SIX
The intersection seemed to just appear out of nowhere. One minute she was walking along a lonely stretch of road. The next she was in the intersection. That sort of made sense. The movie didn't show Dorothy walking down the road. She had left Munchkin land then suddenly she was at the intersection.
Phoebe looked up and saw the scarecrow hanging right where he should be. As she looked closer at the scarecrow she suddenly realized it wasn't the scarecrow from the movie. Cole hung on the crossbeam wearing the scarecrows clothes. And apparently he was made of straw, just like the "real" scarecrow.
"Cole, thank goodness," said Phoebe, moving over to him. "You can shimmer us out of this nightmare. Then I can figure a way to get Prue and Piper out."
"Sure," said Cole. "I can do that. Or can I? I'm just not sure. I can shimmer, can't I? Or maybe I can't. What's a shimmer?"
"You do know me, don't you?" asked Phoebe.
"Of course I do," said Cole. "Who are you?"
Phoebe's heart sank. Cole seemed incapable of making up him mind.
"Of course," said Phoebe. "No brain."
"That's right," said Cole. "The farmer didn't give me a brain. And I can't even scare a crow. I'm a failure."
Somehow it seemed almost ironic to Phoebe. Cole was one of the most intelligent people she knew. And as Belthazor he was also one of the most feared demons in the underworld. To cast him as the brainless scarecrow that wasn't the least bit frightening had an ironic twist to it.
"You don't know who I am, do you?" asked Phoebe.
"Should I?" asked Cole.
"And you don't remember anything, do you? asked Phoebe.
"I've been up here for the longest time," said Cole. "Could you help me get down?"
Phoebe reached behind Cole and easily bent down the nail holding him in place. Cole fell to the ground, some of his stuffing falling out.
"I'm okay," he said, sticking the straw back into his chest. "It keeps falling out and I keep sticking it back in."
"You know," said Phoebe, "I've always wondered about that part of the film. If the scarecrow has been stuck up on that pole for so long, how could he pick up the stuffing that fell out? He couldn't reach the ground."
"I don't know," said Cole.
"No," sighed Phoebe. "I don't suppose you do."
"Is my name Cole?" asked Cole.
"It used to be," said Phoebe. "I guess it's scarecrow now."
"Okay," said Cole. "Who are you?"
"I guess I'm Dorothy," said Phoebe sarcastically. "Off to see the Wizard to find a way home."
"The Wizard?" questioned Cole. "Do you think he could give me a brain?"
"I don't know why not," said Phoebe. "He's done it every time before."
"Can I come with you?" asked Cole.
"Like I could stop you," said Phoebe.
"What does that mean?" asked Cole.
"It means you're coming with me, I guess," said Phoebe.
Phoebe looked down at the basket on her arm. Suddenly she took the basket and tossed it as hard as she could into the cornfield.
"I'm getting tired of lugging that around," she said. "Well I suppose we should get going. We have a tin woodsman to find. Maybe he'll be more helpful than you are."
She hooked her arm in Cole's and the two began to walk down the yellow brick road.
The intersection seemed to just appear out of nowhere. One minute she was walking along a lonely stretch of road. The next she was in the intersection. That sort of made sense. The movie didn't show Dorothy walking down the road. She had left Munchkin land then suddenly she was at the intersection.
Phoebe looked up and saw the scarecrow hanging right where he should be. As she looked closer at the scarecrow she suddenly realized it wasn't the scarecrow from the movie. Cole hung on the crossbeam wearing the scarecrows clothes. And apparently he was made of straw, just like the "real" scarecrow.
"Cole, thank goodness," said Phoebe, moving over to him. "You can shimmer us out of this nightmare. Then I can figure a way to get Prue and Piper out."
"Sure," said Cole. "I can do that. Or can I? I'm just not sure. I can shimmer, can't I? Or maybe I can't. What's a shimmer?"
"You do know me, don't you?" asked Phoebe.
"Of course I do," said Cole. "Who are you?"
Phoebe's heart sank. Cole seemed incapable of making up him mind.
"Of course," said Phoebe. "No brain."
"That's right," said Cole. "The farmer didn't give me a brain. And I can't even scare a crow. I'm a failure."
Somehow it seemed almost ironic to Phoebe. Cole was one of the most intelligent people she knew. And as Belthazor he was also one of the most feared demons in the underworld. To cast him as the brainless scarecrow that wasn't the least bit frightening had an ironic twist to it.
"You don't know who I am, do you?" asked Phoebe.
"Should I?" asked Cole.
"And you don't remember anything, do you? asked Phoebe.
"I've been up here for the longest time," said Cole. "Could you help me get down?"
Phoebe reached behind Cole and easily bent down the nail holding him in place. Cole fell to the ground, some of his stuffing falling out.
"I'm okay," he said, sticking the straw back into his chest. "It keeps falling out and I keep sticking it back in."
"You know," said Phoebe, "I've always wondered about that part of the film. If the scarecrow has been stuck up on that pole for so long, how could he pick up the stuffing that fell out? He couldn't reach the ground."
"I don't know," said Cole.
"No," sighed Phoebe. "I don't suppose you do."
"Is my name Cole?" asked Cole.
"It used to be," said Phoebe. "I guess it's scarecrow now."
"Okay," said Cole. "Who are you?"
"I guess I'm Dorothy," said Phoebe sarcastically. "Off to see the Wizard to find a way home."
"The Wizard?" questioned Cole. "Do you think he could give me a brain?"
"I don't know why not," said Phoebe. "He's done it every time before."
"Can I come with you?" asked Cole.
"Like I could stop you," said Phoebe.
"What does that mean?" asked Cole.
"It means you're coming with me, I guess," said Phoebe.
Phoebe looked down at the basket on her arm. Suddenly she took the basket and tossed it as hard as she could into the cornfield.
"I'm getting tired of lugging that around," she said. "Well I suppose we should get going. We have a tin woodsman to find. Maybe he'll be more helpful than you are."
She hooked her arm in Cole's and the two began to walk down the yellow brick road.