Rosaria awakened at nine o' clock on that beautiful Saturday morning. When she awakened and sat up in her bed, she gasped at the sight of a hooded figure standing before her.
"Princess Rosaria, we meet again." said the figure, a woman of about thirty years of age. "What do you want? Who are you?" asked Rosaria, eyes wide. The figure stood straight as a board, not once flinching. "I just had to see your face again princess. I suppose you could call me a fan, for my one obsession, my one passion over the last nine years has been to find you."
"Why would you want to find me?" "I have a lesson to teach you, little princess. Just like I did.......your parents." Those words echoed in time for but a moment. The hooded figure then threw a newspaper on Rosaria's lap and disappeared.
.....Rosaria sat up in bed with a gasp, breath eluding her, cold beads of sweat falling slowly down her delicate, feminine face. The morning sun shined brightly through her window, greeting her kindly, refreshing her soul after that bone-chilling nightmare.
It was nine thirty in the morning, and it had all been a dream. Rosaria silently thanked God for that. After getting herself ready for breakfast, Rosaria remembered her victory, how sweet it tasted! She sighed. "What a wonderful night it was." she said quietly to herself.
Katherine slowly and almost reverently walked into Rosaria's room an hour later, not even bothering to knock on the door. She walked to where Rosaria sat at her desk. "Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion are waiting for you down in the conference room Rosaria." Rosaria looked at Katherine with a bit of doubt reflecting in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" "You princess Rosaria, are in big trouble!"
Rosaria went down to the conference room, her head spinning. 'How could I be so stupid?' she thought. 'Where was my head? I should never have talked to those reporters last night at the race!' When Rosaria entered the conference room, she saw expressions on Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion's faces that screamed at her to turn around and leave the room.
They said nothing at first, simply throwing a newspaper into Rosaria's lap. Memories of her nightmare flashed in her mind, but she quickly refocused her train of thought. She looked down, and there she was, on the front page with Darien, Emily, and Jason, whose team finished first in the tryouts. The article and picture took up almost the whole front page of the Ozian Gazette. Tears formed in her eyes, and she did not look up at her guardians at all, she stared at the floor, hoping that in this moment, she would find a way to disappear.
Lion looked upon Rosaria with sympathy, but he was the only one. Tin Man and Scarecrow stood there with a mix of anger and disappointment in their girl, but no sympathy resided in their eyes, for they did not see the remorse in hers. Lion was the first to speak. "Go easy on her, I know Rosaria's sorry for what she's done. Aren't ya' Rosaria?" Scarecrow and Tin Man looked at each other and nodded. "We're listening Rosaria."
"I'm sorry that my actions displease you, however, I cannot say that I am sorry for what I have done, for then I would be lying to you, which I refuse to do now." "You are not allowed to race Rosaria! It's dangerous, and it shames your name. Also, have you not thought about your friends? How would you feel if one of them got hurt or in trouble with their folks?"
"I don't worry about them getting hurt, they've been racing all their lives, as have I! Besides, their fathers are all racers, they grew up in that atmosphere, their families care not that they race, their families encourage it. We're the team that's going to change people's minds about racers and the game in general!" Rosaria not looked up to meet her family's eyes. "Racing is something that I love to do! It gives me a little escape from this sheltered life that I am trapped in. I know it is dangerous, but I would never stop for anything."
"You shame your mother." said Scarecrow looking away, not believing the words he was speaking to his girl. 'Rosaria and I both know that is not true! She doesn't shame her parents at all!' The tears in Rosaria's eyes became too painful to bear, and so they slipped slowly down her cheeks. "Why?" she asked, as clear as day, and with an unwavering confidence that Dorothy had possessed.
"If I shame her and my father as you say, then why do you look away from me? Look into my eyes and say again what you've just said. But only say it if you truly mean it!" Scarecrow looked into her eyes and said, "I cannot." Rosaria nodded.
"Don't you think my mother's family would have disapproved of her actions if they had known that she was fighting an evil witch during her spare time? Don't you think they would have tried to stop her? Just because it was dangerous didn't mean she stopped. Where would we all be if she had given in to her family's criticism? I assure you, it wouldn't be here! I know you love me, and that is why you try to stop me from racing, but it's in my blood. It will never leave, and I shall never give up until the day I die! Just as my mother did."
