I was caught once more. She was a tricky one to get by. I sat there in silence for almost a minute before I sighed loudly.
"Okay, maybe I wasn't paying attention. Sorry." I mumbled loud enough for her to hear me.
"That's what I thought." Mrs. Simmons said, turning around to the chalkboard and writing down random facts I didn't bother to write back down in my notes. The bell finally rang after the long, torturous 45 minutes of class time. Before I could shout "Saved by the bell!" My teacher stopped me, and she didn't look too happy.
"I need to go to lunch!" I exclaimed.
"Come with me, Miss Houlihan." Mrs. Simmons said, ignoring my excuse. Katy gave me a look of question, and I only shrugged my shoulders, also in confusion. Mrs. Simmons went over to her desk and sat down, typing some words in her laptop. "Listen, have you ever heard of the phrase "Find your potential in the outer zone?"
"Um, no ma'am." I replied. Katy was still waiting for me by the door and I looked back at her, still with a confused expression painted on my face.
" Well, I want you to look it up. It could be some use to you, you know." Mrs. Simmons said.
"Is that all, ma'am?" I asked, wanting to leave the room.
"As long as you remember to look up that phrase, then yes, you may go." My teacher said, finally letting me go to sixth period lunch. Katy gave me a weird smile as we left the room.
"What the crap was that all about?" She asked me.
"I don't know; I just hate her guts." I rolled my eyes a bit.
"Same here. Hey, are you going to go to the movies tonight? That new movie is out and I heard it was the scariest thing ever!" Katy said happily, making her bouncy red curls bounce up and down with her small jumps. Katy was always the jumpiest out of my group of friends.
"I'm not so sure yet. My dad is out of town again and my mom…well, you know how my mother is. Besides, if I snuck out alone, my stupid little sister would tell my mom." I sighed, speaking the sorrowful truth to my best friend.
"Ouch, sucky. If you can't come, then that's fine. Only a few of us are going, anyway." Katy said. She walked away to her next class as I went to my locker to get my brown bag of lunch. I couldn't help but keep thinking of Mrs. Simmons and her words. "Outer zone? What an imprudent phrase." I slammed my locker shut.
………
The school day was finally over and I went into my house, where I saw my little sister Taelia, who was in first grade.
"Norah's home! She's back from the big kid school!" Taelia exclaimed loudly, clutching some doll to her chest and grinning. Why on earth did she look up to me like a goddess when I was nothing more than a devil?
"It's called high school, dimwit. Look it up." I said walking up the stairs to my room.
"Norah called me a…a…dim…white!" Taelia wept from downstairs. I closed my bedroom door, flicking on the light to my bedroom. I didn't bother doing homework, so I set my messenger bag down next to my bed. I sat in my chair and logged on to IM.
4 of your Contacts are ONLINE
Katy, Anna, Neveah, and Yvette were on. Some of my best friends…
NorahStar433: Who's going to the movie 2nite?
1AnnaBanana1: I AM! R u???
NorahStar433: Probably not D:
1AnnaBanana1: Y??????????
NorahStar433: By the way my mother is ignoring me, I don't think I am…
KATYlove6699: Yea, you told me this after 5th period. Mrs. Simmons is a bitch
NorahStar433: Agreeable 100%
88Yvette88: I don't think I can go, either. I have to baby sit again
NorahStar433: You aren't going? Join the club…Heavenly4Neveah: I'm not joining that club; I'm going with Andrew! : D
KATYlove6699: Of course you bring along your BF
Heavenly4Neveah: At least I have someone to cling onto when I get scared ^^
88Yvette88: Hey, don't get the single people here jealous!
Heavenly4Neveah: Srry XD
1AnnaBanana1: Should I bring Donny?
NorahStar433: Your BF? If he wants to…but he's more into Indiana Jones than psychotic killers…
1AnnaBanana1: Hahaha, true, true
88Yvette88: HEY! What did I just sayyyyy?
1AnnaBanana1: Whoops!
KATYlove6699: I think I'm going, u guys. My dad just said yes!
NorahStar433: Lucky, if my dad were here, then I would've gone fo sho
88Yvette88: I'm guessing he's out of town again??
NorahStar433: Bingo.
88Yvette88: Dat sucks.
