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Chapter 2
Rating: PG-13
Don't own a one of 'em! They just borrow my head for their playground. A LOT!
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Jordan and Bug felt like they were making good progress down the luminol-lit path. Every once in a while, Bug would start trying to sing "Follow the Luminol-lit Path" and Jordan would shoot him a look.
"It's my altered state of consciousness and I don't want you singing!"
"But this is a musical! Jordan, how can you have a musical without music?"
"You're not singing"
"Oh, alright. I'll just prance along here beside you."
"There's a good doggie."
"Jordan, don't make me bite you. Although a canine mouth is said to be much more hygienic than a human's. Ok I'll shut up...." Bug saw the look Jordan was shooting him.
They continued in silence until they came to a fork in the road. They looked around, fully expecting to find the Scarecrow. It didn't take long.
"Hey Peter! What are you doing up on that pole?" Jordan rolled her eyes at the sight of Peter stuck on the pole. Bug just sat obediently at her feet, amazingly silent as Jordan and Peter talked.
"For some reason you made me the scarecrow in this silly dream of yours."
"Excuse me, it's an altered state of consciousness and I did not choose this, Peter."
"Touché. You gonna help me down or not?"
"You gonna tell me which way to go?"
"Yeah. That way." Peter pointed towards the right side of the fork. "I'm not going to mess with head games. And by the way smokin' boots! Jimmy Choo's?
"Why yes. I talked Glenda into changing them."
"Sweet"
"So I have to bend a nail or something right?"
"Actually, it's a scalpel."
"Great. Let's go."
Bug finally decided to open his mouth. "Hey Peter. You're supposed to fall down with wobbly legs and all."
"Hey, this is my. . ." Jordan sensed some control slipping away and was determined to get it back.
"Dude, I have to agree with her this time. I look foolish enough."
Jordan helped Peter down off the pole and the three of them took off down the luminol-lit path. As they went, Jordan began to look perplexed.
"Peter? Any clue why I'd make you the one who needs a brain in this ASC thing of mine?"
"ASC?"
"Altered state of consciousness. I decided I'm sick of saying it all the time."
"Oh, gotcha.... To answer your question, I think it's just that you only had one part left. You know the new guy always gets the crappy jobs and besides the costume fit anyway."
Jordan didn't look totally convinced, but she finally nodded. "Well, I guess we'd better go."
The path continued and the three trooped along.
"Hey could you guys slow down? My feet are killing me." Jordan was limping along the path.
"You should have stuck with the Chuck Taylor's Jordan." Bug was trying to hide his glee at having been right.
"Bug, shut up. At least I'm fashionable."
"Damn right!" Peter was looking admiringly at her boots.
"Wait a minute. You know fashion designers?"
"Jordan, don't go there? Please?" Peter did not like the direction this conversation was taking.
"Oh, ok. I'll resist. Your secret's safe with me."
Soon, they came to a clearing where a small cabin stood in a grove of apple trees.
"Hey, I'm starved. Is to much to ask to stop for a. . .?"
"No," Peter said. "The trees. . . Robbery. . . Not smart Jordan."
"Jordan, you know who we're going to find here don't you?" Bug looked a little nervous.
"I think so. . . Calm down. We're not to the Lion yet."
"No, I know that. This is the Tin Man's cabin."
"Yeah, Tin Man. The one who has no heart. . . Well, I'm Dorothy and we all know who Renee is. I guess there's only one way to find out. . ."
"And she thinks I need a brain." Peter rolled his eyes at Bug who wagged his tail in agreement.
Jordan started around the cabin only to be stopped by Peter's hand on her shoulder.
"Wait a minute, Jordan. Maybe there's something more to me being Scarecrow than we'd thought."
"Huh?"
"Well, ever since I've come into the morgue, I've had to prove myself ~ that I didn't buy my degree and that there's a brain underneath this devastatingly handsome exterior."
"Oh, please" Bug snorted.
"I'm trying to say maybe things are slightly altered and it's not exactly following the script of the movie. Just think for a minute. . . Your ASC, your casting. "
"Point taken, But whoever the Tin Man is, it still must have something to do with his heart? Right?"
"Right."
"Jordan you sure you want to turn this corner? Maybe we can back track and take the last left and reroute over the Longfellow Bridge. . ." Bug was trying anything he could think of to get them away from there.
"I'm too curious now Bug. . ."
The three walked around the cabin.
"If Peter has a brain already...We're looking for someone who has....oh no."
Sure enough, there was Woody, rusted and holding an axe.
"Great. Just great!" Jordan stomped around looking for the oil can.
Peter, who was a little new to the office and still not sure of too much about Jordan looked at Bug for some explanation for this reaction.
"He's been chasing her since he started in Boston in January 2002. Completely wears his heart on his sleeve. And she won't admit it, but we're all pretty sure she likes him too."
"Really?" Peter knew he had some information that could come in handy in the future. If necessary, of course. Only if necessary.