They stood silent for a moment, touched by Rosaria's little speech. Every word she spoke was absolutely true! They couldn't argue any of the points that she'd made. "Rosaria," said Scarecrow. "You may race," Scarecrow said, Tin Man and Lion nodding. "But only race if you truly love it!" Rosaria smiled. "I do!"
Rosaria went to the gardens of the Rose Kingdom. There resided two tomb stones to commemorate Dorothy and David. Their ashes had been spread in those same gardens years before. Little Rosaria pulled herself off of her flyer to sit before the two stones. She tried to visit this place at least once a month, it was her favorite spot in the entire world.
Rosaria stared at the pictures of Dorothy and David Callo, the people who brought her into this harsh prison that others called a life. Though Rosaria was happy in some ways, in others, no matter what she did to resolve the unresolved feeling in the pits of her soul, there was always a piece of the puzzle missing. Of course, partially because her parents had the nerve to die on her, but also because she could not walk, other children ran and played while she was forced forever to sit and watch, envying what they everyday took for granted. However, Rosaria could always do something that the other children envied: Rosaria could fly!
"Mother?" she said quietly. "Father? I know you can hear me! I know you are there, and I know there is something you're not telling me, for Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are keeping a secret from me. I want to know what it is. Please, give me a sign, tell me what it is that they hide from me!" Rosaria could feel her tears slipping down her cheeks like waterfalls. She suddenly felt a warm touch on her shoulder.
"Rosaria?" a sweet voice called to her. Rosaria turned around to see a smiling face, and then seeing the picture on the stone, saw clearly who it was. In a shaky and frightened tone, Rosaria speaks, "Mother?"
Dorothy sat next to her daughter. "Hello Rosaria." Dorothy kissed Rosaria's cheek. "I've missed you so, my darling!" Rosaria's eyes widened at the realness of what she was seeing. Ghosts where always, in fairytales, spoken about as being transparent, frightening creatures that wanted to scare you. Her mother sat there as if nothing was unusual about it at all, as if she had never died, just gone away for a while. Rosaria looked down at her cross.
"Why is my necklace glowing?" "I'm using the power of the Rose to come to you!" Rosaria cocked an eyebrow and Dorothy smiled. "This will take a while to explain." she said gently, stroking her daughter's face. Rosaria touched Dorothy's hand, but felt nothing but warmth, no flesh, only the love that her mother held. Rosaria closed her eyes. "Is it possible?" she asked quietly. "Is it possible that the deepest desire of my heart has finally been fulfilled even though everyone told me it would never be so?"
"It has, but all I ask is that you never speak of this to anyone, for no one would believe you." Rosaria nodded slowly. "I understand mother."
Dorothy smiled. "Then I can tell you everything. I know it is time." Dorothy took her sweet time explaining to Rosaria all that had happened during her life, from Kansas to her untimely death, and everything in-between. All of this was explained in such a manner that no one would have guessed that Dorothy was not as alive as the girl sitting next to her. She explained to her daughter the power that her necklace possessed, and how to use it. Rosaria, under the guidance of her mother, learned how to use the power that her necklace held.
After that, Dorothy said, "I want to know all that is happening in your life, the good, the bad, I want to know everything! So tell me, now that I've told you, tell me everything about your life." Rosaria looked at her mother with confusion in her eyes. "Aren't you watching me? Don't you see me everyday?" "Well, yes. But I want to hear it from you." Rosaria smiled the widest smile imaginable and began her story.
Rosaria told her mother all about racing and how much it meant to her. Dorothy nodded and smiled, remaining silent through all of Rosaria's tales. "Well my dear, if it is truly something you love, then go right on racing! You'll soon realize that it is only what you love that gets you through the harshness of reality." Rosaria thought for a moment, and then said, "How do I know that I am not simply imagining all of this?" Dorothy chuckled. "I was waiting for you to ask that question."
"This could all be a figment of my imagination, thirsting to have some maternal affection. How can I know this is real? What proof do I have that you're really here?" Dorothy grinned. "I have only one way to prove all of this is true, dear daughter of mine!"
