Drop
Drop
Hayley woke to the sound of water dripping onto something. Her eyes fluttered open and then squinted a little bit when the sun court her face, when her eyes became used to the glare she sat up and looked around herself, and her heart leapt into her mouth, she was definitely not in Kansas anymore, because as far as she new Kansas didn't have a deep dark forest filed with over grown plants and ivy covered trees. Above her the sun was shining though a cluster of trees who's branches had practically been demolished, as if something had fallen through then with great force and judging by the splitting headache she currently had, that thing was her.
How did she get here?
The last thing she remembered was rushing out the seller door in the middle of a Twister to look for Toto...Toto?
"Toto!" She cried out getting to her feet carefully.
"Toto where are you?! Toto!" She yelled
" .bark" came a little bark from behind her.
She turned and held out her arms for the small dog as he ran into them.
"Toto thank goodness, I thought you were to for good, that Twister was a terrible way to travel" she said hugging him close.
"Tell me about it, the last time I traveled by Twister I was in a house, traveling with out one is way worse" said the little black dog.
Hayley blanched and quickly dropped the small dog on his feet and backed up a little.
"Toto you can talk!?"
"Yes... so can you" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
" but...but you can talk" she said still trying to get her head around the fact that her childhood guardian who back in Kansas couldn't make any sound other than small little yaps, was now talking like a fully grown man.
"Yes... I can... " he said slowly as if to a toddler learning to speak.
" and it's a good thing to, or else you wouldn't have the foggiest idea where we are missy" he continued whilst sniffing around.
" but... but... wait what do you mean? where are we?" She asked as her heart started to calm down a bit now.
"Wow... for a smart kid you shore know how to act dum, think about it kid, what is the one place you know off that has dark forests and talking animals" he said
Hayley thought about it, there was only one place that fit his description, but that was impossible
"OZ?" She asked
"Ding ding ding we have a winner! Yes OZ" he said still sniffing for danger.
" but OZ isn't real, it's only a story Mama likes to tell me at bedtime" she said in disbelief.
" does this look like a story to you, do I sound like a story, or does that bump on your head feel like a story to you?" He said turning back to her.
" Well no but, that means..."
" we're not in Kansas anymore, no we're not, this is very bad we weren't supposed to return here until it was safe but judging by the district smell of darkness I'd say the war is still not over yet" he said eyeing their surroundings as though they were going to de attacked at any moment.
" war what do you mean war, isn't OZ at peace now that the witches are gone?" Asked Hayley as she sat down by the little dog.
"What war!? Oh that's right Dot didn't tell you any stories past our first visit here, well to fill you in very quickly OZ is currently at war with the Durine, a collection of the darkest creatures of Oz who are set on destroying the people of Oz at all costs" he said in a grim voice.
"But what do you mean "we weren't supposed to return" or "first visit" I though you and Mama only came here once?" She said confused.
" oh dear this will take some explaining, you see sweety you wher..." but her pursed
" Hayley when I give the word I need you to run in the opposite duration to me, got it" he said urgently.
" What Why?" She asked in fear.
" Don't ask questions Hayley just do as I say" he said firmly
"But..." she started but Toto cut her off.
" don't argue with me Hayley, as your guardian and protector I am ordering you to run, now do as I say now and run! " he shouted
" What?"
"RUN!"
And with that she ran, what else could she do. In the distance she heard the harsh barks and growls from her mother's faithful hound, coupled with snarls or something very inhuman.
She didn't look back, she was to scared to, she didn't want to see what it was that had coursed Toto to be so fierce. Soon after what falls like running a marathon to her short clumsy legs she came to a halt next to a large tree. The woods where silent now, there was no sound of a struggle coming from where she had come, she looked round the tree and sore nothing, not dark monster coming to get her, but also no little black dog ether.
She thought maybe she should go back and help Toto, but what could she do but get in the way, she was far to clumsy to fight properly and far to small to be of any use, she sighed ready to except defeat when suddenly she herd the snap of a twig coming from the other side of the tree, her heart was in her mouth, someone was here, and that someone was right on the other side of the tree she was hiding behind.
She breathed deeply in almost a pant.
right she thought.
No use hiding here, Toto isn't here to protect you now she thought as she picked up a large fallen BRANCH and brandished it like a sword.
I really hope its just a small monster, be brave Hayley she thought to her self as she leapt out from around the tree to face the terrifying beast.
"ahhhhhhhh!" She yelled
"ahhhhhhhhh!" it screamed back before swiftly leaping behind another much thinner tree that really didn't hide them very well.
She dropped the branch in shock, this beast was not a beast at all, from what she could see of him peeking out from the thin tree, he was a lion cub, a small gold lion cub who stud on his hind legs and was just barely taller than her, which wasn't saying much as she was very small for her age.
She slowly tuck a few steps towards him leaving her branch discarded on the forest floor.
She quietly peeked around the tree he was hiding behind and gently asked.
"Are you hiding from me" in the sweetest voice she could muster.
"I... well...I... no I was just um I just didn't want to scare you" he said coming out from behind the tree sheepishly, blushing madly.
