The Witch of the East here! If you have decided to read the second chapter then you are either very brave or very insane. As for myself I am the latter. Me and the Witch of the West would love to hear what you think of our story, even if you just want to comment to say how worried you are for our souls. So please, feel free to review!
Glinda kept her face blank as she was slapped, not letting a whisper of air pass her lips. She felt sickened to see the glee with which Elphaba seemed to revel in her pain, marvelling at that blood between her fingertips. Her heart stilled as she saw Elphaba bring out the bladed switch, but still no plea passed her lips.
She straightened her back in defiance, staring down the green woman. If Elphaba did not want to hear her side of the story, did not want to hear the truth, then she would enter a vow of silence, come hell or high water. And she would not break it. Not until Elphaba was begging at her instead.
The witch smiled bright as she saw the resolve in the blonde's eyes.
Oh this will be fun!
She smiled wider at the thought, slowly stepping up to the blonde with the blade of the whip in hand. She placed the sharp edge against the skin of the side of Glinda's face.
"Are you planning on not saying a word Your Goodness?" Pressing down her eyes focused on the blood welling around the blade before she moved it down the side of her face leaving a bleeding trail to Glinda's chin.
Glinda slowly closed and opened her eyes, screaming silently. She knew this would only be the start of the pain. Unless Elphaba came to her senses. She was planning on her doing so, once she saw that she wouldn't give over, once she realised what she was doing. Once her mask broke and that sickly smile fell from her face.
She stared back at her, face still as she felt blood painfully spill from the wound.
The witch removed the blade from the blonde's face, trailing up the fresh cut with her fingers she watched as Glinda's blood ran down her hand soaking into the black sleeve of her dress.
"How much are you willing to bleed for your crimes?" she whispered softly, almost to herself. "How much blood have you already put on my hands? Now I'm simply putting yours there myself, no need for your blonde brain to think of anymore lies." Once she touched the start of the wound she brought her fingers to her mouth, sucking off the blood onto her tongue. "Mmm sweet and yet still awfully bitter," She commented her voice softer then before.
Your wrong. She wanted to say, but held her tongue. Any blood that is there you put there yourself. And I have never lied to you.
She flinched ever so slightly as fingers dragged along her wound. Clearly she would bleed heavily for the 'crimes' she had committed. She wanted to break her silence, ask what Elphaba thought her crimes to be. But she knew she would only be giving her what she wanted. And she worried that once her kips opened she wouldn't be able to close them again to restrain her screams.
She pulled a disgusted look as Elphaba licked the blood from her fingers. She had truly gone insane.
The witch stepped away from the blonde and raised the bladed whip as she aimed a spot on the blonde to hit next.
Bringing the weapon down hard she smiled at it sliced the already ripped front of her dress and blood started to swell from the new cut. Those clothes would have to go soon she wanted a clear shot to the pale skin.
Glinda bit back a cry and she felt the blade gouge a path in her skin. She steeled her glare, forcing back tears and even managed to sneer at Elphaba, as if to ask, is that all you've got?
Really she wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. But she resolved to be strong.
The witch grinned wickedly as she grabbed her large blade and moved to stand behind the blonde, keeping Glinda in place with a steely hand on her arm.
She hooked the blade on the back of the dress and pulled the blade through the material. She let it fall away from the blonde's back hitting the floor in a pile at her feet. She whipped her across the shoulders with the bladed switch before running her fingers through the blood that welled from the wound.
Glinda once again panicked as she lost sight of Elphaba with a large blade. Was this it? When she felt the blade prick her skin and the dress fall away she couldn't restrain a gasp. What was Elphaba doing? Instinctively she made to cover herself, forgetting her hands were tied, which resulted in a painful lurch on her arms at the same time as a blade lashed across her shoulders.
She wrenched forward as Elphaba pressed her fingers to the wound. She felt like a piece of meat hung at a butchers stall. Taking rapid little breaths she kept herself quiet. But it was becoming harder to remain silent with every passing second.
The witch grinned as the blonde pulled away; pulling back she delivered a harder blow to her back. This time she didn't stop to feel the blood oozing from the wounds before adding more.
Glinda deserves this! She blamed me for years for so many crimes I have not committed! This crime I come by willingly!
"You deserve this!" She hissed as Glinda's blood trailed down pale skin. Many cuts crossed her back and still the witch didn't stop.
I don't! I don't deserve this! She silently screamed as the first tears fell unheeded from her eyes.
