The first thing she felt was wind on her face. The second was a leaf smacking her in the eye.
"Ow!"
Mindy threw up a hand and tenderly rubbed at her eye. She frowned delicately as she squinted, a single tear of pain now forming at the edge of it. Mentally, she shook her head at herself at the few, left over dried streaks that her tears from earlier had gifted her. They were two small trails that went down both of her cheeks.
It was a long moment, before she suddenly realized that the wind was beginning to grow fiercer. A thin shiver racked through her body.
As Mindy laid on the floor, she lazily called out, "Mom you left my window open!"
Nothing but silence met her call.
Grumbling to herself in mild annoyance, Mindy sighed deeply.
She yelled again, "Mom, didn't you hear me?"
When her mother failed to answer a second time, a cold feeling settled in the pit of Mindy's gut. Suddenly, the hands that were beneath her head subconsciously tightened in fear. Soon, she realized that the only sound meeting her ears was the roar of the ever-growing wind outside. A purse of the lips was her only response. Ever carefully, she opened her eyes only to have them shoot wide open in surprise, as she unexpectedly found herself flying in the middle of a large tornado. A vulgar scream instantly erupted from her lips.
"W-What…"
A panicked expression settled over her face, and she quickly began turning on her knees. All she saw was the jagged sight of ripped wires and wall plaster, and the terrifying view of a darkening twister through a large gap in her wall. A ball of regret instantly entered her gut. No, no, no. This was not what she had wanted. Looking around her, it was as if her entire room had been picked up and stolen away from San Francisco.
Mindy promptly gasped. San Francisco!
The girl immediately let a swear roll off her tongue. Hurriedly moving on her knees toward the window of her bedroom, she fought off the urge to fall over from the extreme weight of the wind that was gushing into her. As she neared her window, Mindy struggled to land her palms on the edge of her window seal. Grasping it firmly, she gradually managed to pull herself onto her feet, but almost felt the urge to cry when a random stick came flying into the room only to quickly graze her face. Another exclamation of pain escaped her.
Blinking through her unshed tears, Mindy reached up to wipe at her face, as she gazed horrified into the distance. Her other hand had a death grip on the window's ledge. It was far away and down below, amongst the crazy and hazy grey of the ever-blackening tornado carrying her aloft that the town of San Francisco, California sat.
"... Can I say that one cuss word, now?"
Mindy let out a cry, holding on tightly, as the bedroom suddenly shook midflight and started to spin unnaturally. Staring out the window, she saw a cat meowing in fright as it tried to walk along the twirling gusts of air. Below it, a dog sat, uncaringly being carried away as it chewed at the underside of its belly. Trees, rocks, and various other debris circled around her. Amongst the cyclone, a trash can followed behind the animals, accompanied soon by a tall woman riding a bicycle. On her head sat a head full of long brown hair, and on her face was a pair of dark eyes that pierced her soul. The ringing of a bell was heard, and then the room began to spin faster and faster. It spun so hard and so fast that a dull roar started to sound in Mindy's ears, and she fell down to her knees in pain, throwing one hand up in an attempt to cover her ears. The other hand held steadfast onto the window ledge.
Letting the tears flow freely now, Mindy quickly bent into herself, audibly whimpering into her chest.
"Please, please, please let me go back! I'm sorry I was acting so selfish. I'm sorry that I was being so mean! This isn't what I wanted at all! Mom, Dad-"
The room shook and spun angrily.
"I didn't mean it at all-"
The wind howled in disgust and blew hard into the room around her.
"I'm sorry I acted that way-"
Mindy's hand faltered for a moment, and an especially hard gust of air blew straight into her body.
"I'm sorry!" she cried out, just before her eyes dully closed.
Mindy's last thought was of her mother and father, before her entire world turned a dark, jet black.
When she woke up, a short bean-shaped creature was standing over her. He airily kicked at her shoulder. Around his waist was a thin belt covered in tools that shook with his movements.
In a gruff voice he said, "Well at least she's not dead."
