I'm publishing chapter 2 early! Hope everyone is enjoying it so far!
Galinda groaned as she sat up and stretched, growling a bit when she hit her hand on the ceiling. After last night's incident, the Frottican had opted to sleep in her car, and despite her short stature, it had still been a bit cramped. Her neck was a bit sore, and she put a hand to it with a sigh. She was hesitant to go back inside the granary, lest something else attack her, but her food and clothing were still inside, and she needed both. Taking a deep breath, Galinda left the relative safety of her vehicle and headed up to the front door, unlocking the padlock and slipping inside just long enough to grab a change of clothes and a few apples for breakfast, along with a glass of water. She quickly retreated, locking the door firmly behind her before heading back to her car.
As she ate her breakfast, Galinda mapped out her route for the day; she'd hit the local farms and ask if they needed any extra help. It was less than ideal, yes, but even if she did abandon the granary, she'd need the money to move back home. With another sigh, the blonde changed into her clothes for the day (which was rather awkward in the cramped space) before starting her car and heading for the first farm.
"Yes, I suppose I could use some extra help," the first farmer said upon being approached by the Frottican.
And that was how Galinda spent her morning weeding his crop patches, which were acres in size. By the time the sun reached high noon, the blonde's back and neck ached from the constant bending over, and her hands were hurting, despite the gloves she was wearing. Still, she had finished, and the farmer paid her fifty green pennies (ten an hour; "honest pay for honest work", whatever that meant). As she sat back in her car, she let out a sigh, wiping the sweat from her brow; the heat was sweltering, and the dust from the farmland clung to her in a way that begged for a shower. She figured she could leave the other farms for other days; she was too exhausted to continue further.
Galinda chose to spend the rest of her day familiarizing herself with the surrounding area; she wasn't entirely sure why. The granary seemed too dangerous a place to live, and perhaps Roman had been right: perhaps knocking it down was the best decision. The Frottican hated to admit defeat, especially so soon, but she did value her life, after all.
As the sun began to set, Galinda reluctantly drove back to the granary, letting out a sigh as she stood outside the door, looking at the padlock. Going back inside most likely meant risking her life again, but she figured that if she couldn't get through one more night, she'd give up on restoring this place.
Steeling herself against whatever might be waiting inside, Galinda unlocked the door and headed inside, closing it behind her. She paused for a few moments, looking around. Everything seemed normal enough… the blonde crossed the room to where her drafting table sat. Her plans from yesterday had been ripped to shreds, the pieces littering the floor. The Frottican knelt down and began to gather them up; it probably wasn't even worth it to redraw them. She straightened up and turned around, coming face-to-face with the green woman. Galinda let out a cry, jumping back and crashing into her drafting table. She fell to the floor in a flurry of drafting supplies, covering her head against the attack. After a few moments, she looked back up, but the woman was gone. The Frottican let out a sigh as she got to her feet, picking up her supplies as she did so. After cleaning up, the blonde pulled her phone from her purse, typing in a number before raising it to her ear.
"Hello, Master Skarr? It's Galinda Upland. Listen, I need to speak with you about the granary…"
The sudden sound of ringing caught the blonde's attention, and she rolled over with a grunt, groping for the source of the noise. She soon located her phone and raised it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Galinda dear! You haven't called us; how is everything? Are you all right?"
The blonde swore under her breath; she'd temporarily forgotten about her parents. "I'm fine Mumsie."
"How is your… what are you doing out there again?"
"I'm restoring a granary."
"Oh…" A pause. "Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself."
"Yes…" Galinda bit her bottom lip.
"Call us if you need anything, all right?"
"Mumsie, I'm fine; I can live on my own."
Says the woman too afraid to even set foot in her own home.
"Yes, well, we worry about you anyway."
"I know… thank you…"
"Love you dear."
"Love you too Mumsie."
The blonde hung up with a sigh, looking around her car, which she was currently spending another night in.
