The bang of the gun echoed in Rosaria's head, which only helped her increase her speed. Coming into the first turn, she stayed seated and still, trying to clear her mind of all fears and doubts. Rosaria struggled to stay in first place, Autumn coming up right behind her. Darien held steady in fifth, Emily and Jason stayed together in sixth.
They tried to stay calm, but the adrenaline made them go faster, their minds buzzing with excitement and passion. This was what they had worked for, what they had dreamed of. The crowd cheered, but Rosaria attempted to ignore their shouts, this race was what she needed to be focused on.
After nine laps, there was but one left. Autumn and Rosaria were neck and neck, fighting for the top spot which would give a great advantage for the second race. Rosaria smiled as she heard Lion cheering louder than the rest of the crowd. Just as Autumn began to pull into first place, the crowd gasped as Rosaria stood up on her footrests as she'd practiced, and went beyond Autumn faster than the other racers had ever seen before.
Rosaria crossed the finish line first with ease, and the rest followed a whole minute and a half behind her. Darien came in third place, Jason came in fifth and Emily in seventh place. And so, the top 60 teams were lined up for the crowd, and the bottom 40 were sent away from the competition. The people cheered, and Rosaria smiled as she looked at the crowd, her family finally among them. A tear slipped from her eye, another one of her greatest dreams had been accomplished.
The top 60 teams were given a break between the first and second race of the first set. They had only an hour to rest up. Rosaria was getting herself a drink, which gently coursed down her throat and cooled her heated nerves. She looked up, and saw a shadow creeping up from behind her. As she was about to turn around, a sudden pain washed over Rosaria, overwhelming her senses. A familiar voice whispered into her ear very suddenly, not with words, but images. It spoke of flames and bright lights.
Though it did not use a written or even spoken language, the voice was clear in relaying its message saying, "In my dreams, we were together protected by the stars. Oz must die in your hands." Rosaria let out a scream and Darien grabbed her arms to support her.
"Rosaria, are you ok? What's wrong?" Darien blinked at the look on her face and said, "What did you see?" A single tear made its way silently down Rosaria's cheek as she spoke, "I saw nothing. But I heard......" Darien's mouth fell open. "Rosaria!" he whispered as a golden heart appeared on her forehead and the cross around her neck began to glow.
The heart changed to a rose, and the power of the Rose took control of Rosaria's young, fragile body, causing golden wings to spread from her back and her eyes to glow. The wings wrapped themselves around her, and when they spread again, she stood there in a flowing white gown of pure silk that glowed with golden mist. Visions of the past, Dorothy, and why it all happened.....it all made sense. Everything had happened for this reason alone. Nothing else was meant to be. Rosaria had been enlightened.
Screams were suddenly heard throughout the crowd of the massive stadium. "The Wicked Witch of Oz!" some cried as they stood still. Others tried to run, but Autumn had made sure that her followers had closed the people in. Every exit was blocked. Those that tried to climb down the steep walls either fell, or had their hearts pierced by the tips of arrows to meet their tragic ends.
Dark, hooded figures stood at the main doors with bows and arrows, all that approached them were killed on the spot. A loud voice reigned over the suddenly hushed crowd. "Rosaria Castine Callo!" the voice called. Rosaria looked up to see Autumn there. She finally made the connection. "Oh my God. You're the Wicked Witch of Oz! The one who killed my mother and father!" Rosaria's face became flushed with anger. The young girl saw her aunt Hope charge at Autumn and then stop before her once beloved friend.
"Autumn, we meet again as enemies." Hope said in a clear voice. The other girls watched in awe, wishing that their eyes were deceiving them. "Hope, I was praying we'd meet in friendship." Hope cocked an eyebrow in disgust. "I am no longer your friend, and I believe that prayers are useless to you now. I'm afraid our friendship died long ago Autumn, perhaps you remember trying to convince Dorothy of all people to hang me, claiming I killed your parents. Oh, and in case you forgot, you murdered our best friends!" Hope gasped for air after her tirade.
