I know my chapters are all really short. But that's just because all the scenes with the Witch in the movie are all really short too. I'm doing my best to lengthen them out, but I think the story will be finished soon. She only has two more scenes left. Please review it no matter how pathetic it is!
I wake up to Nikko savagely pulling the blanket off me. I grab a corner and pull it back over my head.
"Five more minutes." I grumble. In reply, he continues to tug at the blanket. "What is it? Oh fine, I'll get up."
Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I go to brush my hair, which is quite a mess from last night's flight. I put it up in a bun, slipping it under my hat and taking out another of my black dresses to wear.
"Now, what did you want to tell me, Nikko?" He leads me over to my crystal ball, pointing at it. "I already know my horoscope: stay out of the rain and to beware of new acquaintances."
He gibbers again, pointing at it more insistently. "You think I should see what Dorothy and her friends are up to? Why? Oh, right, I want to keep them from meeting O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D. a.k.a. Chester. Okay. Let my just find the switch."
I search around the ball for the little light-switch that turns it on. After finally finding it, I place the ball back on the table and gaze into it. I see the group skipping along a forest path, singing some idiotic song.
"Ugh, there's nothing so depressing as boundless optimism. But not for long. I need to do something to stop them. I could squash them like the bugs they are, but that's too messy. Or I could be crafty and creative!" Nikko gibbers a little interruption. "I am crafty! I've made up many a devious scheme." He gibbers some more. "So what if none of them worked! It'll work this time."
I sit down to think. Hmmmm, what to do what to do what to do. I sit there, staring at the ball for some time. Thinking isn't one of my strong points.
"Something with poison in it, I think." I say, beginning to talk to myself. "But attractive to the eye so they don't avoid it immediately, and soothing to the smell so they go toward it and don't notice the poison. I know! Skunk cabbage!" Nikko gibbers. "No? Hmmm, what about a corpse plant?" He shakes his head vigorously. "Well, what's your bright idea then?" I ask, rather agitated. He gibbers in my ear.
"Poppies? Why poppies? Ohhhh, poppies! Yes, poppies will put them to sleep. Let me just grind up some mysterious red powder that I have no idea what it does. Because I think it'll make the poppies put them to sleep, that's why. This special red powder will make the sleep enchanted and last forever!" Nikko gibbers doubtfully. "Yes I know what I'm doing. I'll make them sleep, you'll see! And then those slippers will be mine!"
"Why do you want those slippers so badly?" says a voice behind me. I turn to face Glinda, standing in the doorway.
"How did you get up here?" I ask. "Oh, no matter." I say, waving the matter off.
"I repeat, why do you want them? She's just a little girl, what has she done to you?" says Glinda meaningfully, walking farther into the room.
"I deserve those shoes! They're really mine to begin with, and you had no right giving them to a stranger, no matter how cute." I say, a little vehemently.
"Yes, I suppose you're right," she apologizes, "and for that I'm sorry. But that's no reason to hurt the girl."
"I'm not hurting her. And I won't have to if she just gives me the shoes. Why ever did you tell her to keep them on?"
"I suppose it's one of those 'it seemed like a good idea at the time' things. I'm sure I had a reason, but I just don't remember it."
"You'll be the death of me someday, Glinda. Just because you said that, she'll never agree to letting me have them unless I threaten to kill her or worse!" I say angrily, knowing it to be true. "She's so gullible! If I had been the first one on the scene, told her that she was in the Land of Narnia and she just killed their wonderful ruler Aslan, she'd bend down before me apologizing!"
"She's just naive. You can't make fun of her, just because she's twelve years old." Glinda says, scoldingly.
"Then I suppose I'll have to be the one to help her grow up." I grumble. "Just go away."
"What, so you can forget me like everyone else?" she asks darkly. "I talked to Boq earlier, and it was he who asked me to come and check up on you."
"I told you to leave!" I yell, turning on her wildly. "Get out of my house!"
"Goodbye then, Elphie." she says, floating away in her pink bubble.
"Good riddance." I say, turning back to my red powder. "What was I doing again?" Nikko gibbers an answer. "Making enchanted poppies, right. How do you suppose I do that?" I run hurriedly to the Grimmerie, flipping through its pages.
"Aha. Bewitching objects, let's see. Pansies, pogo sticks, poinsettias, poison poppies, polar bears---" Nikko interrupts. "What do you mean I passed it? Oh." I look back down at the page I just turned. "Poison poppies, right. Step one- select field you want to populate. . ."
(An hour later)
"That should fix them. My pansies, I mean poppies, won't fail me now." I say, after completing the last step (it was number 253) and finally placing the heavy Grimmerie back on its shelf. I just really hope I didn't forget a step.