The pain was blinding as Elphaba didn't cease in her lashes, and Glinda felt as if her skin was being torn apart. A whimper slipped past her lips, despite her attempts to hold it back. But it was getting too much. Glinda had never experienced much pain in her life, and this was excruciating.
The witch slowed her hits as the blonde's back started to just look… messy. She couldn't have Glinda just a bloody mess, she wanted to see the wounds. See how Glinda was paying for betraying her as she had. Every time the words Wicked Witch passed her lips, for every time she held her silence as they passed other's lips.
She moved to a bottle of oil she had next to the chest and poured some onto a rag. She knew the oil stung open wounds, the reason why she had chosen it.
"Here now Your Goodness, don't cry. Let's get you cleaned up a little." She smiled as she moved back behind the blonde and started to clean the blood to reveal torn and bruised skin under the layer of red.
Glinda hung practically limp from the rope, her knees weak from the beating. She had never been hurt like this and she had never imagined Elphaba to be so cruel. Maybe she really was what they were calling her. Maybe she really was a wicked witch.
She tried to bite back her tears at Elphaba's comment, she hadn't meant to cry. But when that harsh oil set her wounds aflame even more she could hold back the whimpers. She was not strong enough to keep silent. She was not built to endure such treatment.
The witch placed the rag on the bed and then returned to the blonde and picked up the leather strap without the razor. She smiled widely, bringing the leather down over the bare skin of Glinda's stomach.
Glinda didn't even flinch, she didn't bother to stand. When that hit lashed across her stomach she let the rope and her arms take the full weight of her body. She wasn't going to give the Witch the pleasure of a response, she was going to try not to. She was just going to become a useless, emotionless piece of meat. Let that vile woman lash her and beat her and cut her, she didn't care. She wasn't getting out of here, that much was clear. Maybe she would pass out from the pain soon, be spared the many lashes she was sure to receive.
Glinda knew she would receive no mercy from the figure in front of her, that person hated her too much to listen to reason. That Wicked Witch wanted no more that to cause her pain, and hopefully death. Because that would be the only release she would receive from this torture.
A single tear rolled down her bloodstained cheek as she mourned the loss of Elphaba Thropp.
The witch growled when the blonde didn't respond to the hit. She grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and pulled her head back.
"A vow to silence I can accept but you will not shut down, your Goodness." She hissed in her face.
Of all the responses Glinda could have given Elphaba when her head was yanked back even she could not have expected what she did. She smiled, her eyes gazing off past the Witch's head, not willingly to look her in the eyes. She thought she could make her bend to her will did she? She may scream eventually, but for now this way her way to defy her.
"I don't take orders from the wicked" She spat, before breaking into a bought of laughter.
The witch glared at the blonde a moment before she reached up and untied her from the rope above. Letting her fall to the blood stained wood floor.
The witch then grabbed the bladed switch again and bought it down over Glinda's shoulder.
She gasped as her knees collided with the stone floor. She let out a cry when the blade cut into her shoulder. But she pushed herself back to her feet, a twisted smile upon her face.
"I won't take orders from anyone but Elphaba Thropp" She spat as she struggled to hold her position, body weak from the assault she had received. She didn't expect to be able to stand much longer, but she would make the most of it whilst she had the strength.
"And she is dead"
The witch let out a long evil cackle at the blonde's words before she roughly grabbed the blonde's chin.
"You know very well she is dead! You sent that farm girl to kill me!" she turned the blonde's head to the side and gently trailed her fingers over the drying blood from the large cut.
"I never gave that order. I was not even aware of it until recently." She said, allowing the Witch to dable in her blood. She ignored the feeling of coarse hands clenching her face and continued.
"But you say that she was sent to kill you. Now I am sure that the person standing before me is the Wicked Witch of the West, dear Elphie would never hurt me so. So so tell me, when did Elphaba Thropp die?"
The witch growled again as she turned the blonde to face her again.
"Elphaba died over time my dear, a slow agonizing death every time you uttered the words Wicked Witch." She smiled wickedly as she backed up and did a mock turn to show off. "And you know Uplands always get what they ask for."
Had that really done it, really driven Elphaba to the point of insanity that she believe herself to truly be the Wicked Witch of the West? It really was blood on her hands then. If she was truly gone.