Mindy felt disgusted by his remark, until the abrupt sound of cheering met her ears and rang out from all around her. She confusedly stared around her, as she moved to lug herself into a standing position. As far as she could tell, the discarded apartment room was now laying haphazardly on the ground. Everything was calm, the sun was shining brightly, and the cyclone was more than long gone; just a possible figment of her imagination in the far, far off distance. But this event was no figment of her imagination. Staring at the walls around her – or what was left of them – the inside of her room seemed a little worse for ware, but the fact that she was still alive from the tornado kept her from even pondering the thought of complaining. Beside her, the now much shorter bean-man held out a gloved hand for her even though his expression was a face of utter disinterest.
"Come along then. It's time for your celebration," the little guy droned.
"My celebration?" she asked.
Mindy curled up her nose in slight disgust, detesting the thought of touching his greasy gloves, but gingerly placed her small hand into his before allowing him to lead her through the nonexistent hallway wall of her apartment bedroom. As she passed through the threshold, her green eyes passed over the broken pipes and electrical wires, before her gaze came to rest in front of her and the light from the sun momentarily blinded her. Then, everything reverted back to normal, and she felt her eyes bug out in wonder.
Mindy gulped in fear.
"I've a feeling I'm not in San Francisco anymore."
Colors of all sorts surrounded her. Little balls of red, yellow, green, blue, and purple grew out of flowers and along long vines. They sparkled within themselves and shone with a calm inner light. Amongst the round orbs, more bean-shaped beings stood in different spots, all staring at her in various degrees of unconcern and curiosity. A few looked on in amazement. Most of the weird creatures wore tools around their waists, as they looked between Mindy and their houses, unsure if they were supposed to stay or not. An air of awkwardness settled over the land now that Mindy was standing before them.
Immediately, Mindy felt the left corner of her mouth twitch at the pressure being brought on by the bean people's stares. She started to sweat. It had been literally years since she had felt so much unwanted attention on her. The feeling both unnerved and disettled her. Suddenly taking in a breath, all while feeling very and indubitably confused, the taller girl forced out a hesitant grin. She blushed when a few of the bean people began to clap once more, much to her own puzzlement. As they cheered, the girl subconsciously grabbed at the bottom of her shorts in search of something familiar. Now she felt thoroughly embarrassed.
Standing there in the middle of the miniscule, botanical town, Mindy paused, trying to siphon her slowly growing heartrate. A sight disrupted her calming breaths. She almost let out a scream, as a golden light gently descended from the heavens. She watched in slight trepidation as the light came to land on a small patch of grass in front of her. A shoe broke through the bottom of the golden beam, and from the heart of the glowing star, a short girl daintily stepped out onto the earth, or what Mindy could only assume was earth. For all she knew, this place was Mars.
As Mindy gazed down at the short person, she discovered that the owner of the yellow light was in fact a child, who suddenly stood before her in an exquisitely beautiful, yet incredibly poufy honey-colored dress.
Mindy felt an eye twitch at the absurdity of it all. A disgusted feeling settled in her stomach, and she suddenly wished that she was at home once more; at the home that she had once called her home, a place where life was calm and comforting, not confusing and different. A slight noise of repulsion left her, before she quickly clamped her mouth shut. There was no telling what this magical girl could do to her if she ever got angry and decided to use her magic on her…
The little blond girl looked up at her, and Mindy was definitely sure that she did not want to find out.
After a moment, the young girl smiled. She held out a golden gloved hand to Mindy.
Inwardly cringing, the human girl eventually took hold of the appendage and shook it. She managed to muster up a fake smile which she sent to the shorter female.
"Welcome to the Core," the child brightly spoke, "I am Riley. Riley, the Good Witch."
Mindy mentally gawked at the name. A small shiver wracked down her spine. So this little girl was a witch, huh? A weak "Hi" was all that she could manage through her lips.
The Good Witch laughed a little, moving her hands down to pick up her skirt. She let a small hum leave her lips, and Mindy almost lost it at the uncanny tune. It was so familiar… The sound of it was almost like the tune of her favorite gum commercial, the one she used the listen to on repeat back in Florida. She watched on as the girl began to happily skip toward the broken piece of Mindy's apartment.
