"Yes, because you're a whore." Then he took her again. When he was done he threw her to the ground and disappeared. Leaving the Witch in a pool of his fluid and the blood he had torn from her with his force.
--
Chapter Twelve:
Nearly a month later the Witch was awoken by a familiar ball of white fur. She rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up to find herself staring at a cat – or was it a Cat? – sitting at the foot of her bed.
"Elphaba?"
The use of her name startled the Witch and made fear spike in her. "Don't say my name!" she hissed out – afraid of the memories it would bring crashing down on her.
The Cat cocked his head slightly and looked at her in concern. "Then what should I call you?" he asked quietly.
"Fae," the Witch spat out distractedly as she stood up, wrapping her thin sheet around her frail, naked body. "How did you find me?"
"I told you I'd be around."
She began to pace. "You shouldn't be here Malky," she muttered. "I don't want you here."
"Why?"
The Witch spun around to face the Cat. "I don't want to remember!" she shrieked and then her face twisted into an expression of utter terror as she realized that Letozay may have heard her. She couldn't allow him to know that Malky was here – he would surely kill the Cat if he saw him.
"You're agitated."
The Witch sat herself down on the edge of her bed and stayed silent for a few minutes. When she heard no sound of footsteps upon the stairs she relaxed slightly and managed to form some sort of coherent sentence. "I'm ruined," she whispered.
"No."
"I'm a slave."
"I gathered that from the bars on your window."
"I've failed."
"Not yet."
"I'm reduced to nothing more than a whore! An object! A… a slave!"
"You can break free of this." Malky moved himself on to the Witch's lap and curled up to keep warm.
"No I can't," the Witch replied as she absentmindedly began to pet the Cat. The action was repetitive and soothing.
"You need to trust in your own strength."
"What strength?"
"The strength you've always had. The strength that keeps you getting up every morning. The strength that has kept you trudging along even after all you have suffered through."
"I wasn't able to make the broom fly for me."
Malky raised questioning eyes towards the Witch. "Truly?"
"Truly. After… after Shiz… after the Wizard announced my wickedness to Oz everything seemed to just… fade away. For awhile I could fly, for awhile I could read the spells in the Grimmerie with ease, but in time I just… couldn't. It scared me."
"I wonder why."
"I have nothing –" The Witch's words fell silent as loud footsteps echoed throughout the house. Malky, suddenly afraid, jumped from the Witch's lap and hid himself as best as he could underneath the rickety bed frame.
The door was unlocked and thrown open to reveal a very angry Letozay. "Who are you talking to?" he screamed.
The Witch shrunk backwards and dropped her gaze to the floor. "I'm talking to no one," she muttered.
He struck her. The force of his backhand bruised her cheek and split her lip. "You lie!" He grabbed her arm and yanked her off the bed, throwing her against the wall. "Where is this person you speak too!"
"There's no one!" the Witch shrieked. "Who could get in here anyways? You have me locked up in here like some trapped animal! The only company I've had for two years is you and your sick men!"
"Shut-up whore!" He struck her again and the Witch, weak as she was, fell to her knees. He dug the heel of his foot into her back and she cried out in pain. "Who were you talking to!" he screamed again. "Who!"
Malky meowed. Letozay froze. The man turned his attention from the naked, trembling Witch on the floor to the Cat that had crawled out from underneath the bed. Malky meowed again and did his best to act as much like a simple cat – and not a Cat – as he could.
"How did that cat get in here?" Letozay asked; his voice low and dangerous.
"The window," the Witch whispered.
Letozay grabbed a green arm and hoisted the Witch up. He threw her against the bed. He grabbed Malky – unaware that he was a Cat – by the scruff of the neck and threw him out the door. He slammed the window shut and locked it. He turned his attention back the green Witch lying, naked, on the bed.
He raped her. When he was done he spat on her, the saliva burning her thigh where it landed, and left. Malky snuck back inside of the room just before Letozay closed and locked the door behind him.
"Trust in your own strength," Malky whispered as he curled up beside the Witch's head. She raised a hand to pet his soft fur to try and calm herself down. "Trust in yourself and you'll be able to flee this place."
"He has me trapped," the Witch muttered. "I'm the Wicked Witch of the West and I cannot even leave this room."