"Oh yes, that." Autumn said carelessly, causing anger to build within Hope's body, as well as Alyssa's, who watched powerlessly as her friends exchanged words, all the while memories of the sight of her deceived brother's corpse lying with that of his wife's flashing through her head. "Hope, I had a long time to think about all that has happened. All I can say is, I don't regret what I've done, for though I miss Dorothy, who was like a sister, she was getting in my way. Oz will now be mine!"
Alyssa stood with Toni and Amber supporting her. "How can you so soon forget all that Dorothy and David did for you? You ARE an evil witch Autumn, I know you not anymore. Dorothy shined in a world full of ugliness. She mattered when everything was meaningless. She tried to get away sometimes, but to no avail. Fragile, she didn't see her own beauty. But my bother saw it, we saw it, YOU saw it too Autumn. What happened? How can you forget?" Alyssa screamed as she fell apart into tears.
"I remember quite well Alyssa." said Autumn as she closed her eyes. "On his weak body, lays her dying hand, they traveled silently through those meadows of Heaven, where we ran as children. Living, we never once actually entered the doors. But then she entered the doors at my hands, left me living with nothing but tears and stains of her blood seeping into my skin. Like a thief in the night, the wind blowed so light, carrying their souls away, it warred with my tears, that dried years ago. I did regret it at first, but then my vision cleared, and I saw the ultimate treasure, complete control of Oz! And I swear to you that I shall have it."
"Dorothy and Dave are gone now Autumn," said Kristen. "They are dead, so why can't you just stop this path of destruction? Two lives are quite enough!" "Yes, she's right Autumn, and you know it!" chimed in Sarah. "I'm afraid my friends, that I have not yet gotten everyone I need to out of the way. You and Dorothy's pesky little daughter Rosaria, still need to be terminated. And it will not be on my hands this time, for I have followers now to take care of you, and I have a bit of an incentive that will make Rosaria come to me."
Autumn then lifted up Emily, whom she'd trapped in a glass case. Emily banged on the sides of it as Jason, Darien and Rosaria stood on the ground, watching in horror. "Release her!" cried Jason. Rosaria tried to speak, but she faltered and nothing came out when she opened her mouth. "Come to my castle if you ever want to see her alive again!" Autumn cackled as she disappeared.
The witch reappeared and said quietly to the guards at the main doors, "Burn the stadium, make sure that everyone within it dies except Rosaria." The hooded figures before Autumn nodded silently, ready and willing to obey her orders.
Jason was in a frenzy, not exactly sure what to do. Scarecrow shouted down to Rosaria from the seats, "Use your flyers and go rescue Emily!" Rosaria said. "I will, I love you my friends." "Good luck Rosaria!" Tin Man and Lion said simultaneously. Darien had heard, and did as told. He got on his flyer and took off out of the stadium. Rosaria was about to follow, but she suddenly stopped when she saw Jason charge at one of Autumn's guards.
"Jason no! Stop!" she screamed, running for her friend. "You LOUSY...." Jason shouted as he ruthlessly beat the guard. "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH EMILY AGAIN YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING..." The other guards became aware of what Jason was doing and went to stop him. Darien immediately came back down and stopped Rosaria as she tried to get to Jason, tears streaming down her face.
"NO, JASON! PLEASE DON'T!" Guards surrounded Jason, their bows drawn, and ten arrows pierced Jason's heart, killing him. Rosaria was too shocked to move and fell to her knees, the weight of Jason's death pulling her down, but Darien kept a level head, and knew that they had to get out of there quickly, for Rosaria's aunts were being lined up for execution at that very moment, and he knew not if they were next. He picked Rosaria up and ran to where Emily's flyer rested. Darien put Rosaria on the back seat of Emily's flyer and they began to rise above the stadium.