"I would ask you for your name, but I already know who you are," the witch offhandedly remarked.
Mindy stared, as the little girl stopped beside her apartment and bent down at the knees, staring at something. An almost melancholic expression clouded over her features. Then, she stood up on her toes and grinned conspiringly toward Mindy.
"Do you see those shoes?"
Mindy pursed her lips and glanced down beside the small room, suddenly gawking at the pair of emerald colored feet sticking out from under the busted up piece of her house.
"Oh. My. God. Are those feet?"
A horrified crack entered Mindy's voice.
The Good Witch merely smiled, a minuscule twinkle entering her eye. With Mindy's gaze on her, the witch gestured down to the shoes again, and Mindy followed her movements, gasping at the sight. Now, nothing sat crushed beneath her house.
Just as Mindy was about to say something else, her eyes landed on the tops of her feet, and she felt a scream bubble up in her throat. Beside her, the little girl chuckled.
"Don't you think they're beautiful? Yeah, they were my mother's."
Mindy almost passed out on the spot, but instead, she stared down at the girl as if she were crazy. She suddenly choked on her own tongue. A gagging noise escaped her. The thought of wearing a dead woman's shoes, more so the pair that she had actually died in, was absolutely disgusting. From her spot near her, however, the Good Witch merely smiled in amusement.
"Honestly, they're okay. I promise, Mindy. Besides, they're magical! You can use them to get home."
The girl abruptly stopped mid panic attack.
"Home," she heard herself wonder aloud.
The short female nodded and held out a hand. A few golden sparkles left her palm, before a long stick magically appeared in her hand.
Narrowing her eyes, Mindy stared curiously at the object for a moment, before her mouth suddenly dropped open in distaste, and she turned up her nose at the offending stick. She could not believe this. Her father had been the only one in her family to even think about loving this sport.
"Is that a hockey stick?"
The Good Witch simply shrugged, her lips smirking gently.
"Call it a family heirloom."
She edged the stick toward Mindy, and the taller girl gently took it.
Her voice came out uneasily, as she gazed at the long piece of mahogany wood, "I-Is this magic too?"
The witch roared with laughter. She wiped at her eyes and chuckled, lacing her hands delicately over her skirt.
"No, no, but it's a sturdy stick. It isn't magical, but a person can never have one too many sticks while traveling on a tirelessly long journey."
The human let out a breath that she did not know she was holding.
She thoughtlessly responded, "Oh, well that's kind of an odd gift, but okay."
The Good Witch merely smiled in response and extended another hand to her. Mindy silently accepted it. Turning back to gaze at her bean-shaped people, the witch grinned and threw out her other hand beside her. A glow seemed to appear from within her soul, and she proudly addressed her subjects.
"Dear citizens of my sweet Core, hear my decree forevermore. The tyranny of her reign has come to an end, now a message to you, I surely do send. For her actions which forced all of us to just dread, the Wicked Old Mother, at last, is dead!"
Cheers suddenly erupted from all around her, and Mindy felt floored. Even the sourest of faces was clapping for her, as Mindy stood still in shock. The human had no idea how to feel about killing someone. She was confused overall, but a sick emotion had settled itself within her stomach. She was spoiled and vain, but she had never wanted to kill anyone. None of this had been her fault, and yet these people were acting as if she were their hero; a newfound celebrity in their small community of houses and strange orb flowers. The only solace that she found in her situation was that she had apparently performed a good deed for the bean people, even though it had been a complete accident on her part.
As she stood there, a tiny civilian moved over to a flower and curiously pulled off a blue globe. He looked inside it, blinked momentarily, and walked slowly over to Mindy. He handed the ball over to her, making sure to give her a small thank you, and carefully stepped away. When she looked inside it, she saw herself looking at her cellphone, lying down to cry on her floor. A few tears edged the corners of her eyes. The witch gave her a small smile and put a hand out for the orb. When Mindy handed it to her, the orb gradually turned into a bright yellow, and she showed it a second time to the taller human.