That's it for now. I would like to respond to an e-mail I received asking me why I would kill Dorothy. Well, the answer to that is simple: I am merely moving away from the original story. Dorothy is that character you can count on, the predictable one, the secure one that would never in a million years be killed off, and I've just changed that rule. Keep reading! More is coming! ^_~
~*Tori*~
"Princess Rosaria, we meet again." said the figure, a woman of about thirty years of age. "What do you want? Who are you?" asked Rosaria, eyes wide. The figure stood straight as a board, not once flinching. "I just had to see your face again princess. I suppose you could call me a fan, for my one obsession, my one passion over the last nine years has been to find you."
"Why would you want to find me?" "I have a lesson to teach you, little princess. Just like I did.......your parents." Those words echoed in time for but a moment. The hooded figure then threw a newspaper on Rosaria's lap and disappeared.
.....Rosaria sat up in bed with a gasp, breath eluding her, cold beads of sweat falling slowly down her delicate, feminine face. The morning sun shined brightly through her window, greeting her kindly, refreshing her soul after that bone-chilling nightmare.
It was nine thirty in the morning, and it had all been a dream. Rosaria silently thanked God for that. After getting herself ready for breakfast, Rosaria remembered her victory, how sweet it tasted! She sighed. "What a wonderful night it was." she said quietly to herself.
Katherine slowly and almost reverently walked into Rosaria's room an hour later, not even bothering to knock on the door. She walked to where Rosaria sat at her desk. "Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion are waiting for you down in the conference room Rosaria." Rosaria looked at Katherine with a bit of doubt reflecting in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" "You princess Rosaria, are in big trouble!"
Rosaria went down to the conference room, her head spinning. 'How could I be so stupid?' she thought. 'Where was my head? I should never have talked to those reporters last night at the race!' When Rosaria entered the conference room, she saw expressions on Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion's faces that screamed at her to turn around and leave the room.
They said nothing at first, simply throwing a newspaper into Rosaria's lap. Memories of her nightmare flashed in her mind, but she quickly refocused her train of thought. She looked down, and there she was, on the front page with Darien, Emily, and Jason, whose team finished first in the tryouts. The article and picture took up almost the whole front page of the Ozian Gazette. Tears formed in her eyes, and she did not look up at her guardians at all, she stared at the floor, hoping that in this moment, she would find a way to disappear.
Lion looked upon Rosaria with sympathy, but he was the only one. Tin Man and Scarecrow stood there with a mix of anger and disappointment in their girl, but no sympathy resided in their eyes, for they did not see the remorse in hers. Lion was the first to speak. "Go easy on her, I know Rosaria's sorry for what she's done. Aren't ya' Rosaria?" Scarecrow and Tin Man looked at each other and nodded. "We're listening Rosaria."
"I'm sorry that my actions displease you, however, I cannot say that I am sorry for what I have done, for then I would be lying to you, which I refuse to do now." "You are not allowed to race Rosaria! It's dangerous, and it shames your name. Also, have you not thought about your friends? How would you feel if one of them got hurt or in trouble with their folks?"
"I don't worry about them getting hurt, they've been racing all their lives, as have I! Besides, their fathers are all racers, they grew up in that atmosphere, their families care not that they race, their families encourage it. We're the team that's going to change people's minds about racers and the game in general!" Rosaria not looked up to meet her family's eyes. "Racing is something that I love to do! It gives me a little escape from this sheltered life that I am trapped in. I know it is dangerous, but I would never stop for anything."
"You shame your mother." said Scarecrow looking away, not believing the words he was speaking to his girl. 'Rosaria and I both know that is not true! She doesn't shame her parents at all!' The tears in Rosaria's eyes became too painful to bear, and so they slipped slowly down her cheeks. "Why?" she asked, as clear as day, and with an unwavering confidence that Dorothy had possessed.
"If I shame her and my father as you say, then why do you look away from me? Look into my eyes and say again what you've just said. But only say it if you truly mean it!" Scarecrow looked into her eyes and said, "I cannot." Rosaria nodded.
"Don't you think my mother's family would have disapproved of her actions if they had known that she was fighting an evil witch during her spare time? Don't you think they would have tried to stop her? Just because it was dangerous didn't mean she stopped. Where would we all be if she had given in to her family's criticism? I assure you, it wouldn't be here! I know you love me, and that is why you try to stop me from racing, but it's in my blood. It will never leave, and I shall never give up until the day I die! Just as my mother did."
