(A/N: Hello to all of you who may be reading this! Just a quick (or maybe not-so-quick) note before you read on:
You may not know this, but there was originally supposed to be a reprise of "Over the Rainbow" while Dorothy was locked in the Witch's tower, but it was taken out because it was too sad and scary. As far as we know, the visual clip is lost, but the song itself survives. I just heard it, and I thought it was so moving I had to write a fanfic about what I think we missed visually. The site won't let me put the link to the song on, so search on YouTube for "over the rainbow reprise outtake" and it's the first one. I recommend reading while you listen to it. Hope you enjoy!)
Afraid? No. She was frightened to death. The fear she had felt when the cyclone dropped her into Munchkinland was nothing compared to this. And the worry about Miss Gulch taking away her beloved Toto? The idea of that matching this fright was laughable.
Dorothy helplessly watched as unforgiving gravity pulled red sand into the bottom of the hourglass, sealing her fate grain by grain.
Even though she knew it was pointless, she stumbled in a terrified daze to the door, the window, clattering loudly as she tried to open them and break free, to no avail.
She sank to the floor beneath the door, beginning to weep with fear. She remembered the song, the song that had brought her here. Of that, she was sure. It was far too much of a coincidence that her very key to leaving dull, old Kansas behind had come just hours after wishing for it. Perhaps a magic-worker, watching her from beyond the rainbow, had taken pity on her and created the storm. Dorothy regretted singing that song more than she could say. Why, oh why, couldn't she have been satisfied with home?
Perhaps someone would hear her again, and take her far away from this place, away from Oz altogether.
Through her tears, she began to sing.
Some..day I'll wake,
And rub my eyes
And in that land beyond the skies
You'll find me…
Dorothy broke off, just for a moment, as another wracking sob tore out of her. She slowly rose, and stumbled to the window. She looked longingly, through her weeping, to the outside world, stretching her arms through the bars.
Some…where over the rain...bow
Blue-birds fly
Birds fly…over the rain…bow
Why—
Dorothy abruptly broke off, unable to continue further. She'd been holding back tears as hard as she could during the song, but now, they cascaded out of her full-force. She placed her hands on the Witch's crystal ball, looking first at the near-empty hourglass, then at the crystal ball, and the image of a frantic Aunt Em.
Dorothy managed, despite the sobbing, to utter the words that would never reach who they were meant for.
"I'm frightened! I'm frightened, Auntie Em, I'm frightened!"
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