After multiple arguments with the Guard, Glinda was allowed back into the city. Of course, as one could tell, the Emerald City was a different place in the middle of the night. She wandered through the streets, more scared than anything. She was scared of being away from Elphaba, scared of being a the huge city by herself, and, at the moment, she was most scared of the creepy men that would leer at her as she walked. Glinda squeezed her eyes shut and moved into the middle of the street, remembering something that her mother had told her once.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Layana Arduenna and Hughmaster Upland watched as their daughter rode around in the back yard. The older woman was a spitting image of her daughter. From a distance, the two could be twins. Galinda, who had been ridding horses since she could walk, couldn't help but be lost in her own little world. She was being taught so that she could ride like a lady during parades through Gillikin. Of course, this didn't stop her from teaching herself how to ride in a less formal fashion though. She was taught on a Gillikin saddle, and taught herself on a Quaddling saddle and bareback.
After practice, Galinda hopped off her horse and ran to her mumsie. "Done for today, Mumsie! Popsicle, can you ask the stable boy to take care of Bubbles?" Galinda asked with a smile that could charm the darkest of hearts. How could a father say no to his princess? Hughmaster chuckled and stood, going over to talk with the stable boy. Layana smiled and pulled Galinda down close to her. She smiled warmly at her daughter. "I know you're going to college soon, Sweetie." Her mother paused for a second, smiling at Galinda's radiant beam when Shiz was mentioned. Layana continued. "Always remember. Walk in the middle of the street." Galinda's eyebrow quirked, she was confused. What was with the random tidbit of information? Layana laughed at her daughter's expression. "Always walk in the middle of the street. At night, when the sky is dark, there are strange people. Especially in Campus Town and the Emerald City. Always walk in the middle of the street. The chances of you being kidnapped or hurt are more slim if you're away from the allies."
Galinda giggled fondly. "Whatever you say, Mumsie." She kissed her mothers cheek before skipping off to start packing for Shiz. She didn't take any heed to her mother's comment, and instead concerned herself with her make-up and first-day outfit.
XxXxXxX
Glinda now understood what her mother had meant. She preferred the safety of the middle of street compared to the dark sidewalks where the men, and women, leered at her, beckoning. After some awkward running down the street in her heels, Glinda slipped into the nearest hotel. It wouldn't help Elphaba if she were to be killed and left in an alley. Glinda hurried up to her room and threw down her suitcase before jumping into the bed and burying under her blankets. As a child, she'd always believed that the blankets could save her from anything and everything. It was time to hide behind that belief again and start planning her trip to the Emerald Palace.
I know, this one was a very slow chapter, but I wrote it very "spurr of the moment" kind of thing. ;-; I'll try to get more of the actual story in the next chapter, because I'd originally wanted a flashback in every chapter. Of course, that's a lot of work and awkward story editing, so that may not happen. I dunno, PM me if you want flashbacks in every chapter. ^_^
Opheliac.~
