Chapter 2

Dorothy was glued to the spot, clutching Toto. The girl was the last person that Dorothy had expected to see. She dressed fine, and looked like a normal human being. Except for the skin. Her skin was a brilliant shade of emerald green; the exact same shade as the Witch of the West's. Her nose was a little long, another characteristic of the Witch. And her eyes...two, black orbs with a look of determination that made you feel weak and defenseless.

Indeed, it was the Wicked Witch of the West.

Dorothy wanted to run, but found that her legs couldn't move. Could the witch have put a spell on her? She was eying her up and down, almost searching her for something. Finally, she spoke.

"You look a little young for college. Do you live around here or something?" she asked. Her voice wasn't hard, or cruel like had been back when she was cursing her in her castle. It was soft, and gentle, and it seemed as though the look of determination in her eyes synchronized into her voice. Dorothy knew she had to respond...after all, the Witch seemed friendly enough.

"Er...No, I don't live around here. I am going to college, though. It's my first year..." Dorothy lied. Maybe she could fool the Witch.

"Oh!" the Witch said. "You're welcomed to follow me if you like. It's my first year here, too. I don't get a lot of company, so it'd be nice to have someone to talk to." The Witch smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown. "But you don't mind my skin color, do you?" she asked. "Because I understand completely if you do" she said. The look in her eyes remained the same, but Dorothy could see that sadness was now concealed behind it. "Goodness me, no!" Dorothy responded. Dorothy never had minded people's skin color. She could have cared less.

But people in Kansas weren't always like that. Once, Uncle Henry had hired a man named George. George was...different. It wasn't his thoughts, or the way he dressed. It was his skin color. He was blacker than night itself. Dorothy had really enjoyed him. He was a pleasant, outgoing man, who always had something interesting to talk about.

Not everyone in town was as accepting of George as Dorothy and her Aunt and Uncle were. Once, when Henry had gone into town to pick up some supplies, he was attacked on his way home by a group of white men. They were furious at his hiring of a black man, and taken the goods he had purchased. Uncle Henry's view of these...niggers, as he had cursed them, changed radically. He blamed the attack on George. Henry went home and fired him, and told him to never come back. Dorothy and Aunt Em were disgusted at Henry, but Aunt Em later decided it was for the best. Neither of them were ever able to convince Dorothy to think the same.

"Hey, are you okay?" the Witch asked her. Dorothy realized she must have blanked out, thinking about Kansas and George. "Yes, I'm fine..." Dorothy replied weakly. She thought her arrival in Munchkinland was odd, but this...this was very perturbing.

"You know, you never mentioned your name," the Witch said. My name, Dorothy thought. She had to think quickly; should she give her real name, or not? Maybe giving her real name would be for the best.

"Dorothy," she said. "Dorothy Gale, and this is my dog Toto." She picked up Toto's paw and moved it around, to make it look like he was waving.

"Nice to meet you, Dorothy, Toto!" the Witch responded. "My name is Elphaba. Elphaba Thropp."