Rosaria looked back, seeing flames being lit at each corner, and Jason's blood seeping out onto the race track. Smoke rose into the air, making Oz black with horror. The people in the cities were ordered to lock their doors. Rosaria saw her aunts and Lion being shot to death with arrows one at a time. Alyssa was the last in line, and looked up at her niece with tears streaming down her face, as she whispered, "I'll be with you soon!" The arrow then hit her neck, and Alyssa fell to the ground with her comrades. Scarecrow was burned, Tin Man taken apart, and the rest of the people were left to die of smoke inhalation and burns.
Rosaria could watch no longer and tore her eyes away from the horrible scene as Darien kicked into high speed heading toward the Wicked Witch's castle. "Don't worry Rosaria." said Darien. "Everything will be all right...somehow." He desperately wanted to cry, but choked back his tears as to not further upset Rosaria.
"Jason," Rosaria spoke quietly. "Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and all my aunts, they've been slaughtered, as well as all those innocent people. There were young children in that crowd. How will everything be all right if I must live without them? Devoid of happiness is what my life will be. I would rather die, we're better off in the hands of God than here in this hell!" "For now, we have to worry about saving Emily and that is all." Rosaria wiped the tears from her face, and nodded solemnly.
Dorothy appeared floating next to the flyer, but Rosaria knew to say nothing. Dorothy spoke, "Ordinary beauty belongs to those who hold close their own hearts, but only those with eyes that shine eternal shall be called a goddess. Remember Rosaria, the heart is the wellspring of all things. If you don't believe, you can never begin to love. And without love, you cannot possibly succeed." Dorothy then suddenly disappeared, leaving Rosaria with a new understanding of what she must do.
Darien landed the flyer on a ledge outside the witch's castle. He looked at his lovely companion. "Rosaria? Look at me." Rosaria lifted her eyes to meet with Darien's. "Last night, I had a dream. I will not forget the depths of your eyes. The wind, the sky, surely will wipe away all our pain inside. I love you." They embraced. Rosaria whispered softly from within Darien's arms, "And I love you!"
That's the next chapter. There will only be two more at the most. I love writing this story, and I hope you're enjoying reading it. Keep going...we're almost done! *does a happy jig*
~*Tori*~
They tried to stay calm, but the adrenaline made them go faster, their minds buzzing with excitement and passion. This was what they had worked for, what they had dreamed of. The crowd cheered, but Rosaria attempted to ignore their shouts, this race was what she needed to be focused on.
After nine laps, there was but one left. Autumn and Rosaria were neck and neck, fighting for the top spot which would give a great advantage for the second race. Rosaria smiled as she heard Lion cheering louder than the rest of the crowd. Just as Autumn began to pull into first place, the crowd gasped as Rosaria stood up on her footrests as she'd practiced, and went beyond Autumn faster than the other racers had ever seen before.
Rosaria crossed the finish line first with ease, and the rest followed a whole minute and a half behind her. Darien came in third place, Jason came in fifth and Emily in seventh place. And so, the top 60 teams were lined up for the crowd, and the bottom 40 were sent away from the competition. The people cheered, and Rosaria smiled as she looked at the crowd, her family finally among them. A tear slipped from her eye, another one of her greatest dreams had been accomplished.
The top 60 teams were given a break between the first and second race of the first set. They had only an hour to rest up. Rosaria was getting herself a drink, which gently coursed down her throat and cooled her heated nerves. She looked up, and saw a shadow creeping up from behind her. As she was about to turn around, a sudden pain washed over Rosaria, overwhelming her senses. A familiar voice whispered into her ear very suddenly, not with words, but images. It spoke of flames and bright lights.
Though it did not use a written or even spoken language, the voice was clear in relaying its message saying, "In my dreams, we were together protected by the stars. Oz must die in your hands." Rosaria let out a scream and Darien grabbed her arms to support her.
"Rosaria, are you ok? What's wrong?" Darien blinked at the look on her face and said, "What did you see?" A single tear made its way silently down Rosaria's cheek as she spoke, "I saw nothing. But I heard......" Darien's mouth fell open. "Rosaria!" he whispered as a golden heart appeared on her forehead and the cross around her neck began to glow.
