How does it feel? She wondered.
On the ride going to Shiz, Elphaba's thoughts were all about the pond near their home, where, for the past 17 years of her life, she took solace and peace. A place where she can forget. A place where she can gaze upon while wondering how it felt.
Was it cold? Like the wind that always brushed her cheeks while she stood gazing upon that pond?
She asked Nessa about that, once or twice, she wasn't sure, the times when her curiosity got the best of her. Nessa always goes on a religious tangent, connecting such and such about water to whatever she believes in. Elphaba vaguely remembered those religious babbles, but one thing stuck into her head: she said it felt clean.
Clean.
Pure.
The last day before the trip to Shiz, she came upon beside the pond again, just like she did for so many years. Elphaba longed to touch it, to drink it, to feel it flowing through her. She wanted to challenge herself, that, maybe, Nanny and Mama weren't right about that stupid water allergy she had. That maybe all those things they said about her are WRONG. She's going to withstand all those accusations and prove herself.
But the second her finger lingered over the calm surface, she withdrew. Fear took over her at that last second.
Fear. Fear of what? The water?
She knew she had let herself defeat herself, again. Brushing grass stains off her skirt, she turned her back to the pond and never looked back.
Elphaba can finally see the towering buildings of Shiz. As the intimidating buildings casted a shadow on her face, she thought she should have touched that surface. She regretted leaving that pond untouched.
But as she stepped off the carriage, and Frex started berating her about keeping an eye on her sister, she realized that maybe water and her couldn't get along, like anything else in her life.
She just had to regret that for life.