"Yeah… I'm doing just fine…"
Upon waking up the next morning, Galinda groaned as she sat up, her body aching in protest. Roman was coming in an hour or so, which meant she'd need to pack everything up again. Moving back home would be mortifying to say the least; how could she convince her parents of her independence if she couldn't even survive a week on her own? Galinda sighed; that was a problem for another time. At least she'd have enough money to get home after Roman came.
After preparing for the day inside her car once again (this was getting ridiculous), Galinda emerged just in time to see Roman driving up. Face flushed, she pretended to be rummaging for something so he wouldn't know she'd been sleeping there.
"Good morning, Miss Galinda," Roman said after emerging from his car.
"Good morning…"
"Changed your mind about the granary I see."
"Yes…" Galinda didn't feel like explaining her reasoning, lest she be called crazy.
"Ah, well, I expected such; this project was too big for a little girl anyway. Buildings are men's work."
The blonde could feel her anger growing at that; how dare he make such an assumption about her! "Yes, well, it just wasn't the project for me."
Roman nodded. "Well, destruction was the best choice anyway. I'll need the key."
Galinda nodded, pulling said item from her pocket. "I'm sorry to leave this project behind, but I suppose I can use my money on another one—"
"Your money?" Roman raised an eyebrow. "Were you under the impression that you were going to get your money back?"
Galinda didn't like where this was headed. "Well, yes…"
"Miss Galinda, you purchased half of the estate from me."
"Yes, and now I'm returning it."
Roman shook his head. "Maybe if you had purchased it for the full price, we could make some sort of deal, but as it is… consider your money rent."
"Rent?" Galinda was appalled. "I stayed here for three days! Even an apartment in the Emerald City doesn't cost that much for three days!"
Roman shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Miss Galinda." He didn't seem all that broken up by the situation. "Now, I'll give you some time to pack up and—"
"Hold on. If I'm not getting my money back, then I'm not leaving," Galinda said, pulling the key away.
Roman looked confused. "You just said—"
"I know what I said, but if I'm not going to get my money back, then I damn well want to give this project another try." Galinda was not sorry for her use of profanity.
The Munchkin crossed his arms. "Miss Galinda, this is not very professional of you."
"Yes, well, you're holding my money, which isn't very decent of you, so I suppose we're even then, aren't we, Master Roman?"
"I suppose." A pause. "Well, I hope you have better luck this time around, Miss Galinda." He tipped his hat at her before getting back inside his car and leaving.
The Frottican felt triumphant at that, but only for a few moments as it occurred to her that she was right back where she had started. Galinda turned back towards the granary with sigh. She'd restore it, all right… after she figured out what the hell was going on.
In order to save herself from being called crazy, Galinda knew she couldn't go to anyone she knew for help, which meant she needed to employ the help of someone else. It had taken some searching (and a few wrong turns) before she found a small shop with a single neon sign in the front: Psychic.
Galinda sat in her car for a minute or so, wondering if this was the best decision. She'd never considered going to a psychic before, believing them to be, well… charlatans really. Taking a deep breath, the blonde left her car and entered the small shop. Immediately she was greeted with the thick scent of incense, causing her nose to wrinkle.
"Hello?" she called, coughing a bit. "Is anyone here?"
There was the sound of footsteps, followed by the sound of beads rattling.
"Ah, hello."
The blonde held back her cry of surprise; standing before her was an Elephant.
"My name is Nastoya," she continued, approaching the Frottican. "How may I assist you today? Perhaps you'd like your fortune read, hmm?"
"N-no… thank you…" Galinda tucked a blonde curl behind her ear, as she often did when nervous. "I… I am in need of your… services… elsewhere."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well, you see… I bought this old granary in hopes of fixing it up… but something isn't right… I think it's trying to kill me."
The Elephant let out a soft chuckle. "You are concerned that this granary is possessed perhaps?"
"Maybe? All I know is that I can't live there as it is… and I had hoped that perhaps you could help me… or at least tell me what's going on?"
Nastoya paused before she nodded. "Yes, I believe I can help you."