"Where's that damn oil can?" Jordan was growing more frustrated by the second. "Oh, here it is. Finally!" She bent down and picked it up, then picked her way through the underbrush over to where Woody stood, all rusted up. As she applied the oil to his joints, Woody slowly came to life.
"Good God my arm's sore. Why on earth. . .? Wait a minute. What am I doing here in an apple glade, holding an axe, and dressed like. . .? Jordan!"
"What?"
"Did you have something to do with this?"
"Um, sort of? It's my methylhexital-induced ASC."
"ASC?"
"Altered state of consciousness." Peter and Bug answered in unison.
"Great. So Bug, you're Toto?"
"Unfortunately yes, though we haven't yet figured that one out. Perhaps I was the only uncast one in this mess."
"And you're Scarecrow, Peter?"
"Yeah. We figure it's because I've had to prove I've got a brain and didn't buy my way through school."
"So if I'm Tin Man. . .? But I've got a heart."
"Yeah, but you wear it on your sleeve!" Jordan had taken the opportunity to sit down and rest her feet. Maybe she should have stuck with the Chuck Taylor's. She went for the zipper when Bug stopped her.
"Wait! You remember what Lily ~ I mean Glenda said? You have to keep them on! The Wicked Witch of the Courthouse can convict you if she catches you with them off. And," he lowered his voice, "some of these trees are her spies, remember?"
"Oh yeah! Thanks Bug." They all breathed a sigh of relief. That had been too close!
"So the Wicked Witch is Walcott?" Woody was beginning to figure things out.
"Yeah. Fits, huh?" Jordan choked back her laughter.
"Hey Jordan, aren't you supposed to have ruby slippers?" Woody was still having issues with being a character so associated with needing ~ or having ~ a heart.
"Well, it was red Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars at first but I asked Lily if we could change them to Jimmy Choo stiletto boots."
"And she's been regretting it all the way."
"No, man. I've been regretting that my feet hurt, not that I opted for fashion."
"Jordan, I had no idea." Her three male traveling companions rolled their eyes.
"Ok. Are we ready to go?" Jordan decided that it would be better for her feet if she kept going. "Everybody got everything?"
Woody threw the axe into a piece of wood, put the oil can in Jordan's bag, and the trio started down the road. Before long they saw the dark woods approaching.
"Ok, can we skip the whole 'lions and tigers and bears, oh my' thing?" Jordan begged and Peter and Woody seemed all too ready to go along. But Bug blocked their way.
"No! You're not letting me sing, so we're going to do this."
"Fine." The others replied with a sigh of resignation. Grudgingly they linked arms and began to skip down the path.
"Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"
Suddenly Jordan stopped. "Guys? I know without a doubt who this is going to be."
"Well, you've got a 50-50 shot from what I can tell. We know we're going to see the Computer Wizard of Morgue ~ that's Nigel. The only two left are Garret and. . ." Ever the detective, Woody was trying to figure things out based on who he knew Jordan knew in Boston.
"Dad? Um, I mean Lion? You can come out now. We won't hurt you." Jordan wandered a little further down the luminol-lit path and was calling out, looking from side to side. Soon, Max jumped out at her.
"Come on and join the party, Dad. The gang's all here. Well, almost." Holding his tail and looking nervously around, Max followed Jordan to where the rest of the group stood. "Everyone, I think you know my. . .this, um, Lion."
"Hi Max!" They said together.
"I feel like I'm at one of my meetings!" Peter was muttering under his breath.
"I don't think I know you." Max was looking at Peter.
"Oh, sorry Dad. This is Peter Winslow. He's sort of new at the morgue."
"Winslow? Any relation to Eddie?"
"I never thought of that! Peter, do you have any relatives in Boston? An Eddie Winslow, perhaps?"
"Not that I know of." Peter scratched his head.
Jordan started introductions with their new characters. "Ok. So anyway, Bug's Toto ~ we're not sure why. Peter's Scarecrow. . ."
"Because they all thought I bought my way through school and don't have much of a brain."
"Sorry bout that." Jordan did look genuinely sorry. Peter squeezed her hand as if to say it was alright. "Woody here is Tin Man because. . ."
"No explanation needed, Jordan. I figured that one out on my own." Max was looking at her. "Needs armor for his heart. So the roles are all slightly altered from the movie. Except mine."
"What?"
"I lack courage, especially when it comes to telling you the truth. Maybe. . ."
"Dad? It's ok. I understand. So you want to come to Morgue with us? We're going to see the computer wizard. . ." Jordan held out her hand. After a beat, Max reached out and took it. Jordan smiled at him. "Alright everyone, let's go! On to Morgue."
After a few minutes, Max fell back alongside Bug and they quietly began singing "Follow the Luminol-Lit Path." The trio in front looked back and rolled their eyes in unison. When they turned back towards the path, they saw a gleaming stainless-steel city in front of them.
"Look!" Jordan yelled, pointing her finger in the city's direction. "It's the City of Morgue! All we have to do is cross this field of poppies! We're almost there! This stupid ASC is almost over!"
. . .to be continued. . .