Heavenly4Neveah: I agree with Yvette. But hey, we can plan to go to another movie in a couple of weeks!
NorahStar433: I'll try to talk with my mom. Try to make it so it won't be appropriate for my little sis to join us.
Heavenly4Neveah: Ah, yes, the "Terrible Taelia"! Remember that one time at the amusement park? Anna had to ride with her on the roller coaster!
1AnnaBanana1: Don't remind me :(
Heavenly4Neveah: Hahaha, sorry
NorahStar433: G2G you guys, see you tomorrow. ByeNORAHSTAR433 HAS LOGGED OFFI was about to turn off my computer monitor until I heard Mrs. Simmons words again. Did I actually want to look up that silly phrase? Tell me it wasn't so…
I went onto Google search engine and typed in the phrase "Potential in the Outer Zone". I was surprised at how much stuff came up. I selected the first link in the search engine and looked at the paragraphs in it.
"OZ: Truth or Myth"
What was this? OZ? Outer zone? Truth or myth? This site gave me questions. I turned off my monitor, not even bothering closing the web page. I jumped onto my bed and lay there, falling into a sleep.
…
Norah…Where am I?
Norah, come here.
Tell me where I am
You must come with me. We need to go.
Go where?
Come along now.
I can't.
But you must.
I CAN'T!
Don't be afraid of the dark.
Dark? I can't see!
Trust me, Norah. Trust us.
Us? I thought it was just you!
Us…trust us…
Answer my questions!
Come on! Hurry! She's catching up to us!
She? Who is she? Where are we?
No! Don't go back that way, Norah! Come into the darkness!
I don't know what's happening!
You must come with us!
You have to quit that!
Norah! Don't head that way!
I'm not heading anywhere! I don't even know what this place is!
Norah! Come back! Come back! Don't go that way!
I am not going ANYWHERE!
She's going to find you and kill you!
Who is she? Why is she going to kill me?
Come on! We have wasted so much time!
Leave me alone! I don't know what you're talking about!
She's found us…
Where? What?
It's too late, Norah.
What's happening?
Goodbye, Norah.
Tell me what's going on here!
Sweet Dreams, Norah.
TELL ME NOW!! NOW!!
Found you.
…
"Found you! Found you! Found you!" Taelia was screeching into my ear. I woke up and sat up quickly.
"It's not dark anymore." I mumbled.
"Norah! Norah! Norah! Norah! We have to get out of here! Twister! Twister!" Taelia screamed. I gasped and looked out the window. The skies were darkened with dust and the blue skies I saw previously were now vanished. My mother ran into the room, with bags full of food and clothes and other materials.
"Norah, we must head down to the basement underground!" She screamed, picking up Taelia in her arms. I got off of my bed and immediately started packing up clothes in my music-note tote. I also grabbed my cell phone, iPod nano, and a flashlight. I then noticed, before running out of my room, which my monitor was turned on. I could've sworn it was turned off before I went to sleep. I looked at the page it was on…where it only had one word…OZ.
"OZ? Outer zone?"
The sound of the winds were increasing…the tornado was coming closer. I had no time to waste, I ran out of my room and downstairs, running out of my front door and going to the underground basement. I saw the doors closed, and my attempt to opening them was weak. Before I could struggle anymore, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A beagle. It was trying to get out of the winds and it seemed helpless. I let go of the door handle and rushed over to the puppy, picking it up in my arms.
"You all right, little guy?" I asked. The puppy looked up at me with innocence. I looked over at the winds coming closer…the funnel of the tornado was in clear view now. And at that moment, I was super scared. I banged my fists on the metal doors of the underground basement. "Let me in! Let me in! Come on!" I desperately cried out. I had no other choice then to run into the house and hide in my parent's bedroom. I hid in the closet, clutching the beagle to my chest.
Norah…
"Mom? Taelia?" I opened the door of the closet, only to see a piece of debris hit my head, and I passed out into the closet…
…
She's coming.
Is she really?
She looks like you.
I see.
Soon, very, very soon, you will get to meet her.
I can't wait.
Be a little more patient. She's going to arrive any moment now…
I'll try my best to be patient then.
By the way, what is your name?
It's…
You must remember something about yourself.
I will try and remember.
Remember now. I must know who you are.
I may remember now…it's
…
To be continued