"Well… here it is," Galinda said, gesturing to the granary.
The Elephant nodded as she approached, looking up at the building. "Yes, I can definitely feel some sort of supernatural energy coming off this place… could you perhaps open the door?"
Galinda nodded before she unlocked the door, pushing it open. "Should I wait out here, or…?"
"That might be for the best. I shouldn't be long," Nastoya replied before she entered, walking around the lower level slowly. Galinda watched her from outside, and occasionally the Elephant would nod before taking a few more steps. Eventually, the blonde heard the creaking of the stairs, and she wondered if the upper level would be strong enough to hold the Animal.
About ten minutes passed before Nastoya returned, and Galinda hastily put her phone away as she heard her approach.
"Well, Miss Galinda, I have good news for you: the granary is not possessed."
The blonde let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Oz—"
"Rather, you have a specter."
Galinda stopped mid-sentence. "A specter?"
Nastoya nodded. "A ghost, if you prefer."
"…. And you consider that better than the granary being possessed?"
"Well, yes. Possessions are much more dangerous; this specter merely wants you to leave her alone."
"So it is a woman! Is she green?"
"Oh, you've seen her?"
"A few times… she attacked me."
The Elephant smiled slightly. "Do not worry, Miss Galinda. The amount of energy it would take for her to seriously injure you is much more than what she possesses."
"Okay… how do I make her stop?"
"Well, I suppose that if you wish to continue with your work, you'll have to find a way to live with her."
"How am I going to do that?"
Nastoya shrugged. "I believe you will find a way."
Galinda sighed. "All right… thank you…" The blonde paid the Elephant and watched her leave in her covered wagon (which somehow held up to her size). The Frottican turned to face the granary, its open door looking anything but inviting. With another sigh, Galinda headed inside, the granary creaking a bit around her. She remembered what Nastoya had said about trying to live with this ghost (since she obviously wasn't going anywhere), and she clenched her fists as she looked around.
"All right, listen to me: you've made it clear that you want me gone, but due to… certain circumstances, neither of us is going anywhere for a while, so I believe it would be best if we just try to get along. I will leave you alone if you let me work; I'm trying to save this place, and once I'm done, I'll leave, okay?"
There was silence, though Galinda wasn't sure what she had expected. Still, she knew she had to make an effort, especially if she wanted to keep from being attacked again.
"I'm going to start drawing some new plans for the remodel, okay?" she said, making her way over to the drafting table. "Please don't rip them up again… they take a long time to draw, and I still don't have any electricity for a lamp."
The blonde felt a bit silly, talking to empty space, but if it kept this ghost from attacking her again, she was willing to look a bit foolish.
Galinda worked until the daylight was gone, and she was forced to set down her pencil. In the time she'd been working, she hadn't been bothered by the verdant specter, which she hoped was a good sign. The blonde became aware that her stomach was grumbling for food, and she rummaged through her sack, pulling out a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. After making herself a sandwich, Galinda grabbed her night clothes and phone, heading upstairs to her mattress. She sat down with a tired sigh, eating her sandwich as she scrolled through her phone. She'd need tools and supplies before she could begin working, and Oz knows how much that would cost.
Once she'd finished eating, the blonde brushed the crumbs off herself before she looked around the darkened room. "I… I'm going to change my clothes now… if you're watching, I'd appreciate it if you looked away…" Galinda waited a few moments before she changed into her pajamas and lay down on the mattress, pulling the blanket over her.
"Well… good night… I don't know if you sleep or not… but good night anyway…"
"Hello? Anyone home?"
Galinda paused in the middle of brushing her hair. She had just finished changing (thankfully) and preparing for the day when she heard the knocking.
"One moment," she called before she set the brush down and went to the door, pushing it open. Standing there was a tall blond Gillikinese male, someone she certainly didn't know. "How can I help you?"
"Are you Galinda?"
"Yes… why?"
"I'm Avaric. Boq called me; said you needed some utility work done on this place?"