The heart changed to a rose, and the power of the Rose took control of Rosaria's young, fragile body, causing golden wings to spread from her back and her eyes to glow. The wings wrapped themselves around her, and when they spread again, she stood there in a flowing white gown of pure silk that glowed with golden mist. Visions of the past, Dorothy, and why it all happened.....it all made sense. Everything had happened for this reason alone. Nothing else was meant to be. Rosaria had been enlightened.
Screams were suddenly heard throughout the crowd of the massive stadium. "The Wicked Witch of Oz!" some cried as they stood still. Others tried to run, but Autumn had made sure that her followers had closed the people in. Every exit was blocked. Those that tried to climb down the steep walls either fell, or had their hearts pierced by the tips of arrows to meet their tragic ends.
Dark, hooded figures stood at the main doors with bows and arrows, all that approached them were killed on the spot. A loud voice reigned over the suddenly hushed crowd. "Rosaria Castine Callo!" the voice called. Rosaria looked up to see Autumn there. She finally made the connection. "Oh my God. You're the Wicked Witch of Oz! The one who killed my mother and father!" Rosaria's face became flushed with anger. The young girl saw her aunt Hope charge at Autumn and then stop before her once beloved friend.
"Autumn, we meet again as enemies." Hope said in a clear voice. The other girls watched in awe, wishing that their eyes were deceiving them. "Hope, I was praying we'd meet in friendship." Hope cocked an eyebrow in disgust. "I am no longer your friend, and I believe that prayers are useless to you now. I'm afraid our friendship died long ago Autumn, perhaps you remember trying to convince Dorothy of all people to hang me, claiming I killed your parents. Oh, and in case you forgot, you murdered our best friends!" Hope gasped for air after her tirade.
"Oh yes, that." Autumn said carelessly, causing anger to build within Hope's body, as well as Alyssa's, who watched powerlessly as her friends exchanged words, all the while memories of the sight of her deceived brother's corpse lying with that of his wife's flashing through her head. "Hope, I had a long time to think about all that has happened. All I can say is, I don't regret what I've done, for though I miss Dorothy, who was like a sister, she was getting in my way. Oz will now be mine!"
Alyssa stood with Toni and Amber supporting her. "How can you so soon forget all that Dorothy and David did for you? You ARE an evil witch Autumn, I know you not anymore. Dorothy shined in a world full of ugliness. She mattered when everything was meaningless. She tried to get away sometimes, but to no avail. Fragile, she didn't see her own beauty. But my bother saw it, we saw it, YOU saw it too Autumn. What happened? How can you forget?" Alyssa screamed as she fell apart into tears.
"I remember quite well Alyssa." said Autumn as she closed her eyes. "On his weak body, lays her dying hand, they traveled silently through those meadows of Heaven, where we ran as children. Living, we never once actually entered the doors. But then she entered the doors at my hands, left me living with nothing but tears and stains of her blood seeping into my skin. Like a thief in the night, the wind blowed so light, carrying their souls away, it warred with my tears, that dried years ago. I did regret it at first, but then my vision cleared, and I saw the ultimate treasure, complete control of Oz! And I swear to you that I shall have it."
"Dorothy and Dave are gone now Autumn," said Kristen. "They are dead, so why can't you just stop this path of destruction? Two lives are quite enough!" "Yes, she's right Autumn, and you know it!" chimed in Sarah. "I'm afraid my friends, that I have not yet gotten everyone I need to out of the way. You and Dorothy's pesky little daughter Rosaria, still need to be terminated. And it will not be on my hands this time, for I have followers now to take care of you, and I have a bit of an incentive that will make Rosaria come to me."