"I never wanted for you to get hurt. I never wanted for you to go so insane that you think of yourself as the Wicked Witch. But I had no choice. My life, your life, was constantly under threat if I did not do as the Wizard commanded. I would have been executed within days of your leaving me if I hadn't gone along with it."
She took a deep breath, "Hurt me all you want for my supposed crimes. Beat me, cut me, rape me I don't care! I will take all your anger Elphaba and then maybe by the end of, by the time I draw my last breath you will see what you have done and return to yourself. And maybe you won't. But I don't care
I will scream for you, I will cry, I will bleed. But I will not ever believe you to be truly the Wicked Witch."
She raised her chin, "And nothing you can do, not even murdering me, will change my beliefs."
The witch paused before a wicked grin spread across her face and she whipped the bladed edge across the blonde's collar bone. Not missing a beat she brought it down again this time over her stomach, not stopping again as she had on Glinda's back.
She let out a cry at the lash, it cutting deep into her flesh. She doubled over as it sliced her stomach, her freed hands moving to cover the cut.
"When did Elphaba start taking pleasure in torture" She spat, falling to her knees, her strength finally gone.
"When did Elphie start to enjoy hearing people's screams" She hissed.
She looked Elphaba dead in the eye before she said her next statement.
"When did Fae stop hating the sight of blood on her hands"
Elphaba felt the Witch falter inside herself but refused to show it instead she lashed out harder.
"Don't ever say that name again!" She called almost hysterically, Fiyero was gone now, and no one should call her by that damned name again.
She grabbed Glinda's hair again. "I'm the Wicked Witch of the West!"
She screamed as she was yanked upwards, her hands automatically flying to try and prise Elphaba's from her hair. She felt fresh blood spring from all her wounds at the rapid, harsh actions. She wondered how she wasn't dead from blood loss yet.
"You are Elphaba Thropp" She spat, hands falling down by her side as she knew there was no attempt in resisting. She just wanted this over with. She didn't care how.
The witch started to shake as she fought to keep Elphaba under control.
"Elphaba Thropp is dead!" She hissed not sure anymore if she was trying to convince herself or Glinda.
She reached over and grabbed the cloth off the bed, knowing she had to stop the bleeding cuts if she wanted the blonde to last.
"I don't think she is. I think she's hurt and hiding. But she isn't dead" Glinda said, almost gently, as she felt Elphaba begin to shake.
"And I will forgive her for everything she has done to me. Even if I have to do it from beyond the grave. I forgive you for hurting me Elphie."
Elphaba growled as she felt the mask of the Witch lessening its hold.
No! No no no Elphaba had to be dead! She had to stay dead!
She thrust the cloth into Glinda's hands as she turned away and started to pace trying to get herself back under control.
"What is this for?" She said, looking at the dirty rag in her hands.
"I'm not going to inflict pain upon myself with that damned oil you idiot."
She watched Elphaba pace and hoped it was a sign that she was coming back. That she was getting herself more under control.
"See, Elphaba is there. She's not dead. The only way you can kill her is to kill me" She said.
"And I know you won't do that"
"It's to stop the bleeding!" Elphaba screamed at Glinda as she stopped pacing and faced the blonde. She froze as she saw the blood and felt her stomach roll this time. She tried to stop herself but she couldn't, she collapsed to her hands and knees on the spot and started to vomit. I am a monster!She panicked as she heaved up what little food she had eaten that day.
"Oh Elphie" She said, crawling over to her, being unable to stand.
"Its okay. I promise its okay" She whispered, laying a hand on her shoulder, her breaths becoming heavier. It felt like every little movement she carried out required a huge effort.
"We have- to stop- the bleeding" Elphaba heaved for breath as she quickly moved away from the blonde to another bottle of oil, and a fresh rag. She moved back to the blonde and held back her nausea as she started to pour the oil over the deeper cuts.
What have I done? What have I done? What have I done? What have I done?!She panicked even more inside as she took in all the wounds on her once best friend. I did this to her! I am a monster! Oz, how will she ever forgive me!? How could I ever forgive myself?
"No" She said, weakly, seeing the bottle. She was surprised when she didn't feel as much pain as before. She didn't feel any change though. If anything she felt weaker. She felt her hands slip that had been holding her in a sitting position and she slid to the floor.
"Oh" She murmured, confused by her sudden fall, if one could call it that. She didn't understand what was happening, her brain not quite comprehending the dire situation she found herself in. She didn't realise that she might perhaps actually be dying for Elphaba's return, as she had earlier suggested.