They stood silent for a moment, touched by Rosaria's little speech. Every word she spoke was absolutely true! They couldn't argue any of the points that she'd made. "Rosaria," said Scarecrow. "You may race," Scarecrow said, Tin Man and Lion nodding. "But only race if you truly love it!" Rosaria smiled. "I do!"
Rosaria went to the gardens of the Rose Kingdom. There resided two tomb stones to commemorate Dorothy and David. Their ashes had been spread in those same gardens years before. Little Rosaria pulled herself off of her flyer to sit before the two stones. She tried to visit this place at least once a month, it was her favorite spot in the entire world.
Rosaria stared at the pictures of Dorothy and David Callo, the people who brought her into this harsh prison that others called a life. Though Rosaria was happy in some ways, in others, no matter what she did to resolve the unresolved feeling in the pits of her soul, there was always a piece of the puzzle missing. Of course, partially because her parents had the nerve to die on her, but also because she could not walk, other children ran and played while she was forced forever to sit and watch, envying what they everyday took for granted. However, Rosaria could always do something that the other children envied: Rosaria could fly!
"Mother?" she said quietly. "Father? I know you can hear me! I know you are there, and I know there is something you're not telling me, for Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are keeping a secret from me. I want to know what it is. Please, give me a sign, tell me what it is that they hide from me!" Rosaria could feel her tears slipping down her cheeks like waterfalls. She suddenly felt a warm touch on her shoulder.
"Rosaria?" a sweet voice called to her. Rosaria turned around to see a smiling face, and then seeing the picture on the stone, saw clearly who it was. In a shaky and frightened tone, Rosaria speaks, "Mother?"
Dorothy sat next to her daughter. "Hello Rosaria." Dorothy kissed Rosaria's cheek. "I've missed you so, my darling!" Rosaria's eyes widened at the realness of what she was seeing. Ghosts where always, in fairytales, spoken about as being transparent, frightening creatures that wanted to scare you. Her mother sat there as if nothing was unusual about it at all, as if she had never died, just gone away for a while. Rosaria looked down at her cross.
"Why is my necklace glowing?" "I'm using the power of the Rose to come to you!" Rosaria cocked an eyebrow and Dorothy smiled. "This will take a while to explain." she said gently, stroking her daughter's face. Rosaria touched Dorothy's hand, but felt nothing but warmth, no flesh, only the love that her mother held. Rosaria closed her eyes. "Is it possible?" she asked quietly. "Is it possible that the deepest desire of my heart has finally been fulfilled even though everyone told me it would never be so?"
"It has, but all I ask is that you never speak of this to anyone, for no one would believe you." Rosaria nodded slowly. "I understand mother."
Dorothy smiled. "Then I can tell you everything. I know it is time." Dorothy took her sweet time explaining to Rosaria all that had happened during her life, from Kansas to her untimely death, and everything in-between. All of this was explained in such a manner that no one would have guessed that Dorothy was not as alive as the girl sitting next to her. She explained to her daughter the power that her necklace possessed, and how to use it. Rosaria, under the guidance of her mother, learned how to use the power that her necklace held.
After that, Dorothy said, "I want to know all that is happening in your life, the good, the bad, I want to know everything! So tell me, now that I've told you, tell me everything about your life." Rosaria looked at her mother with confusion in her eyes. "Aren't you watching me? Don't you see me everyday?" "Well, yes. But I want to hear it from you." Rosaria smiled the widest smile imaginable and began her story.
Rosaria told her mother all about racing and how much it meant to her. Dorothy nodded and smiled, remaining silent through all of Rosaria's tales. "Well my dear, if it is truly something you love, then go right on racing! You'll soon realize that it is only what you love that gets you through the harshness of reality." Rosaria thought for a moment, and then said, "How do I know that I am not simply imagining all of this?" Dorothy chuckled. "I was waiting for you to ask that question."
"This could all be a figment of my imagination, thirsting to have some maternal affection. How can I know this is real? What proof do I have that you're really here?" Dorothy grinned. "I have only one way to prove all of this is true, dear daughter of mine!"
That's it for now. I would like to respond to an e-mail I received asking me why I would kill Dorothy. Well, the answer to that is simple: I am merely moving away from the original story. Dorothy is that character you can count on, the predictable one, the secure one that would never in a million years be killed off, and I've just changed that rule. Keep reading! More is coming! ^_~
~*Tori*~