Autumn then lifted up Emily, whom she'd trapped in a glass case. Emily banged on the sides of it as Jason, Darien and Rosaria stood on the ground, watching in horror. "Release her!" cried Jason. Rosaria tried to speak, but she faltered and nothing came out when she opened her mouth. "Come to my castle if you ever want to see her alive again!" Autumn cackled as she disappeared.
The witch reappeared and said quietly to the guards at the main doors, "Burn the stadium, make sure that everyone within it dies except Rosaria." The hooded figures before Autumn nodded silently, ready and willing to obey her orders.
Jason was in a frenzy, not exactly sure what to do. Scarecrow shouted down to Rosaria from the seats, "Use your flyers and go rescue Emily!" Rosaria said. "I will, I love you my friends." "Good luck Rosaria!" Tin Man and Lion said simultaneously. Darien had heard, and did as told. He got on his flyer and took off out of the stadium. Rosaria was about to follow, but she suddenly stopped when she saw Jason charge at one of Autumn's guards.
"Jason no! Stop!" she screamed, running for her friend. "You LOUSY...." Jason shouted as he ruthlessly beat the guard. "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH EMILY AGAIN YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING..." The other guards became aware of what Jason was doing and went to stop him. Darien immediately came back down and stopped Rosaria as she tried to get to Jason, tears streaming down her face.
"NO, JASON! PLEASE DON'T!" Guards surrounded Jason, their bows drawn, and ten arrows pierced Jason's heart, killing him. Rosaria was too shocked to move and fell to her knees, the weight of Jason's death pulling her down, but Darien kept a level head, and knew that they had to get out of there quickly, for Rosaria's aunts were being lined up for execution at that very moment, and he knew not if they were next. He picked Rosaria up and ran to where Emily's flyer rested. Darien put Rosaria on the back seat of Emily's flyer and they began to rise above the stadium.
Rosaria looked back, seeing flames being lit at each corner, and Jason's blood seeping out onto the race track. Smoke rose into the air, making Oz black with horror. The people in the cities were ordered to lock their doors. Rosaria saw her aunts and Lion being shot to death with arrows one at a time. Alyssa was the last in line, and looked up at her niece with tears streaming down her face, as she whispered, "I'll be with you soon!" The arrow then hit her neck, and Alyssa fell to the ground with her comrades. Scarecrow was burned, Tin Man taken apart, and the rest of the people were left to die of smoke inhalation and burns.
Rosaria could watch no longer and tore her eyes away from the horrible scene as Darien kicked into high speed heading toward the Wicked Witch's castle. "Don't worry Rosaria." said Darien. "Everything will be all right...somehow." He desperately wanted to cry, but choked back his tears as to not further upset Rosaria.
"Jason," Rosaria spoke quietly. "Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and all my aunts, they've been slaughtered, as well as all those innocent people. There were young children in that crowd. How will everything be all right if I must live without them? Devoid of happiness is what my life will be. I would rather die, we're better off in the hands of God than here in this hell!" "For now, we have to worry about saving Emily and that is all." Rosaria wiped the tears from her face, and nodded solemnly.
Dorothy appeared floating next to the flyer, but Rosaria knew to say nothing. Dorothy spoke, "Ordinary beauty belongs to those who hold close their own hearts, but only those with eyes that shine eternal shall be called a goddess. Remember Rosaria, the heart is the wellspring of all things. If you don't believe, you can never begin to love. And without love, you cannot possibly succeed." Dorothy then suddenly disappeared, leaving Rosaria with a new understanding of what she must do.
Darien landed the flyer on a ledge outside the witch's castle. He looked at his lovely companion. "Rosaria? Look at me." Rosaria lifted her eyes to meet with Darien's. "Last night, I had a dream. I will not forget the depths of your eyes. The wind, the sky, surely will wipe away all our pain inside. I love you." They embraced. Rosaria whispered softly from within Darien's arms, "And I love you!"
That's the next chapter. There will only be two more at the most. I love writing this story, and I hope you're enjoying reading it. Keep going...we're almost done! *does a happy jig*
~*Tori*~