"There was no wail, no bark of newborn outrage. The child opened its mouth, breathed, and then kept its own counsel. 'Whine, you fiend,' said the crone, 'it's your first job.' The baby shirked its obligations." Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West pg. 19, paragraph 7
Elphaba had always been a quiet girl. She hadn't spoken, hadn't made hardly a sound, until she was almost two years of age. Even though she had green skin, she usually melted into the background, going unnoticed until someone called her to attention. By the time she turned eighteen, she knew her place in the world, and that place didn't include talking.
Her father had always tried to get her to talk. At first, he would use sweet-talking, bribes, and smiles. Then he had gotten angrier and impatient. He had spoken to her sternly, punished her by giving her chores, and put her in timeout. And when that didn't work, he had resorted to beatings. At first, he had been reluctant to hit her, but when she didn't cry after he slapped her across the face, he didn't hesitate to hurt her.
The wooden paddle had come after that. He had paddled her bottom so hard that she couldn't sit down for a week. And still she didn't speak. Next, he had taken a horsewhip and laid it out on her back so it was raw and bleeding. And still she didn't speak. Finally, he had taken wet cloths and pressed them against her skin, burning her until she screamed out in pain. At times, he had made her plunge her hand, and even her whole arm, into buckets of water.
Nanny had thoroughly disapproved of this treatment, but whenever it happened, she discreetly turned her head and pretended she didn't see it. And her mother… well, as long as she wasn't bothered, she didn't give a damn.
Though she didn't talk, she loved to read. Whenever she visited her great-grandfather, the Eminent Thropp, in Munchkinland at Colwen Grounds, she would always hide herself away in the great library there, devouring as many books and as much knowledge as she could before they left for their cottage in the countryside or their shack in Quadling Country. Sometimes she would borrow books, bringing them with her when she left and putting them back when she visited again.
And she loved to write. On her fifth birthday, the Eminent Thropp had given her a notepad and a pencil, and he had taught her how to write. Ever since then, no one had been able to get her to stop writing. When she ran out of paper, she would go outside with a stick and write in the dirt. She would take a knife and carve things on trees. Sometimes she would carve words into the crust of a pie with her fingernail before putting the filling in.
She had always been told that since she didn't speak very often, she would never amount to anything. So when she got an acceptance letter in the mail from Shiz University, she was stunned. Her younger sister, Nessarose, had convinced her father to let her go to Shiz, since she was given enough scholarship money to pay for tuition, room, and board.
All the way to Shiz, as she passed through Munchkinland on the Yellow Brick Road, crossed the Glikkus Canals, and traveled through Gillikin on the Great Gillikin Railway, she kept her silence. She knew everyone else was making fun of her, but she didn't really care. After all of her dreaming in the countryside of Munchkinland and the marshes of Quadling Country, she was finally going to amount to something. She would make her father proud of her.
Her great-grandfather had been overjoyed when he had found out she had been accepted into Shiz. He had bought her a whole new wardrobe, a new suitcase, a nice leather satchel, a journal, a good set of quill pens, and as many books as he could send to Shiz. When he had dropped her off at the carriage station to start her trip, he had handed her a thick wad of money, told her about the bank account in the Great Ozian Bank, and wished her good luck. He had said it was the proudest moment in his life.
Elphaba stared out the window of the train, watching the scenery rush past. She had traveled a lot in her childhood, finally settling down at Colwen Grounds when she was fourteen. But she had never been on a train before. There wasn't enough money in the treasury for trains in Munchkinland, and the land in Quadling Country was too wet and unreliable to set down tracks. She had read about them, of course, and she had been looking forward to riding a train for the first time.
No one sat in the train compartment with her. Her suitcase sat at her feet, her satchel lay next to her on the seat, and the foggy glass door of the compartment was closed to provide her with more privacy. Occasionally the conductor would stick his head in and ask if she needed anything, and she would shake her head and smile at him, glancing down at her worn out boots in embarrassment when she saw him analyzing her.
And finally she had arrived at Shiz. The conductor had helped her with her suitcase, setting it on the platform before running to the engine and talking with the stationmaster. She looked around, completely lost in the hustle and bustle of the University life. After awhile, she headed over to the doors that led to the street, and one of the carriage drivers quickly ran to her side and took her suitcase.
"Are you a University student, miss?" he asked.
She nodded.
"I've orders from Madame Morrible herself that I'm to take as many University students from the station to Shiz as soon as possible for free of charge. She'll pay me later," he said, leading her to a carriage and hoisting the suitcase up on the roof. He looked at her curiously, as if seeing her for the first time.
"Are you feeling quite alright?" he asked. "You look a bit green."
Nodding, she opened the door for herself and climbed into the carriage, snapping it shut when she had sat down. After a moment, the carriage jerked forward and into traffic. Elphaba stared out the window as the buildings passed by. People walked down the sidewalk in bright colors, chatting animatedly with each other and laughing at jokes she couldn't hear.
Storefronts boldly advertized their goods, begging customers to come inside for a quick glance. Cafés and restaurants displayed pictures of meals and opened their doors so the smells of the foods inside would waft out and entice people to come in.
And then there was Shiz University itself. The carriage rolled through the gates and brand new buildings and stores gave way to old brick buildings that were hundreds of years old. The lawns were carefully manicured, the grass kept at a certain length. Gardens of flowers were perfectly organized, displayed in geometric patterns and shapes. Students and professors walked from building to building, talking with each other.
"This is your stop," the carriage driver said, opening the door for her. She ignored the extended hand, seeing the look of disgust and revulsion on the man's face as he finally realized her skin was actually green, and descended by herself. He pulled her suitcase from off the top of the carriage and quickly climbed onto the driver's seat, snapping his whip and starting away.
Looking up at the grand building she had just been dumped at, Elphaba picked up her suitcase and climbed up the marble stairs and into the building. Her future was about to begin.
This idea just popped into my mind, and I've been having writer's block on all of my other stories, so I decided to post this really quick. Please review! I really appreciate all thoughts, comments, and suggestions! I don't know exactly where I'm going with this, so I would really appreciate suggestions! PM me or e-mail if you have any ideas! (hint, hint) ;) Thanks!
ReallyObsessiveWriter