"Oh, yes! Thank you for coming." Galinda opened the door further, letting him inside.
"Wow… you don't have anything here," Avaric said looking around. "How the hell have you been surviving?"
"It hasn't been easy… so what do you think you can do?"
The blond scratched the back of his head as he thought. "I can probably hook you up to the aqueducts that run through the farmlands… as for electricity, I'll have to get you a generator."
"How long will that last me?"
"If you treat it right, it'll give you power for years."
Galinda nodded; so far this all sounded good. "All right… do I need to get out of your way?"
Avaric shook his head. "No, you're fine. Just show me where you want your toilet and sink hooked up and I'll get started."
After letting Avaric get to work, Galinda headed upstairs and began reading one of the architecture books she'd brought with her. It wasn't as helpful as she'd like, seeing as it dealt with contemporary buildings rather than historic ones, which was what she was currently working with. Still, it was better than nothing, she supposed.
Throughout the day, the granary was filled with the sounds of Avaric working. Galinda checked up on him a few times, offering him lunch or a glass of water. He was pleasant enough (if a bit full of himself) and didn't trouble the blonde overly much.
Just as the last few rays of light disappeared, Avaric came upstairs to announce that he had finished.
"You finished already?" Galinda said, somewhat impressed. She would have thought he'd taken a day or so.
"Yeah; Boq told me you didn't have anything, so I came prepared. Do you want to see it?"
The blonde nodded, following him downstairs.
"Here's where I hooked up the water," Avaric said, pulling back a screen to reveal a toilet and sink. "I also ran some wires along the walls," he continued, pointing to where they were attached to the wall, "so you have two outlets down here and one upstairs. The generator is outside, and I built a small shed to enclose it."
"Thank you... I don't have a lot of money right now, but I can pay you back…"
"It's all right; Boq explained the situation to me." There was a pause, during which Avaric grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "However, if you want to make it up to me some other way…"
Galinda didn't like the sound of that. "Um… I don't think so…"
"Come on; I did you a favor."
"Yes, and thank you—"
"What, you think you're too good for me?"
"I didn't say that—"
Avaric had started to advance on her when he suddenly stumbled back, as if he had been shoved. "What the—" He stumbled back again, and when he tried to advance again, he was shoved harder, this time tripping over his tool kit and falling to the floor. Galinda watched as he got to his feet, almost glaring at her, though he said nothing as he collected up his supplies and left.
The blonde waited until she heard his truck drive away before she let out the breath she'd been holding. She looked around the room, smiling slightly. "Thank you…"
Later that night, and Galinda was finally able to plug in a lamp upstairs, which allowed her to continue reading her book, making notes as she went along. Now that she had power, she needed to consider buying a microwave or a hot plate; something to heat food with. The blonde had just turned the page when her lamp suddenly dimmed, and she looked up, brow furrowed slightly.
"I wasn't done with that page."
Galinda froze, but did her best to remain calm. "Oh… sorry…" She flipped the page back, resisting the urge to turn around. After a silence, the blonde hesitantly said, "You… you like to read?"
"I did. As you can imagine, I don't get to do it much now."
Galinda nodded, her heart racing.
"Okay, you can turn it now."
The Frottican instead turned around, her gaze falling the familiar green woman. The two remained silent for a few moments until Galinda asked, "Who are you?"
"The better question is who are you? I was here first, after all."
"My name is Galinda, and I didn't mean to invade your space… I'm trying to save it."
A long pause, and then, "Elphaba… my name was Elphaba…"
The blonde nodded, and there was another pause.
"So… you're really…"
"Dead? Yes."
"How…?"
Elphaba's brow furrowed. "I don't remember…"
"You don't?"
"No, I don't remember. All I know is that I woke up here, and I just want to be left alone!" The green woman suddenly disappeared, and the blonde's lamp went back to its previous brightness.
"No, wait!" the blonde called, but the verdant specter was gone. Galinda sighed; it was a start anyway. They would definitely have a lot of work to do. "Elphaba…"