She giggled slightly before asking "are you a lion cub?"
"well dur, I mean, yes, yes I am, and your a human cub right?" He asked as she nodded.
"Wow.. I've never seen a human cub before" he said getting on all fours and circling her before sniffing at her hair as she sat down next to him.
She giggled and push his muzzle away.
" I haven't ever met a lion cub ether so I guess we're even then" she said
He smiled and laughed " I guess so, what's your name?" he asked
"Hayley, what's yours?" She asked
"Leo, not very imaginative I know, but you can blame that on my dad" he said
" I thing Leo is a really cool name" she said pating his back.
" Well that must mean I'm a cool guy then" he said smugly.
" What are you doing out here in the middle of no where?" She asked him.
" Well I was looking for my dad, he went out scouting and I really wanted to come, but I got lost, then I heard some really creepy sounds and hid... I mean positioned myself in a vantage point behind that tree and then bumped into you, what about you, no human has set foot in the forest in a long time, what are you doing here?" He asked in return.
"we me and my dog... friend" she said quickly so as not to offend her new friend.
"...got stuck in a Twister and landed here by accident, then we got separated then he told me to run and something attached us, so I ran and hid behind that tree, then I found you" she said.
"Wow that sound really scary...for you I mean...not that I think your a scardy cat or any thing but...well I mean...wait what do you mean Twister..." but suddenly he was cut of by some very sinister giggles "ohhhhnoooo..." he said before suddenly out of the trees rolled a gang of long armed Gray skinned men with wheels for both feet and hands.
They laughed hysterically As they both circled the two frightened children.
" What are they?" asked a scared Hayley, as she huddled close to her new friend.
"Wheelers" he said in a voice full of fear.
" Well well what do we have here boys, some little cubs here to play with use" laugh the leader with a high pitched voice as his gang all joined in.
" and what's this" said another from behind as he grabbed Hayley by the hear, sniffing at it in his hand.
" A pretty little farm girl out to play" he said laughing.
"HAY you leave her alone!" yelled Leo as he swiped at the wheeler holding Hayley captives face with his claws coursing him to let her go with a yelp off pain.
" ahhh looks like the little scardy cat has some bark, let's see if it's as bad as his bite" as he and his gang started to back them up against a thicket of thorns.
"you leave us alone!" yelled Leo as he stud in front of a cowering Hayley protectively, letting out a small roar in the presses.
This only coursed the wheelers to laugh even more.
"you call that a roar... come on you can do better than that, roar like you mean it boy!" said the leader.
Leo opened his little mouth to let out another attempt when suddenly a louder and much more impressive roar echoed though out the wood.
The wheelers where only able to utter a quick "oh hell" be for they were all pounced upon buy a much bigger and much scarier lion, than they were currently tormenting.
Both Leo and Hayley watch in awe as the fully grown lion ripped his way through the scattering wheelers, with such ferocity it would make even the braves warrior turn tail and run.
He let out another loud roar as the surviving wheelers rolled away into the woods.
" YEAH YOU BETTER RUN YOU LITTLE WANNABE SCOOTERS, I CATCH YOU ANYWHERE NEAR MY CUB AGAIN, I'LL tear you stupid wheels from your limbs and HIGH FIVE YOU FACE WITH THEM" he yelled after them in a, what sounded to Hayley like a thick Brooklyn accent.
"DAD!" cried Leo as he ran over to the older lion and started nuzzleing him in the side for comfort.
" you are in big trouble, young male" said the lion as he nuzzled his sons head, licking his fur affectionately.
"What were you thinking, sneaking away from the pride, fallowing me into the woods, and not even doing a very good job of it, I came back to find you mother in tears, she thought you'd been snatched, your mother is worried sick" he ranted as Leo hung his head in shame.
"I'm sorry Dad, I just really wanted to watch you fight the bad guys" he said saddly.
"yeah well you got that wish didn't you...(sigh) ... come on let's head back and hope your mother doesn't bite both our tails off for your misbehaviour" he said bending bond to tack his son scruff between his teeth, only to have Leo wriggle out of his grasp.
" What dad, we can't leave with out my friend" he said making his way other to a still curled up Hayley.
"friend?" asked the lion as he got up on his hind legs and made his way over the the two kids.
"well, your a sweet little thing aren't yu... what's a little sweethearts like you doing here in the middle of the woods, where are your parents kid" he asked crouching down trying to seen as less threatening as possible.
"I don't know... my friend and I got attact and I ran, then I bump in to leo" she said feeling a little less scared than before.
The lion laughed, "my boy didn't scare you did he"
" no ha I think he was more scared than me" she giggle
"I was not!" Leo said indignantly
"but he was really brave standing up to toughs wheely things for me" she said quickly trying to make him feel better.
" Well that good to hear" said the lion as he rubbed his son's head with his paw, a proud smile on his face.
" Well why not give me your name kid then I can try and help you find you friend, my name's Lion by the way, king of the jungle, not a very imaginative name I know, you can blame my father for it" he said
She laughed as she stud up adjusting her floppy hat before curtseying.
" My name's Hayley, Hayley Gale" she said smiling.