It took her a moment to register what was going on in the orb, but Mindy smiled fondly once she recognized who was in the ball. A fresh, much happier wave of emotion washed over her. She could never forget the image of her best friends, smiling and laughing alongside her as they planned their last vacation together. Sniffling, the human girl let the kind child drop the orb into her palm.
"This is for you. Keep it with you during your travels."
She tapped it, and the orb swallowed up into a tiny ball, "Just tap it, and the memory will enlarge."
Mindy stared in wonder, cautiously tapping the outside shell of the memory. It grew back to its original size. Now curious, she turned to the witch with a confused gaze.
"How does this happen?" she asked.
The witch giggled.
"Magic," the Good Witch responded.
Unsurely, Mindy continued, "So, where is this place?"
The witch put a hand to her chin. She studiously took a few steps around the teenager, looking her up and down. She then nodded. "Yep, you're our savior alright. You should be able to make it out alive... I believe so, anyway."
"What do you mean?!" Mindy cried.
"Hush, hush," the little girl suddenly shushed, "Off you go! Now do you see that colorful, little brick road beside us? The one will all of the different colored little stones? Yeah. Just take it, and you will eventually find your way to Imagination Land. Yayyy. There you shall face the Wizard, and you will click your heels together three times to go back to… wherever you're from. See? Those pretty little emerald sparkles aren't just for fashion's sake; they are made of a powerful kind of magic, one that is strong enough to transport you home."
Mindy blinked, glancing dubiously down at her shoes. Her slippers were both beautiful and powerful; an almost deadly combination. Her green eyes moved up to stare suspiciously toward the young witch. She wearily crossed her arms in front of her.
"Okay, something has to be up. First the flats, then the stick, and now the memory, apparently. Why are you doing this? Obviously you want some kind of payment, but I have nothing of any worth to you, so why don't you just take everything back, and you can help me get home-"
"I want nothing in return."
Mindy paused mid-sentence.
The witch quickly continued on, "You have done us such a great service. My mother; you have no idea of what she has done, or of all the innocent people she has tortured in her life time. Please, my dear, I beg of you in earnest to take the shoes. They will help you on your journey up North, and I am truthful in my words. Just take the road of bricks, and you will find your way to the land of Imagination. Perils shall surely come into your path, but do not fret Mindy. You can win, but do not be afraid to seek help from others, as strangers shall be your greatest ally. Trust in others, and they shall lead you there."
The human could only stare in trepidation. Slowly, she leant the long end of her hockey stick on the ground and looked toward the road. She swallowed down the thick feeling of fear in her throat.
"So," her voice shook in a whisper, "all I have to do is follow this road?"
The Good Witch dutifully nodded, "Correct."
"And I will eventually make it to this… Imagination place."
"Correctamundo."
Mindy stared down at the endless road for a lengthy moment, before she finally sighed in resignation.
"Ugh, fine. But this better work! I swear, I hate walking."
The Good Witch beamed and placed a gentle hand on the human's back. She then pushed her softly toward the road, almost sweeping her forward with the force of her encouraging magic.
"Well, go on then. There is no time like the present. Good luck!"
Mindy grumbled, annoyed by the girl's never-ending cheerfulness, but felt a thin grin form on her lips as she faced the kind child. She raised a hand and waved down to her one last time, before starting her long trek down the equally as long road. The bean-shaped people and the witch watched her in silence as she walked down the path. In one hand, she held on tight the tiny memory. In the other, the teen used her hockey stick as a walking cane, lazily dragging it on the brick beneath her.
"I give her a week," one of the memory miners droned.
"Hush," the little girl pouted, pointing a finger in his direction.
A rainbow printed afro appeared on his head. He let out a muted scream.
At his horrified expression, the witch she sent him a generous smile and let him see the mocking glint that had entered her eyes. She chuckled amusedly from behind her hand at him.
"I give your hair a week."
Like it so far? Get ready for adventure! Also, don't forget to leave a review, you beautiful beauties, you!